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!

Creating Balance in 2012

If you're one of the many Americans that have resolved to save money, eat better or live a greener lifestyle in 2012, we hope you're putting your lunchbox to good use! Not sure how a lunchbox can really help you meet your goals? Well, it's time to: 

Resolution: Save money 

Take your lunch with you to work, travel, and on weekend outings. We're not the only one touting this easy money saving technique: 

"Although it can be fun to go out with your co-workers for lunch, the weekly tab can be stressful on your wallet. For example, let’s say you eat a pretty modest lunch even at a chain like Chili’s. You will probably spend at least $10-$12 per meal. If you work 5 days a week, that adds up to $50-60! Instead, you could probably spend $15-$20 on a week’s supply of groceries." 
Henak, B. (2011) 5 Simple Ways to Save money as a Young Professional. Retrieved from: http://newlycorporate.com/2011/06/17/5-simple-ways-to-save-money-as-a-young-professional/


Resolution: Eat better
Give your body the types of foods it needs in the correct portions. Not as easy as it sounds? Let your Bento Set help you create the balance to succeed: 

Resolution: Live a Greener Lifestyle
Making easy changes like reducing your waste is a great first step. According to wastefreelunches.org: 

"Much of the trash we generate comes from the packaging on the food we buy, and lunch foods are no exception. In fact, it has been estimated that on average a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school."




Ready to re-think that lunchbox? 
Visit us at, www.laptoplunches.com and we'll help you get started.  

We want to hear your success stories, so please be sure to share now and throughout the year. 

Everyone here at Laptop Lunches would like to wish you a happy, healthy, and successful 2012! 

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food

If you haven't had a chance to check out this compelling video, we recommend that you take a look:

Lunch Box

By Brenda Layman

Lunch on the go can be as tasty and nutritious as a home-cooked and served meal. Busy students and employees don’t have to depend on fast-food and cafeteria fare. With a bit of planning, lunches brought from home can make that midday break something special.

Convenient containers and insulated carriers allow greater versatility than ever when it comes to carrying food. Changing up the lunch routine with bountiful brown bag repasts or tempting lunch box fare provides healthier diets along with more enjoyable and cost-conscious eating.

The best meals on the go meet certain criteria. They are nutritious, convenient, appropriately portioned, and appetizing. Instead of buying fast food, which can be expensive and high in fat, sodium, and calories, folks can control the quality of home-packed foods. It’s easier to ensure that foods prepared at home are kosher, organic, or locally grown.

Read the rest of the article at http://lifegetinit.greenmaplewellness.net/new/articles/article.html?artid=1444.

No Lunch Left Behind

By ALICE WATERS and KATRINA HERON
Published: February 19, 2009

Berkeley, Calif.

THIS new era of government bailouts and widespread concern over wasteful spending offers an opportunity to take a hard look at the National School Lunch Program. Launched in 1946 as a public safety net, it has turned out to be a poor investment. It should be redesigned to make our children healthier.

Under the program, the United States Department of Agriculture gives public schools cash for every meal they serve — $2.57 for a free lunch, $2.17 for a reduced-price lunch and 24 cents for a paid lunch. In 2007, the program cost around $9 billion, a figure widely acknowledged as inadequate to cover food costs. But what most people don’t realize is that very little of this money even goes toward food. Schools have to use it to pay for everything from custodial services to heating in the cafeteria.

[Read the rest of the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/opinion/20waters.html?_r=1&emc=eta1.]