Summer Dreaming

This Week's Bento Lunch

 

Paris in the summertime - sounds pretty dreamy to us and we do love to dream, so today we packed up our bento boxes with some Parisian bites and are looking forward to a quick trip this afternoon. Bon appetit! 

Click here to view this week's full menu and nutritional information. 

com/rss/355/Bento-Lunchbox-Baguette-Sandwich.html#sthash.Y6EFhg5B.dpuf

Berry Sweet Bento Lunch

 This Week's Bento Lunch

Craving sweet? We say go big but keep it healthy! This naturally sweet bento lunch is sure to satisfy those cravings while leaving you feeling great all afternoon. 

Click here to view this week's full menu and nutritional info.

Spring Fresh

This week's bento lunch

 
Spring is in full swing and fresh fruits and veggies are abundant. To take advantage of our seasonal favorites, we've got our bento boxes doing double salad in this bento lunch!

Click here to view this week's full menu and nutritional information.

Mini Munchin'

This Week's Bento Lunch

This week's bento is for all of the mini munchers out there. Whether they're headed to pre-school or a play date, the variety of tastes and textures in this lunch are sure to hit the spot!

Click here to view this week's full menu.

Taking it to Go

This Week's Bento Lunch

Getting ready to hit the road in search of some summertime fun? Whether you're traveling by train, car or air, be sure to be proactive about eating well on the go by packing your bento lunch with some fun and healthy on the go snacks like the ones shown in this week's bento lunch.

Click here to view this week's full menu and nutritional info.

Super Caesar!

This Week's Bento Lunch

How do you make your favorite salad a super salad? It's simple, change up one of the main ingredients with a comparable super food. For example, in this bento lunch, we've substituted the romaine hearts found in a typical Caesar salad with kale, giving us a super Caesar!

Click here to view this week's full menu and nutritional information.  

How do you make your favorite salad a super salad? It's simple - change up one of the main ingredients with a comparable super food. For example, in this bento lunch, we substituted the romaine hearts found in a typical Caesar salad with kale, giving us a super Caesar! - See more at: http://www.laptoplunches.com/rss/350/Bento-Lunchbox-Kale-Caesar.html#sthash.Ld3YGP74.dpuf

p one of the main ingredients with a comparable super food. For example, in this bento lunch, we substituted the romaine hearts found in a typical Caesar salad with kale, giving us a super Caesar! - See more at: http://www.laptoplunches.com/rss/350/Bento-Lunchbox-Kale-Caesar.html#sthash.Ld3YGP74.dpuf

 

How do you make your favorite salad a super salad? It's simple - change up one of the main ingredients with a comparable super food. For example, in this bento lunch, we substituted the romaine hearts found in a typical Caesar salad with kale, giving us a super Caesar! - See more at: http://www.laptoplunches.com/rss/350/Bento-Lunchbox-Kale-Caesar.html#sthash.Ld3YGP74.dpuf

Wake Up and Bento

This Week's Bento Lunch

 

Whole grains contain a number of vitamins and antioxidants that have been proven to have a positive impact on our overall health, so it’s important to get at least three servings a day. To help meet this recommended daily allowance, we decided to make a batch of whole grain pancakes for lunch. That’s right; as long as you use healthy ingredients even a treat like pancakes can be good for you! 

Click here to view this week's full menu and nutritional information. 

Perfect Portions Make a Deliciously Nutritious Meal

This lunch menu featuring chicken and cheesy rice with avocado and tortilla chips by Dana White is sure to make you completely forget about the fact that you’re cutting calories!

Chicken and Cheesy Rice

By: Dana White (http://danawhitenutrition.com/)

3 ounces grilled or roasted chicken breast

1 serving Cheesy Rice (link also below)

¼ cup diced avocado topped with fresh lime juice

½ oz tortilla chips (about 8 chips)

1 serving seasonal fruit

Nutrition Info Per Serving: Calories: 500; Total Fat: 18 grams; Saturated Fat: 3 grams; Total Carbohydrate:  48 grams; Protein: 35 grams; Sodium: 269 milligrams; Cholesterol: 74 milligrams; Fiber:  7 grams

http://danawhitenutrition.com/recipes/cheesy-rice/

What's your #BentoResolution?

This January, Laptop Lunches will be all about Bento Resolutions. 

Join us as we dedicate the entire month of January to eating well, living well, and feeling great! 

Look out for:

• A new low calorie menu idea for each day of the work week - some from our favorite bloggers.
• General diet and exercise information and tips. 
• Inspirational stories.
• Updates on our staff's journey to eating better through our very own Bento Resolutions

We're looking forward to this exciting start to 2014 and hope you'll join in by posting pictures of your own low calorie bento meals and sharing your Bento Resolutions and progress throughout the month using the hashtag #BentoResolution.

