Has it hit you yet? Are the pencils sharpened? Is your minivan ready? You’ve got this; it’s the First Day of School.
There are always excitement and nerves the night before, whether you’re headed to kindergarten or college. The supply list has been shopped, shoes are sitting in anticipation next to the door, but there’s still one thing looming: lunch.
Packing a lunchbox can be an uninspiring experience if you don’t have access to a microwave or toaster oven. But cold lunches don’t have to limit your opportunities to be creative when there are so many options to keep your mid-day meal fresh and delicious. With a bountiful box of goodies from Texas producers, your lunchbox can be teeming with clean, locally sourced foods that inspire and feed the brain. Read on for tips on how to build a better lunchbox!
Win the Week with a Perfectly Packed Meal
Go For Bento
With perfectly portioned sections, Bento-style lunchboxes provide an easy guide for a balanced lunch. The Japanese-style box would traditionally be filled with items like rice, proteins, and pickled vegetables, but with these boxes popping up in stores across America, anybody can eat bento! Use the larger section to focus on lean proteins and the smaller sections for fruits, vegetables, dairy, or even a sweet treat.
Chop Your Bushel
Disregarding any scientific proof, we think it’s pretty much proven that if fruits and veggies are pre-chopped, we are more likely to eat them. At the beginning of your week, or maybe when your bushel arrives, take an hour or two to wash and chop some of the lunch-friendly veggies like cucumbers and carrots. Plus, check out this cool way to cut an apple for a lunchbox, but prevent it from browning! Also, individual cheese sticks are a simple way to get more dairy in your diet at lunchtime. We like pre-cut Full Quiver Farms Raw Colby Cheese Sticks for simple portion control.
Ultimate PB&J
We can all agree that a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich is the stuff of dreams. Put a local twist on this old favorite and take awesomeness to a whole other level. Home Plate Creamy Peanut Butter and GFY Gluten Free Sandwich Bread makes for the ultimate Texas-sourced PB&J. Local jam expert and owner of Confituras Stephanie McClenny agrees: “For me, the perfect PB&J includes a nice thick layer of natural style peanut butter, my current favorite jam crush (which changes all the time, but anything peachy is perfect for summer!), and a generous sprinkle of sea salt, served open-face on whole grain toasted bread.”
A Few Snacks & Treats
Some packaged foods are a great idea for those fast-paced mornings, as long as they don’t take up the majority of your lunchbox. A good, clean ingredient list is a must when it comes to pantry goods like bars or mixes. We are into BOSS Superfood Bars or Thunderheart Bison Jerky. When you work your brain all morning, sometimes it’s hard to take the afternoon in stride. This is why you deserve a treat every so often, like a small sweet or Mill-King Chocolate Milk. Chocolate milk satisfies the cravings, but won’t weigh you down. Sweets that pack a punch of protein are only a double benefit!
What’s in your lunchbox? We’d love to see your photos on Instagram! Tag us @farmhousedelivery.
