Refreshing Bento Salad

This Weeks' Bento Lunch

Have you ever had a bok choy salad? If not, you're missing out! A member of the cabbage family, raw bok choy is crunchy, refreshing, full of vitamins, and low in calories. We were certainly thrilled to see this colorful salad and sides in our bento boxes today! 



Click here to view this week's full menu.

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. 

Spaghetti's Cousin

This Week's Bento Lunch


Just like spaghetti with marinara, udon noodles with peanut sauce is a quick and easy meal your family will enjoy at the dinner table and love the next day for lunch. Hot or cold, this sweet and savory dish is sure to hit the spot! 


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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

St. Patty's Day Lunches

We were looking for some fun St. Patrick's Day bento lunch inspiration and came across last year's Leprechaun Laptop feature from Parents Magazine: 

Will you be surprising your kids with an early St. Patrick's Day lunch tomorrow? If so, please be sure to take a quick picture and share on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LaptopLunches. 


We're hoping for a very green Friday! 


Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Weekend Casserole

This week's bento lunch


Casseroles make terrific lunchbox leftovers and are great for adding nutrient-rich, fresh vegetables, like spinach, to your mid-day meal. Spinach casseroles, which come in many forms, can be prepared on the weekend and packed for lunch throughout the week. Try a spinach lasagna (pictured here) or a casserole made with brown rice, whole grain pasta, amaranth, barley, bulgur, or whole-wheat couscous. 


Click here to view this week's full menu.

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.