Make sure you don't miss out on any of the great information - Start following us on our new Wordpress blog today: http://bentolunchboxes.wordpress.com/ ! 

Happy Hanukkah!

This Week's Bento Lunch

Traditional Hanukkah menus often include latkes as a way to symbolize the drop of oil that burned for 8 days and 8 nights following the rededication of the holy temple. Over the years, these traditional potato pancakes have evolved to become extremely versatile and can now be found in a number of variations. Although there are many options available, we decided to keep our latkes traditional and served them with sour cream and apple berry sauce as part of this fun and tasty holiday lunch. 

Click here to view this week's full menu.

Make Sure You're Ready to Take on 2013!

*** Free shipping available now through 12/24! 

Holiday Health and Happiness

This Week's Bento Lunch

Following these stars will lead you to a well-rounded meal that will help you through those last minute shopping and holiday details. We hope your holidays are filled with joy, happiness, and of course, bentos for everyone! 

Click here to view this week's full menu.

Laptop Lunches in Eating Well!

We were so excited to see our bento lunch boxes in Eating Well's online lunch article! Check it out: 

Don't-Miss Recipes: Low-Calorie One-Dish Meals Skinny, Grab-and-Go Muffins and Scones 100-Calorie Fruit Desserts

#1 Lunch Ingredient That Satisfies Want to know the secret to a low-calorie lunch that also keeps you satisfied? One nutrient in particular is an excellent addition: it keeps you feeling fuller longer, helping to carry you straight through the afternoon to dinner. Find out what one feel-full ingredient you should add to your lunch to stay satisfied. • #1 Lunch Ingredient That Satisfies Light Lunches That Satisfy • Pizza Roll-Up Bento Box • Curried Chicken Pitas • Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad • Egg Salad Sandwich with Watercress • Chinese Chicken & Noodle Salad • Mediterranean Tuna Panini

Enjoy Great Food While Greening Your Travels

Italy-Homemade Pizza - After
purchasing ingredients at Campo
de’ Fiori market in Rome, we made our own pizza.
Photo by: Greenloons

Savoring local flavors helps communities, families and the environment.

Eco-tourism travel is about preserving ecosystems, educating visitors about conservation, empowering localities, operating sustainable tourist attractions – and, most of all, having fun and unique family experiences!  Of course, eating is a big part of traveling and aside from the fact that families can truly immerse themselves in the travel experience when sampling local foods and delicacies, the practice of eating locally teaches the value of food to both young and wise, and helps the environment.

The environmental benefits of eating locally include: less need for preservatives, better health since smaller farms are less likely to use pesticides and more likely to grow a variety of foods, and helping local economies since farmers receive the full retail value of the item rather applying it toward the expenses of transportation, processing, packaging, and refrigeration.

To find sustainable food restaurants in the United States and Canada, two great resources are Eat Well Guide and Local Harvest, which provides a comprehensive U.S. directory of farmers markets, farm stands and other sources of locally grown food.

London-Gastropub - Farm-fresh appetizer
 at London’s only certified organic restaurant,
the family-friendly Duke of Cambridge.
Photo by: Greenloons

When traveling overseas, a great resource to use is World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), which lists organic farms as well as organic farm volunteering opportunities around the world.  While ‘farmers markets’ may be a relatively new concept for Americans, almost every foreign city large or small has established local markets that sell fresh meats, fish, cheeses, breads, pastries, vegetables and fruits.  Traversing through one of these markets with children will not only reveal the different colors, shapes, textures and smells of local food, but will serve as a quick language, math and social studies lesson too.

Alternatively, if you are overseas and a family member suffers from allergies, Select Wisely portable translation cards, which can also be downloaded to a smartphone, cover all manner of food allergies and medical conditions including cards for nut and shellfish allergies, restaurant chefs, gluten-free diets, as well as smoke-free and low-salt requests.

Zurek Soup-Poland - The Polish specialty
of Zurek Soup, served in Krakow,
 is not only nutritious and filling,
 but “delicious” according to
my 7 year-old.
Photo by: Greenloons

Next time you are traveling to a new country, try to find a sustainable food restaurant or organic farm market or festival, and start savoring the local flavors.

About the author:

Irene Lane is the founder and president of Greenloons, which connects families to meaningful and unique nature-based travel experiences all over the world.

·  

A Conscious Guide to Choosing Snacks

By: Randy Rabney

 I’m often asked for snack ideas for kids (and adults). I’ve said this often and I’ll say it again, the most important thing when choosing snacks and meals is the quality of the ingredients. If you stay away from foods that are pre-packaged it’s easier to know what’s in the food. I recommend doing your best to look for foods that are organic, grown using organic practices or non-gmo. When using things that are pre-packaged like crackers or even nut butters and bread, for example, be sure to read the label and avoid ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, MSG and artificial colors.

