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A new school year means a new lunch bag and with so many adorable options at $15 (or less), why stop at just one? Unicorns, Pokémon and flamingos are trending right now, so make sure your kid has the cutest gear come September.
Got a picky eater on your hands? Even if you're blessed with a child who loves veggie purees, spinach and tomatoes, as a parent, I know that kids' affinity for healthy foods can come and go. But I'm here to tell you: Stay strong and keep serving those healthy foods.
If you are a regular at Target, the quintessential American retailer, you might be glad to know that Target recently pledged to remove artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners and colors, including artificial trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup, from their Target-owned brand kids' foods by 2018. More than 75 percent of the store-brand kids' foods are already free of these ingredients. Market Pantry and Simply Balanced are Target-owned brands that sell items like macaroni and cheese, gummy fruit snacks, yogurts, granola bars, applesauce and crackers.
If you're anything like us, you are crazy about seltzer. Seriously, we have fridges in the office that are dedicated just to our seltzer habit, plus a SodaStream for instant bubbles anytime we want. There's just something about the bubbles, with just a touch of fruity flavor, not to mention the fact that seltzer is actually good for you. It's the perfect way to increase your water intake and hydrate with something more fun and delicious than just water, without consuming tons of calories or added sugars.
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When it comes to eating more produce, lunch is the perfect time to squeeze in those fruit and veggie servings. Watch these helpful how-to videos to get some great ideas for packing healthy lunches for work and school. Plus, see what your kids really think about what's in their lunch.
I overheard a mom at the playground tell friends how she'd prepped weekly lunches for the whole family for the first time. She remarked how nice it was to have prepared lunches ready to send with her child to preschool and for she and her husband to take to work. I couldn't agree more! Starting the week off with prepared meals makes it so much easier to eat healthy all week—not to mention avoiding more morning chaos getting ready.
More than five years of packing lunches quickly teaches you survival-of-the-fittest methods. I've learned how to create a healthy bento box lunch for my kids that they'll actually eat (and get them out the door before missing carpool or the bus). For me, it's important to pack foods with a variety of nutrients, textures and flavors. But it can't just be healthy—my girls are selective about the foods they eat and I want them to look forward to lunch.
Making macaroni and cheese from a boxed mix is a super-easy dinner that both kids and adults love. And though you may have thought twice about the nutrition of these neon cheese powder dinners, a new report may give you yet another reason to think about ditching the box.
