It’s All About Nutrition….Not Food!

Dear all friends and supporters of Kingdom Kids Nutrition,

As I sit here on this rainy Minnesota morning I began to ponder what does Kingdom Kids Nutrition really means and stand for.  Why are we doing what we are doing?  As friends and supporters of KKN I think it is important that you really understand what it is you are supporting so, I thought this would be the perfect time to put words to what has been bottled up I my head and heart about what Kingdom Kids Nutrition means and stands for.

When I first decided to teach classes I was praying about a name for my business and the name Kingdom Kids Nutrition popped into my head.  I wrote it down in my journal.  I then got  a picture in my mind of two children a boy and a girl both wearing crowns on their heads; they were bright and smiling ear to ear.  That looks good I thought and the name and logo of my business were born!  (Thanks to my amazing sister in-law Anne)

As I sit here I recalled that picture to my mind.  I see these two children with crowns upon their heads and it made me think, “Wow, they are a picture of what it is to be a child of God, a child of the king.”  The kids in this picture know who they are, they are royalty.  They have a heritage, a destiny on their lives, and call to be fulfilled.  They have influence and power because they are a son and daughter of the king.  Their smiles show that they are filled with confidence, they are healthy and strong, and most apparent is that they are filled with love and JOY. 

http://admin2.kaboose.com/media

 My thoughts then shifted and I began think about all the children out there that are struggling in life, as my little Hannah had.  Their crowns do not seem to be very bright and shiny.  Their faces are often filled with fear and frustration as they along with their parents just try to make it through one more day.  Joy does not fill them, as it should.  Their confidence is hidden, their identity lost, they feel powerless and unworthy of even the tarnished crowns that adorn their heads.  They are sick often and quality of life is a challenge.  They feel there is no hope with in them and their families often feel the same way! 

Well, our mission is to bring restoration to these children and families!  We are here to restore all that has been stolen from the lives of these children and families.  We are here to replace the tarnished crowns with ones that sparkle.  To bring back the smiles to their faces.  To build their confidence, teach them their identity, and show them they are of great value, they are little princes and princesses that have power and influence, with a call and purpose for their lives. We want to restore their health so they can be strong and walk in their destiny.  But most of all that they would have a HOPE and a future that is good and overflowing with love and JOY!   We have seen this transformation with our daughter and our family.  It is our expectation and a joy to see this happen over and over in the lives of children and families we encounter!

There is also a broader call on KKN that goes beyond families in crisis.  As I continued to ponder what is KKN, I was reminded that we are all children of God.  There are many hurting adults who have lost their identities, and are weak and unhealthy themselves.  We have been working with many adults already to discover who they are and what the call upon their lives is, thru teaching them to eat healthy and strengthen their bodies, bringing clarity to their minds, they are more equip to recognize the destiny on their life and walk it out.  Many of these opportunities have been with organizations like Adult and Teen Challenge and Union Gospel Mission.  It is so fun to see God using us to bring hope to the hopeless, and restoration where there has been devastation. 

And to those families that there kids really do not have any major “health” concerns but want to do what is best for their families, we come along side of them as  they strengthen their families through nutrition, building identity and strengthening values!  We have already been doing reaching out to families through a monthly community night at our local co-op Valley Natural.  (We will be there this Tuesday for Healthy Kids Night- I will be making lemon-lime all natural soda with them- join us.  It is a free event.)

13750 Co. Rd. 11, Burnsville, MN 55337
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 5:00-7:00pm (Special Kids Movie at  6:30pm)

You may all be thinking right now, how does this all have to do with NUTRITION?  Well the definition of nutrition in the dictionary is the act of or process of nourishing or being nourished.  Upon further study of the word nourish it means to sustain with food, supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth, to cherish, foster, keep alive, to strengthen and build up.  I was so excited when I read this.  Because I go in and speak about our story and teach about how to eat well, that prayer changes things, how to’s of eating well with kids, special diets, etc…but I would always say to my hubby, “I don’t teach nutrition.” I always think of nutrition as what vitamins are in what foods and how do carbs and proteins work, stuff like that.  But looking at the definition of what the broader word nutrition means it totally fits.  I go out to speak and teach people that I cherish, to supply them with what is necessary for life, health and growth.  To foster them, strengthen them, and build them up! 

