Mabel’s Labels washaway lunch box notes are the perfect way to include something special in their lunch bag. These lunch box labels will completely disappear each night; just wash them either in the dishwasher or by hand, and they’ll quickly and easily disintegrate. Each pack comes with 24 labels, so there is enough to cover the first week, plus any special days or a note on the days when they need a little extra encouragement.

If your kids are young and unable to read yet, here are some cute ways to include a note that they’ll understand and appreciate. Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Lewis told us that the best part of her day is seeing a child’s face light up when they open their lunch bag and see a note from their parents!”

Kindergarten notes to include in your child’s lunch:

If your kids are young and unable to read yet, here are some cute ways to include a note that they’ll understand and appreciate. Kindergarten teacher Heather McNulty told us that the best part of her day is

• Stick figure drawings of you and your child surrounded by hearts.
• A big heart with the word LOVE (usually by kindergarten, it’s a word they can recognize)
• A classic smiley face

Notes for a grade school lunchbox:

Sometimes a kid just needs some little encouragement from parents; it can refuel their confidence throughout the day. It reminds them of the comforting connection they have to home, while giving them a little boost they need to brighten their day.

• Hope you’re having a great day!
• Can’t wait to see you after school!
• I love you to the moon and back!
• I’m so proud of you!
• Keep being you!

Notes for days when they need extra encouragement:

Letting your kids know that you’re proud of them, regardless of the outcome of their day, is really important. Knowing they have support from home makes it easier for them to cope with the experiences that may be overwhelming them.

• I’m so proud of how hard you’ve worked.
• Good luck with your test today!
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
• Don’t give up!
• Keep working hard!

Fun notes to add to your child’s lunchbox:

Sometimes just making them laugh is the best medicine. These fun notes, on a random day can strengthen the connection you have with your child.

• You’re one smart cookie!
• You’re a sweetie!
• You are the apple of my eye.
• You are berry special.For more back-to-school content, check out our guide for all things school!

The post Lunch Box Notes for Kids appeared first on The Mabelhood.

1. Sweet Potato Fries
   

   Kids love French fries, so I thought I would develop a healthier version. You can cut up the potatoes a night prior, and just air fry them with a drizzle of olive oil, and they are ready to go. Letting them completely cool off before packing them in their lunch box will prevent them from getting soggy.

2. Healthy Dips
   

   Everything tastes good with a good dip. If there are certain veggies that you want your child to try, you can add a healthy dip along with it to make it more appetizing. Air-fried veggies are crunchy and go very well with hummus, guacamole, or any other dip your child enjoys.

3. Pita Pizza
   

   This quick and easy snack takes only a few minutes to make, and the kids love it. All you need to do to make it is, spread some pizza sauce over pita bread, add chopped veggies of your choice, and sprinkle it with cheese. It can go in an oven-toaster, or you can pop it in the oven to bake until the cheese melts.

4. Pasta
   

   This is my go-to hack when I don’t have time to think about what to make. Boil some pasta; it could be spaghetti, macaroni, or anything you know your child likes. Then, in a pan, add some leftover veggies or meat from dinner, add some pasta sauce, mix it up, and your kids will love it.

5. Wraps
   

   Wraps are versatile, and you can adjust them according to your child’s preference. Grilled or baked chicken goes well with crunchy lettuce and a good sauce. They are filling and very delicious.

6. Tacos
   

   If you have made minced meat for dinner, the leftover can make great lunch for the next day. Fill the shells with the meat and veggies of your choice, and they are good to go.

7. Egg/Veggie Fried Rice
   

   This can be made a night before, and you can warm it up before packing it in the morning. Fry some carrots, green onions, lettuce, corn and an egg in very little oil. Add boiled rice and some soya sauce in it and mix it up. You can omit or add the vegetables according to your child’s taste.

8. Finger Fish
   

   Kids love a snack that is easy to hold and eat, and finger fish is exactly that. You can add some tartar sauce to go along with it, if your child prefers.

While preparing a healthy lunch can be overwhelming for most of us, parents should know that they can send in anything that their child enjoys. There will be days when you will receive an uneaten lunch box and there will be days when you receive an empty one. What matters is that our children develop a healthy relationship with their food. You are doing a great job filling the little learners bellies! Also, don’t forget to order your lunchbox labels! 

