Need to step up your game in the kitchen? Check out these easy recipes that will help your kiddo get through their day at daycare / preschool.
Packing lunch for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is no easy feat. It takes time and thoughtful planning to make your meal not only healthy and tasty, but NUT-free for your little one. As a “nut-free zone”, food and snacks served at Tiny Hearts Academy must not be made with nuts OR manufactured in a plant with nuts [the label will tell you where it’s manufactured]. Eating a balanced meal early-on ensures children get the right vitamins and minerals in their diet. Here are five (5) healthy, nut-free lunches when you’re stumped on what to send your kiddo to school with. These lunch combinations have fruits, veggies, and protein to give your little ones the nutrition and energy to tackle the day without sacrificing taste.
1. Does your little one like hard boiled eggs? Add a little dash of salt and pepper or chop it up into an egg salad with mayo or greek plain yogurt. The zucchini mini muffins are made with bananas instead of sugar and have some chia seeds thrown in. Add string cheese, Goldfish crackers, and blueberries and you have yourself a hearty lunch.
2. In this lunch, we have grain-free Salmon Patties, veggie chips, green beens, blueberries, raspberries, and Clementine orange slices. Throw in your kiddos favorite dipping sauce like mustard or greek plain yogurt mixed with Ranch seasoning mix to spice it up and don't forget to send them off with love by adding a sweet love note.
3. This ham and cheese combo includes strawberries, carrots, celery, nut thins or veggie chips and a sweet treat with a gluten-free cookie.
4. This bento box prepares a lunch for your child according to the four food groups like dairy, protein, vegetables, and fruits. Serving your child's lunch in a bento box makes it more interesting and fun for your child to eat. This recipe combines cherry tomatoes (cut in half, please!), celery sticks with greek plain yogurt and Ranch seasoning mix, blueberries and strawberries, dark-chocolate covered raspberries, and SunButter and banana tortilla roll-ups. SunButter is a great source of protein and a real life-saver for children with peanut allergies.
5. Bite-sized turkey and cheese roll-ups with spinach snuck in are sure to be a hit. Combine it with grapes (cut in half, please!), popcorn, and cucumber bites. Add some hummus for cucumber dipping!
To help inspire you in the kitchen, we created a Pinterest board filled with tips and ideas for easy and nutritious lunches. In our Health + Nutrition board, you’ll find tons of yummy recipes that will never get boring! Follow us and keep everyone’s appetite healthy. 😋
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For more information on how to keep your parent game strong 💪 , see Parent Pointers, a series of helpful articles, tips, and ideas.
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