Our hearts desire is to get our story out so we can bring freedom to children and their families.   We have seen how the power of our testimony has brought freedom to so many, now it is time to expand the territory and bring freedom to the masses!  Thank YOU SO MUCH for your encouragement and support!

What to watch for ahead….a new website, children’s “foodie” classes, parenting seminars, more “foodie” classes, upcoming Health Conference…Feb. 22-23 in Burnsville, MN  (Great Christmas Gift for that Health Nut on your list...tickets on sale Dec)!

Blessings to all of you and your families,

Kelli

Looks like a birthday, tastes like a birthday, it is a birthday!

Wow, our first birthday in six years that looked liked and felt like a real birthday when it comes to the food anyway!

We were getting ready for my soon to be six year olds birthday party.  I sat down with him to come up with a plan.  What theme did he want?  What activity didi he want to do?  What friends and family did he a want to celebrate with?

The theme he picked was Spiderman.  He wanted a Spiderman cake.  I thought no problem I can make a cake and stick some Spiderman figures on it and that would work.  He also wanted to take all his friends bowling.  I called Brunswick Bowl in Lakeville, Mn to get details on a party.  They told me that you get the bowling, some pop, and pizza for a set price.  AS always I told them we can't do the food part.  They offered to replace it with something else from their menu that would meet his dietary needs.  Well, as you can guess nothing on the bowling alley menu was gluten and dairy free.  Feeling a bit bummed about having to pay this huge amount of  money and not getting the food, as no place ever gives you a break, they just charge you the same and keep the food!  Well, Brunswick Bowl was different.  They asked if I could bring in some GF/DF pizza and they would cook it for us!  I was over joyed, YES, I responded enthusiastically!  I was so excited that we would be able to serve everyone pizza, even my child would have pizza just like his friends!  My day was made.

When I went to begin the cake I decided to check out a bakery in Egan, Mn Bittersweet Bakery to see if they could make a birthday cake and then I would just go get some toppers from the toy section at Target to plop on top!  I was completely shocked when they said they could make a Spiderman cake for my son!  I was so excited!  Not only could my son eat the pizza, his cake was going to look like a real birthday cake too, with Spiderman and Happy 6th Birthday Michael.

On the day of the party I went to get the cake, it was beautiful.  The first "real" birthday cake we have ever had since we began the whole GF/DF thing six years ago!  When we arrived at the bowling alley they took the frozen pizzas I had brought.  When it was time for pizza they brought out all the pizzas together.  We served up Michael and all his friends.  They devoured two large pizzas and 2 gluten free pizzas...boys!

Looks like a birthday, tastes like a birthday, it is a birthday!

I was so thankful that all these people made it possible for my son to experience a birthday party that looked like, felt like, and tasted like a real birthday party!  No one ever would have been able to tell that our party was GF/DF when they walked past our tables!  Praise God!


A special thank you to Bittersweet Bakery and Brunswick Bowl for making my sons birthday party....normal!  If you are looking for an amazing experience for your child contact these amazing businesses who made it possible.

New Amazing Website!

One of my goals through my blog is to connect mom's with quick, easy, and healthy recipes that their kids WILL eat!  So, I see myself as the one to take the time to find the websites/recipes, try them out on my kiddos and their friends and then give them to you tried and true!  This week I have been playing with recipes from my new favorite website, Detoxinista (detoxinista.com).  The recipes are amazing, whole foods, grain free, naturally sweetened and delicious!  My kids had the week off of school so we were playing in the kitchen a lot.  Below I have our three favorites so far!  (Make sure to keep an eye on facebook as in the upcoming week I will be posting more of our favorites!--Like Kingdom Kids Nutrition to get updates...they are more frequent than the blog.)

The above photo is the Peanut Butter Cocoa Smoothie....yummo.  My daughter, Hannah made this smoothie for snack the other day.  She brought it to me and I was in heaven.  I told her not only was she speaking my love language (acts of service) by making snack and serving everyone, but she also made my two favorite foods peanut butter and chocolate!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake

Made of frozen bananas, natural peanut butter, cocoa and a splash of pure maple syrup, this rich, creamy treat is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth, without the sluggish after-effects of a traditional milkshake.

Ingredients

• 2 frozen bananas
• ¾ cup almond milk (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 ice cubes (about 2 handfuls)

Instructions

1. Throw all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. (I like to freeze my bananas whole, for easy measuring, then I break them in half when adding them to the blender.)
2. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately!