Here is a great recipe you can try that the kids might love.

The post 8 Easy School Lunch Ideas for Your Picky Eating Kindergartener appeared first on The Mabelhood.

Now, by ‘awesome’ I don’t mean ‘Pinterest-worthy’ or ‘artisan-crafted’ because let’s be real… we’re moms, and we’re busy. I do not have time for that and I’m betting that you don’t either.

My goal is simply to pack a nutritious, tasty lunch that my kids will actually eat. That last part is important because really, if they aren’t eating their lunch, what’s the point? You may as well be sending cardboard if it comes home untouched.

Kids get very little time to sit down and eat during school hours (usually two or three short breaks between classes) and that time is marked by noise and distraction. Knowing this, I try to send my kids’ favourite foods in easy to manage, snackable portions. It’s got to be allergen-free to keep their peers safe, it must travel well and I’m not going to spend an hour making it. Ready to make some awesome lunches? Let’s do this.

1. Bits and Bites

I like to call this one ‘kid-friendly charcuterie’ because it usually starts with some turkey sausage or other meat, but it’s basically just a collection of bite-sized foods my kids enjoy. I start with protein and then add their favourite cheese, veggies, crackers and even pickles. A bento-style lunch container makes this super accessible (and fun) for kids to snack away on. Add a yogurt cup and a piece of fruit, and you’ve got the perfect lunch!

2. Tortilla Wrap Roll-Ups

A tortilla roll-up is great because you can mix up the contents from week-to-week so your kids don’t get sick of them. A few of my kids’ favourite combinations are ham and swiss, turkey and cheddar, and cream cheese and cucumber. I might add an apple or a banana to the lunch bag, as well as a yogurt tube, granola bar or some homemade trail mix.

3. Half-Sandwich Lunch Combo

A full sandwich can be intimidating for kids who know they have limited time to eat (or who habitually start with the snackier elements of a lunch bag). In my house, a full sandwich is often ignored or set aside for later, but a half-sandwich with bite-sized fruit and veggies on the side is much more accessible. I like using whole wheat Wonder bread – it’s simple and comes in different options (thick or regular cut) to suit your child’s preferences. Try packing half of a turkey sandwich with cheese and baby spinach (if the words spinach scares them, call it ‘salad greens’). Add a side of fruit, some veggies and dip, and a small treat – yum.

Need more ideas?

All you really need for lunch is a main element and some healthy bites around it. Try making mini pizzas with English muffins – just add pizza sauce, grated cheese and your favourite toppings! They’re good warm or cool, and your kids will love them. Some of our other go-tos are leftovers in a thermos, vegetable sushi, and bagels with cream cheese. Just remember: a successful lunch is one that has healthy components and actually ends up in your child’s tummy. You know your child best, so you’re the most qualified person to assemble the right lunch for him/her. You’ve got this!

The post 3 Easy & Practical Back-to-School Lunch Ideas appeared first on The Mabelhood.

I am, of course, talking about… the dreaded school lunches.

If you’re anything like me – or most parents for that matter – the number one thing that comes to mind when you think about back-to-school is… packing lunches! (You just let out a disgusted sigh and rolled your eyes, didn’t you? I sure did.)

At the start of every school year, I have the best of intentions. I jump on Pinterest and pin all kinds of things like:

“100 healthy school lunches your kids will love!”

“Great lunch ideas for kids so they don’t get bored!!”

“One million lunch ideas that don’t include sandwiches!!!”

Okay, that last one might be an exaggeration, but you get the idea. I make a plan, and the plan usually works for a couple of months. I know full well that by the end of the school year, I’ll basically be grabbing whatever I can find in the fridge and cupboards and slapping it in their lunch box. I suspect I’m not alone in this.

Since we’re all constantly looking for ways to keep those school lunches healthy and exciting, I’ve put together some simple and practical tips that I have found to be pretty useful. This means they don’t involve making sandwiches into cookie-cutter flowers or assembling fruit kebabs that look like caterpillars. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both adorable – but not all parents have that kind of time (or patience!) at night or during the morning rush.

