Lunchbox Treats That Aren’t So Bad For Them

I do my best, but packing lunches gets boring after a while. Depending on what we have in the cabinets, I toss in granola bars, pudding packs, applesauce, or the rare homemade chocolate chip cookie. I also slice fruit — usually apples — and put the slices in a plastic bag and squeeze in a few drops of lemon or lime juice to prevent browning. Two days out of five those fruit slices come back home with one or the other child, but then that becomes his after-school snack.

In our awesome Scout Box from the Savvy Sassy Moms Product Scouts Program we found a few great new snacks to try. I’m happy to report that among my two boys, all of the snacks were a hit for either or both of them. And two of them are being demanded to make repeat appearances. Both of those products are from Plum Organics, the company that makes nutritious organic food for kids from babies to …well, let’s just say adults have eaten their foods, too.

boy eating plum organics mash ups

Fruit & Veggie Mashups: These are like those apple sauce pouches that you slurp the applesauce out of, eliminating the need for a spoon to be packed in the lunch. Plus the little caps can be recycled. I had tried out these squishy packs from a different brand over a year ago and neither of my kids liked them. I guess my 3rd-grader forgot all about that failed experiment, because he ate two of these “beetbox berry” flavored pouches right after we opened the box. Then he asked me to buy them again. I don’t think he knows there are beets in the recipe…

IMG_2242Plum Organics Mashups: $3.99 for a box of 4

It’s kind of awesome that each of the boys picked a thing they liked because they didn’t have to fight over who got to eat the most of any certain snack. The 10-year-old had to contend with me, though, when it came to the Jammy Sammy box:

IMG_2243Plum Organics Jammy Sammy snacks: $4.19 for a box of 5

Because hello, it’s a peanut butter and jelly sandwich snack! What could be better? Actually, their school recommends peanut-free snacks, so this selection was great for other outings, or an after-school snack. And for Mom. They also come in peanut-free flavors.

Another snack we wouldn’t have normally tried but was a pleasant surprise for all of us was the box of Annie’s Organic Cheddar Bunnies. Better than the alternative (that I usually buy) these bunny snacks contain 100% real cheese, organic wheat, and absolutely no artificial flavors, synthetic colors or synthetic preservatives. This box didn’t even make it to the first day of school.

IMG_2244Annie’s Organic Cheddar Bunnies: $5.09 for 7.65 oz box

Gummies that are good for you: this isn’t exactly a traditional lunchbox item, but it could be added in a fun little container for your child to discover a tasty treat while at school. Smarty Pants gummy vitamins look like gumdrops – they are sprinkled with organic sugar! – but they are not candy. These sweet chewables are multivitamins that are great for kids and grownups too. One out of two of my kids absolutely loves them, and requests them. Who ever heard of a kid requesting to take his vitamins?

boy with smarty pants vitamin gummiesSmartyPants Vitamins: $24.95 for a one-month supply

What snacks do you put into your kids’ lunch boxes or bags? I’d love other suggestions, because even I get bored putting the same old things in their bags every day.

Let Mabel’s Labels Mark Your Things for Back to School

I’ve been a big Mabel’s Labels fan for years, and I was delighted that a coupon for an Ultimate Back-to-School Combo kit appeared in my Scout Box from the Savvy Sassy Moms Product Scouts Program. I still have a few labels left from the last order I placed a few years ago, but those adorable designs were starting to be declared “not cool enough” by my oh-so-cool 8- and 10-year-old boys.

mabels-logo

I was happy to see that Mabel has updated her design choices. The tools help you narrow down what you are going to have printed on ALL THE THINGS in the combo pack:

  • 40 Mini Custom Name Stickers: 38mm x 8mm (1-1/2″ x 5/16″)
  • 50 Tag Mates™ Stick On Clothing Labels: 21mm x 10mm (13/16″ x 3/8″)
  • 16 Custom Shoe Stickers: 33mm (1.3″)
  • 2 Personalized Mini Tags: 30mm x 20mm (1-1/4″ x 3/4″)

You definitely want to pick the right colors, design, and text. And since there are only 4 font choices, you will not be paralyzed by indecision…for as long. Here’s what I picked:

mabels labels back to schoolI slapped these labels on backpacks, lunch bags, sweatshirts, bicycles, scooters, helmets, notebooks, scissors, and anything else that went out the door in the first week of school. I keep the very compact folio of many unused labels in the junk drawer near our kitchen, because for us school seems to pick up speed slowly. We are still getting requests for supplies, or the supplies I ordered come in a little bit at a time, so on any given morning there is something I have to slap a label on.

Plus now that I have widened our focus to our last name instead of the kids’ initials, I can use this one pack for both kids, plus Mom and Dad, too. Not that we often have to label our own stuff, but you never know!

Mabel’s Labels Ultimate Back-to-School Pack: $42