Notes

For best results, use a high-speed blender like the Vitamix, which breaks down ice effortlessly. A traditional blender should also work– though, you may need to add a bit more almond milk to facilitate blending. 

The second recipe I would like to highlight from Detoxinista is the cauliflower pizza crust.  I topped our pizza with pizza sauce, onions, red pepper, olives, tomatoes, and sheep feta cheese!  Needless to say I will need to make two of these next time!  It was gone in a flash and everyone was asking for more!

The Secret To Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients

• 4 cups steamed cauliflower rice (about one medium head)
• 1 egg, beaten
• ⅓ cup soft goat cheese (chevre)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.
3. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it steam for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.
4. THIS IS THE SECRET: Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! It’s amazing how much extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.
5. In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!
6. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about ⅓” thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F. The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.
8. Now’s the time to add all your favorites– sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like. Return the pizza to the 400F oven, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
9. Slice and serve immediately!

Notes

Time-Saving Tip: I recommend making a double-batch of cauliflower pizza crusts–> make one for now, and save one for later. After baking the crusts, wrap up the extra pizza crust in foil, and FREEZE it for a quick “frozen pizza” to enjoy another night! All you need to do is add toppings and bake at 400F, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.   

Below is the photo of the full lunch I served with the pizza.  We had a side salad of lettuce, oil, and balsalmic, topped with carrots and little fruit salad of strawberries and kiwi!  Everyone was a clean plater!

The last recipe I would like to highlight is the amazing grain free chocolate chip cookies!  My boys had friends over...and they ate the WHOLE batch of cookies.  And the boys that were here do not eat a "whole foods" type diet at home.  So, these are a hit for even the beginners in the whole foods world!  Packed with good oil for the body and brain (coconut oil), sweetened with only a bit of maple syrup, and the use of almond flour packs them full of protein, these are a cookie you feel good about serving your kids!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies (grain-free)

Made with almond flour and rich maple syrup, these soft and chewy cookies pack a nutty, complex flavor in each bite. Served with an ice-cold glass of almond milk, they are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!

Ingredients

• 1½ cups of Blanched Almond Flour (store-bought or homemade)
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 whole egg, or flax egg
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup and egg, and mix well.
3. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and mix well until a uniform batter is achieved, then stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Using a tablespoon, or cookie scoop, drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.
5. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until golden around the edges, turning the pan half-way through baking time.
6. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Notes

These cookies should last a few days at room temperature, but I prefer to store them in the freezer for an indefinite shelf life–> that way I always have cookies on hand when I sweet craving hits. They taste amazing straight out of the freezer, too!

The only recipe I have tried so far that was not a totally success was the mac n' cheese.  Four out of seven of us loved us....the others did not like it.  However, I think the error came in when I told them we were having mac n' cheese, they thought "real" mac n' cheese.  I should have said we were having a new "pasta" dish and I think they would have liked it as well.  I just think they were expecting a different taste than what they got.  Kind of like when you reach for your coffee and get juice or water instead...ick....I was expecting my morning coffee!

Some other recipes we tried and loved were the avocado mint chocolate chip ice cream and carmel apple dip!  I encourage you to check out the detoxinista.com website and play on your own as well.  You will LOVE this website!

Hannah Goes to Camp: Going to Camp Gluten and Dairy Free!

Wow, a week ago my daughter  Hannah went off to camp with her class at school and was gone for four days and three nights!  Talk about a time to trust God!  Since we have done all the "diet" stuff my daughter has never been away from me for this long.  Who was going to fix her "special" food, who would make sure she took her herbs, who was going to make sure she didn't get something she shouldn't, who would, who would, who would?  As I prayed I got the answer....SHE WILL!  And boy did she, and she did a stellar job!

Side note:  Even tough it is not really "camp" season I thought I better blog it before I forgot what I did....you can alway reference it in the summer when you need it.  I hope my experience will help you and your child be able to experience going to camp with special diets a possibility too!  My daughter was so blessed to have a friend in her class who was also gluten and dairy free so they were able to cook (via microwave) together, God is sooooo good!  Ya know, HE loves our kids even more than we do!