Here are 4 tips to make the lunch-packing task a little easier:

1. Prepare ahead. This is by far the most helpful tip! When you cut up fruit, veggies and cheese ahead of time, it makes packing lunches so much easier! Cut up their favourites and make them easily accessible in the fridge. I find I pack them healthier lunches when everything I need is done ahead of time and easy to grab.

2. Mix it up. We all know that kids get bored. I mean, would YOU want the exact same lunch every single day? I know I wouldn’t. So I try and mix things up and give them different foods every day. A sandwich one day, some muffins the next, then maybe a wrap. I mix up the snacks too, with different fruits, veggies and crackers.

3. Invest in good containers. I picked up some awesome reusable lunch containers that have made the process a lot easier. They fit perfectly in the lunch bags, and of course all the pieces are clearly labelled. In addition to custom name labels with fun icons, Mabel’s Labels now makes Washaway Lunch Box Note labels where you can add a different personalized message every day!

4. Let them help. When I let my guys help decide what goes in their lunch, they tend to eat better. Since I pack lunches while they’re eating breakfast, I’ll ask them… “Cucumbers or peppers today?” “Goldfish or Vegetable Thins?” “Sandwich or Wrap?” I give them two choices, and it makes them feel like they’ve had some say in what goes in their lunch.

If you’ve got other tips that make packing school lunches a breeze, we’d love to hear them! Happy lunch packing!

The post 4 Tips for Easier Lunch Packing appeared first on The Mabelhood.

Breakfast

Amid the morning chaos, you need to get everyone fueled up for the day ahead, whether it’s heading out the door with a backpack or tackling the first activity on the home-school agenda. Here are some ideas to start your day with proper nutrition:

Think outside the box. If your kids are bored of the usual cereal routine, liven things up with these easy-to-make breakfast banana pops – essentially, a banana on a popsicle stick, rolled in granola.

Wrap it up. Breakfast wraps make a handy grab-and-go breakfast – here is a recipe for a gluten-free version.

Fire up the blender. The smoothie is the ultimate secret weapon of healthy eating: a tasty, drinkable way to get more fruits, vegetables and nutrients into your kid’s belly. Whip up a blueberry superfood smoothie, try a chocolate chia variation or pick one from Mabelhood contributor Jen Millard’s top 5 list.

One of our favorite dietitian moms, Noelle Martin, made a smoothie tutorial video to show us how easy it is, and how kids can help, too! You can also check out her round-up of nutrient-packed, kid-tested breakfast ideas.

Lunch

Yes, it’s that time of year where we resume packing lunches… or assemble them quickly at home during a much-needed break from distance learning. Here are some tricks to simplify the process:

Slice and dice. In her school lunch prep video, Noelle suggests having fresh fruit and veggies on hand – pre-washed and pre-cut – so that these nutritious choices can be easily added to your child’s lunch box or plate.

Compartmentalize. A bento-style lunch box with distinct sections provides a bird’s-eye view of your child’s lunch, ensuring the various food groups are covered. These boxes travel well and keep items separated, thus preventing spills, leaks, and the dreaded “foods touching each other” phenomenon. If you’re the food-art type, you can incorporate a monkey face, snake theme, or many other creations that can be found online.

Split it up. If your youngster has multiple eating breaks throughout the school day, look for a lunch bag with two large zippered sections and pack them accordingly for the first and second break. To help with good decision-making, you can also add a note with a friendly reminder such as “Apple slices before cookie!”

Snacks

Let’s face it: kids love snacks. Even so, snack time should involve quality, healthy foods, not just empty calories. Here are some winning choices:

• One-bowl banana bread with flax seed
• Energy balls with apple and cinnamon
• Secret veggie muffins with carrot and sweet potato

For next-level ideas that are visually appealing and high in nutrition, watch this how-to video demonstrating 8 healthy after-school snacks.

Dinner

Doesn’t it feel great when your family asks, “What’s for dinner?” and you have a clear, confident answer? Here are some tips to achieve this:

Plan ahead. Bypass the stress that comes with throwing supper together at the last minute, when family members (including you) are likely tired, hungry and grumpy. Try a printable meal planning worksheet to get a big-picture view of your week and itemize the supplies you’ll need.

