*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.
Every year, I have been growing more and more disillusioned with the lunches that are being provided at my sons’ school. Being a Working Mom, it is sometimes difficult to have the time to pack lunches for the kids so I have enjoyed the convenience of having them eat hot lunch that is provided by the school. Lately, though, I have really been thinking about sending lunch from home so I’ve looked into different lunch and snack ideas that will keep my boys excited about eating their lunch at school.
Since my little one is a picky eater and my older one refuses to eat certain kinds of foods, I have to get really creative to make sure that I pack lunches that will keep their specific food preferences in mind while making sure the meals are healthy and nutritious. It will be important to sit down with both of them and establish ground rules for lunchtime meals and snacks. After all, there have to be a certain amount of fruits and veggies in each meal that we plan and pack.
Hormel® Natural Choice® deli meats (available in two new varieties-cherrywood smoked ham & sundried tomato turkey): They have zero preservatives and no artificial colors or flavors. We love them because they are perfect for sandwiches and wraps.
Just last month, Hormel Foods introduced a brand new product: Hormel® REV® wraps. Hormel® REV® wraps are the perfect after school snack to fuel an active lifestyle with 15 grams of protein or more in each wrap, providing real, sustaining energy. They are available in eight different, delicious varieties!
Hormel® Compleats® cheesy pasta: made with real cheese, the new line offers a variety of satisfying flavor selections for consumers to choose from.Varieties include: Macaroni and Cheese, Smoky Bacon Parmesan Rigatoni, Creamy Cheese and Basil Tortellini, Three Cheese Chicken Pasta, Cheesy Ravioli and Italian Herb and Cheese Rigatoni.
Joan Hanson, director of the Hormel Foods Test Kitchen, has compiled a list of a few tips to ensure kids enjoy their lunch. The goal is to have them eat it instead of trading it or throwing it away!
- To keep your kids healthy, but still happy, combine taste and nutrition.
- Make It Unique: Mix up the classic sandwich by using a whole grain bagel or wheat tortilla as the bread. Pile on preservative-free Hormel® Natural Choice® Deli Ham with kid-friendly condiments.
- Keep It “Cool”: A small frozen water bottle in a colorful insulated lunch bag will keep food cool and give your child needed fluid to get through recess.
- Leave Some Love: Add a note from home or a colorful sticker to add some fun and love to your child’s lunch.
As you can see, a lot of love and careful planning goes into making sure that kids enjoy the lunches that you pack for them to take to school. With a little foresight and some special consideration, you can make sure that your mornings are stress-free and that your children eat healthy and hearty lunches every single day!
Disclosure: In the spirit of full-disclosure, I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. While Hormel Foods provides me material and necessary resources to complete various activities, all statements and sentiment in Tough Cookie Mommy are my own.
© 2013, Tough Cookie Mommy. All rights reserved.
Nice! With three kids, it’s a pain trying to pack three separate lunches – and one comes home with it completely in tact – and opted for cafeteria. Go figure. Those little packs look great! AND take up a lot less space than Lunchables. PLUS I can put whatever drink and “goodles” I want with it. I love this! Thanks for sharing!
Great tips, thanks! We are sending lunches a lot more this year. Our school revised the lunch program but not in a good way!
ooooh My husband tried one of those REV wraps about a week ago and he loved it. My son was hanging around him trying to get a bite. haha. After his dad let him try it he went nuts wanting more and so began the fighting for the wrap. I have had to go and buy a bunch of them since. Great Review I agree it is really hard to find good healthy snack for out kids. I am glad he loved these wraps because they are awesome.
I never heard of those REV wraps, I am going to give them a try. You have some great tips. My son loved Lunchables which made packing his lunch much easier. I would throw in some fresh fruits and would be done. 🙂
Hey, lets’s do lunch! You made me hungry.
These will make it easier for me to prepare lunches. Score!
Great lunch tips. I think these will be a wonderful addition to any kids lunch pail. I like the fact they are getting that much protein.
Those are some great tips for school lunches. Sometimes I added a frozen yogurt cup to the kids lunches too. It thawed by lunch and tasted good too. 🙂
Thanks I will try them too.
Oh I love the idea of those wraps I’m going to have to see if I can get my hands on some I think thank you 🙂 x
I pack these for the hubbys lunch My daughter is not a meat fan
I love these things!!! The wraps are awesome!!! Great review!!!
Great tips. When I went to school, no one thought of keeping or food cold. Its a wonder we all didn’t get food poisoning.
I saw the REV packs and told my son. He is type 1 and needs to carry small foods that he can eat while working. These are great for him.
I took my lunch from 1-6 grade. I had a thermos for hot food and a cold one for my drink, that was it. I made it 🙂
When I went to school, I had some money with me and bought my own lunch! There was no lunch box for me 🙁 … But for my son, I always made some. I switched things up every day and he loved it.
I’ve seen those wraps in the store and wondered if they would be good. I’ll have to grab one the next time I’m there.
It’s really hard to keep healthy + happy meals for kids. I’m going to have hormel cheese pasta for my own self, looks so yummy! 🙂
I totally agree with you; taste, nutrition, and uniqueness should be the core objectives in a lunch box. isn’t it difficult to maintain the uniqueness? Really good post 🙂
I’ve been thinking of starting to pack lunches for my kids as well. My son just recently told me that they had spoilt milk in the school just last week. Apparently it wasn’t just his school but at my daughter’s high school as well. Those Hormel wraps do look yummy though but not sure if my picky kids would enjoy it. I do know hubby would.
Wonderful tips! I pack my kids lunches, it’s a lot of work but you can have a lot of fun doing it. I love wraps too, they are the new best sandwich that doesn’t take much at all to make! They are also on the run fun 🙂
I will have to try the REV products. They sound like just what I need for myself on busy days. I know my son would gobble the lunch meat down too. I haven’t seen the Hormel products but I am going to look for them the next time I go to the store.