When choosing snacks think about the purpose of it, are they hungry and waiting for dinner to be ready shortly or will it need to keep them going for a while, like a small meal? Here are some of my favorites that are great-tasting, nourishing and easy to prepare:

1. Nuts and dried fruit. This is a standard. It’s easy to keep in your bag or the car. I go heavier on the nuts than the dried fruit. It contains fat, protein, carbohydrate plus vitamins and minerals and the dried fruit can satisfy a sweet tooth. Figure out what your child’s favorite is and keep it available. You can even add a very small amount of high quality chocolate covered fruit to the mix.
2. Roasted Vegetables. These are great fresh from the oven, cold or room temperature. My son especially likes cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kale chips prepared this way. It’s a great snack for right before dinner when they are saying “I’m hungry, when will dinner be ready?” For cauliflower and brussel sprouts, pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees. Toss either vegetable with a little extra virgin olive oil and sea salt (just enough to lightly coat). Cook until the vegetables are brown (this brings out the sweetness) and tender to the tip of a knife. For kale, use the same method but cook at 300 degrees, check for crispiness after 10 minutes, you want it crisp like a chip but not brown, do not overcook.
3. Hummus, Black Bean and White Bean Dips with Raw Vegetables and/or Crackers all make great snacks. I like to make my own so I can season them the way I like them and know what kind of oil is in them. If you are buying them already prepared look for products made with olive oil, avoid products that contain soybean or canola oil (non-organic soy and canola oil are likely to be GMO).
4. Shrimp Cocktail is also a great snack. Instead of traditional cocktail sauce, try mashing an avocado with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and some sea salt and use that as a dip for the shrimp. If you do use traditional cocktail sauce, make it yourself with ketchup and horseradish, you can control the spiciness that way. Also, many brands of store bought prepared cocktail contain high fructose corn syrup (corn is another food that if not organic, is likely to be GMO) which should be avoided.
5. Sliced cheese, turkey or roast beef rolled around a slice of avocado. When possible choose meats from grass-fed animals and grass-fed raw cheese. Please make sure that your meats and dairy products are at a minimum antibiotic and hormone-free. If you’d like serve some brown rice or other high quality crackers on the side.
6. A Small Plate with some good quality cheese (organic or hormone-free), crackers and a piece of apple or some other fruit.
7. Whole grain or sprouted bread, toast, crackers or sliced apple with nut butter. This is fast and easy, if using bread, toast or crackers, you can combine it with a small amount of raw honey or some organic fruit spread sweetened with fruit juice.

Action Steps

1. Think about what you typically choose for a snack. Is it something that just fills you up or is it something that also nourishes you?
2. Take a look at the ingredients in some of your pre-packaged foods. Do you know what they all are? Do you know how they impact your health in the long and short term?
3. Make a decision to make one small improvement, if one needs to be made. The next time you want a snack, try something from my list or create one of your own using my guidelines.

Randy Rabney is a Food Lover, Chef, Board Certified Health Counselor and Parent. She offers a variety of programs and services to teach people of varying ages how to prepare great tasting food quickly and easily and to understand the value of high quality ingredients so that people enjoy eating healthy food. You can find Randy at http://theconsciousplate.com. She's also always happy to talk with you if you think that she can help. Feel free to contact her at Randy@TheConsciousPlate.com to set up a call. 

Making Lunches Work

By Marissa Vicario, Marissa’s Well-being and Health (MWAH!)

Eating the same deli salad for lunch day in and day out can get boring and going to the nearest restaurant chain with co-workers can quickly pile on the pounds. Well-portioned lunches that travel well from home to office are well worth the minimal effort they take to prepare and result in a fatter wallet and slimmer waistline. Try some of these ideas for a healthier, more satisfying lunch.

·        

      Last Night’s Leftovers: Make more than you need and enjoy them the next day.

• Nori Wraps: Nori, the seaweed that is used to make sushi, can be used to wrap any leftovers from the refrigerator. Get creative with your combinations or try this: leftover cooked brown rice, romaine lettuce, sliced avocado, sliced apple, a few basil leaves, some cilantro sprigs and leftover cooked greens like kale.
• Super Salads: Deli salads don’t stand a chance next to homemade mixes that pack organic, high quality ingredients and loads of superfoods. Make your own dressing or keep it simple with lemon juice and olive oil or a splash of balsamic vinegar.
• Homemade Soups: Make soup loaded with beans, grains and veggies ahead of time in a large batch and freeze any excess for a later date.