Make every minute count. When you need to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible, try a speedy recipe such as this chicken and vegetable skillet or a foil-wrapped one-pan dinner.

Go vegetarian now and then. If your family is game, experiment with meat-free entrées such as baked tacos with summer vegetables or pasta with meatless spaghetti sauce.

With these ideas in mind, you can chart out your weekly meals and work ahead – cutting back on your stress even as you’re cutting up fresh produce. And, if you have a go-to, can’t-miss, kid-friendly meal idea, please share it in the comments. You’ll be doing a great service to busy parents (and empty lunch boxes) everywhere.

The post Tips For A+ Meals During the School Year appeared first on The Mabelhood.

It could be asked by your spouse over text, it could be a question you silently ask yourself mid-afternoon when you realize you forgot to plan something, or it could be asked by your 10-year-old when he hops out of bed at 7:00 am because he needs to know what the day has in store for him. (Hypothetically speaking, of course…)

Pandemic or not, planning meals isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be a HUGE cause of stress. A stress that most of us don’t need right now. Whether you’re working full-time, at home helping the kids with online learning, or working from home AND helping the kids with online learning…finding the time to plan and cook practical, healthy meals every day can be pretty difficult. However, it’s something most of us would like to get better at. It’s also a great way to save some money, eat healthier, and enjoy dinner around the table as a family.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a planner. So, meal planning is just something I’ve always done. I usually take some time every Sunday to plan our meals for the week ahead. It’s a GAME CHANGER. It makes the rest of the week so much easier when you just know what you’ll be eating for dinner. I know this doesn’t come as easy for others, so I’ve put together some tips to help ease you into meal planning for your family.

Keep it Simple

Meal planning doesn’t have to be elaborate. I’m definitely not suggesting you plan a meal that will take hours to prepare in the middle of the week. In fact, I suggest you keep it simple. Simple often means healthier too. Grilling some meat and veggies and tossing together a salad is super quick and easy – and also delicious and healthy!

Know Your Schedule

Knowing your family’s schedule for the week is important when meal planning. If you know you work late on a certain night and won’t have time to cook, consider making extras the night before so you have leftovers. Or plan something in the slow cooker that’s ready to serve as soon as you get home.

Check Your Freezer

Do a quick scan of your freezer and plan your meals around what you already have on hand. Thaw whatever meat you need so it will be ready to cook when you get home, and plan for multiple nights. For instance, if you have lots of ground beef, thaw a bunch and plan tacos one night and spaghetti & meatballs the next! If you have plenty of steak, grill it with some veggies one night and use the leftovers for steak stuffed peppers or steak stir fry.

Make it Fun

Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Web Wednesdays – these are little daily things you can do to make meal planning fun and easy! We do Taco Tuesday on a regular basis, and during the colder months we throw in a few Slow Cooker Sundays – it always makes the house smell amazing!

Involve the Kids

If your kids are a bit older, ask them what meals they want and let each of them plan a meal every week. Not only will it help you plan the week (bonus), but you’ll know they’re picking meals they actually like and won’t complain about. Kids constantly complaining about meals can cause even more stress, so include them if you can.

Be Flexible

When you make a meal plan for the week, remember it’s just that – a PLAN. Leave room for flexibility. Sometimes the week will go exactly to plan and sometimes…it won’t. Life happens. This past year has been proof of that! Don’t be hard on yourself if a day gets changed here and there. Just adjust the plan and don’t let one little hiccup mess up the rest of your week.

Plan Take-Out Nights

We all need a night off from cooking now and then. So, throw some takeout nights into your plan! If you can, order takeout from your favourite local restaurants and show them some love and support – they need it and appreciate it right now. Plus, small, locally-owned restaurants usually have the BEST food! There’s an amazing local Greek restaurant we love that we include in our meal plans regularly – they may even know us by name.

So, if you’re not already a meal planner, I hope these tips give you a start at being. It really does make dinner time a little less stressful moving forward – especially during such a difficult time. Happy meal planning!

The post 7 Tips For Easy Meal Planning appeared first on The Mabelhood.