But just because you’re bringing lunch from home is no excuse to overdo it on the serving size. Use this guide for smart portion control: 

•          Keep meat/poultry/fish to 4 ounce servings - or the size of your palm
•          A serving of whole grains should be the size of your fist, one cup
•          Two ounces of organic cheese is the size of two fingers
•          Fill half your plate with green vegetables and limit second helpings to greens
•          Eat sweets only on occasion and plan ahead

About Marissa Vicario

Marissa Vicario is lover of all things health and wellness and Founder of Marissa's Well-being and Health (MWAH!). As a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Marissa  works with urban professionals who want to lose weight, control their cravings and feel more energized without dieting, deprivation or calorie-counting. Having navigated her way to health while working in the corporate world, Marissa knows how to balance health and wellness with a demanding workload. She regularly lectures on corporate wellness, teaches cooking classes and is a believer in motivating women to kick off their stilettos and break in their stove tops as a first step in adopting a healthier lifestyle and kissing their unhealthy habits goodbye. Marissa blogs on health, wellness, spirituality and self love at www.whereineedtobe.com

Kids and Cholesterol

By: Andrea Metcalf

Almost 20% of children have high cholesterol.  It may be logical to believe that this disease only affects overweight children, but genetics plays an important role as well and even skinny kids can have high cholesterol.  Fourteen year old Jason Myers is conscious of what he eats.  He was diagnosed with high cholesterol, like his brother and father, when he was only two years old.  When talking with him about his condition, he says "It just means I have to be more aware of what I eat."  

Here are some healthy breakfast and lunch ideas from Jason - "Dinner", he says, "is up to mom!"

Jason preparing an egg white omlette

Breakfast - 

Healthy Egg White Omelette  

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Egg Beaters, 1 cup raw spinach, 1/4 cup feta cheese, light cooking spray

Directions:

Spray the pan and lightly saute the spinach until it's shiny

Add the Egg Beaters ( whip in blender first to make them fluffy) and roll them to edge of pan

Cook until they lightly bubble then flip them over

Add feta cheese to one side of the eggs and fold in half

Slide onto plate

Lunch -
Rolled Turkey Wrap Ups - Take it with you using a great Lunch box from Laptop Lunches


http://www.laptoplunches.com/rss/42/bento-lunchbox-refried-rollups.htmlIngredients:

4 oz lean turkey lunchmeat, 2 large green leaf lettuce leaves, 1/4 sliced into strips red pepper, 2 oz light Cabot cheese, 1/4 cup of sprouts, Lemon slice and bottle of water

Directions:

Start with large lettuce leaves and evenly place, turkey, pepper, cheese and sprouts into each of them

Roll and wrap and place in lunchbox

bring a lemon slice for your water

"Anyone over twelve can make these items and eat healthier", says Jason.  He just may be the next Top Chef!

Andrea Metcalf, a fitness and lifestyle expert, has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America Health and Chicago's NBC 5 .  She is a nationally recognized Speaker, author of the best selling book,  Naked Fitness, Good Day Show radio personality, and producer and host of, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, a reality weight loss show that airs in Chicago on NBC Nonstop. She can be found giving fitness tips, inspirational thoughts and information on living a healthier, happier life at: www.andreametcalf.com.

Nutrition Month Kick Off

This month is all about nutrition!

We always look forward to the added emphasis and awareness brought to nutrition in the month of March through the celebration of National Nutrition Month.

One of the key goals that led to the development of our products was to help parents pack nutritious meals for their children to enjoy at school. We are so pleased that our Bento Sets have now become a tool that both adults and children are using to create balanced, portion-controlled meals to enjoy on the go.

Click here for detailed information on how our Bento Sets make creating balanced meals a breeze.

While we love to talk about nutrition and different ways of enjoying wholesome foods, we decided to  broaden our scope and add some variety to this year's National Nutrition Month through a series of nutrition-related guest blogs.

We're looking forward to hearing from Paula Sirois, Andrea Metcalf, Marissa Vicario, and Randy Rabney on subjects including lunches, snacking, and managing high cholesterol in kids. We'd love to hear from you as well, so please join in on the conversation either here or on our Facebook page!

Nutritiously Delicious Bento Lunch

This Week's Bento Lunch

Hummus is a great double-duty dip that is both nutritious and delicious. We added sundried tomatoes to our hummus to give it an extra burst of flavor and brought along carrot sticks and pita chips for dipping. Energy- packed trail mix and a sweet pluot rounded out this meal which left us feeling energized enough to tackle the rest of our day.

Click here to view this week's full menu.

Picnic Lunch

This Week's Bento Lunch:

Last weekend we enjoyed such a great bento picnic that we decided to recreate it for today's lunch.This bento is a breeze to pack and is sure to be enjoyed in any setting!

Click here to view this week's full menu.