For me sending her to camp was a scary thing ( more for me than her) and the thought of food was a daunting task:  to put together four days worth of meals and snacks that fit her dietary needs and could be "mircrowaved" (as that is all there was in the cabin that she could use to make alternative food). We don't even OWN a microwave! So,  I got out my menu plan and began planning!   I had to make sure to get everything as they were in the middle of the woods, no store to run to if mom forgot something.

Here is the menu I sent with her:

The first day they left school after lunch so all I had to do was send her a dinner to eat at the pizza place they were stopping at.  I packed a PBJ sand which (her request) to go with a salad she would purchase at the restaurant.  I also popped in an apple and some chocolate pudding for dessert!

Day 2:
Breakfast:  Cereal and Rice Milk (the little lunch box size)
Lunch:  Greek Pasta Salad (I sent cooked noodles, dressing, chopped tomatoes and olives, and crumbled goat feta she just had to toss it all together- No heating required!)
Dinner:  Chili and corn chips with a side of sour cream and goat gouda cheese (I made this ahead and froze it, she then just had to microwave it...ug- I hate microwaves- that is another post though!)

Day 3:
Breakfast:  English muffin with peanut butter and jelly
Lunch:  Pesto Pasta Salad (I sent frozen pesto I made the day before, cooked noodles and grated pecarino cheese for the top, she just mixed it together and sprinkled on the cheese.)
Dinner:  Frozen Pizza (hence the extra meal listed below...wasn't too sure how a pizza would turn out in the microwave!  AS it turns out it didn't work out...so the extra meal came in handy!)

Day 4:
Breakfast:  Leftover cereal or english muffin
Lunch:  Turkey Sand which (Bread, turkey, mayo, mustard, onion, tomato, lettuce, all cut up and ready to put together on a sandwich she just had to assemble)

*Extra Meal:  I did send one extra meal just in case:  hamburger rice hot dish.  I froze it and sent it as an extra in case she got hungry!

Snacks/Things to add to main courses:  Dark chocolate covered almonds, granola bars (2 different types), apples, grapes, snack sized potato chips, dried mango, lots of bottled water (Fiji), grapes, dark chocolate bars, bread and PBJ

My second oldest daughter Lilli looked at the cooler and said, "she is going to eat ALL that?"  With eyebrows raised, rolled eyes, shrugged shoulders and a smile on her face!  Better to much then not enough was my thought!

When my daughter returned home on Friday we all went to Pizza Luce for some HOT, YUMMY GF/DF pizza and celebration of yet another victory in the Schulte family!

Kids Eat Beets!

Today an article by Dr. Colbert (you can find the link on my facebook as Kingdom Kids Nutrition) sparked my thinking about beets.  We have been beet comsumers since we started this journey since there are very good for the liver, an organ that we really needed to address.  (For more on our story you can order our book at www.kingdomkidsnutrition.com)  I have found various ways to make beets that my kids have loved!

Our journey with beets began with smoothies, weird eh?  Well, I learned that you could juice beets even the leaves and make this amazing PINK juice.  So, I would gradually add a bit more and a bit more beet juice to our smoothies until we got use to the taste, they sure were beautiful!  Here is a beet smoothie recipes from my book you can try with your family:  (you can also use a processed beet juice blend from a co-op or Trader Joes)
1c.  Organic Apple Juice
1c. Frozen Blueberries
1/2 c. Frozen Organic Raspberries
2 Ripe Frozen Bananas
3 T. or more beet juice
Put in blender, puree to smooth!  Enjoy!

To make smoothie time easier here are some tips:
1.  Juice your beets and freeze them in ice cube trays.  When frozen pop from tray and put in large container in your freezer.  When making a smoothie grab a 1-3 (or more if you LOVE beets) "beet" ice cubes and toss them in the blender with the other ingredients!
2.  If you have a high power blender you can chunk up your beets in fourths and freeze them.  Then just take a few frozen "beet" chunks and toss them in with your smoothie ingredients and puree to smooth.  This adds the pulp of the beet in as well and adds a bit of texture.  This took a while until my kids enjoyed our smoothies this way, kind of an "advanced" smoothie (hahahaha...)
3.  Always use frozen fruit like bananas in chunks, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, etc.... then you don't need ice and get a smoothie packed with nutrients!

Beet Muffins
Grate 1 large beet (organic peel and all)
Mix 2 T. Flax meal with 6 T. water and let sit until it turns into a gel, then dump it into a large bowl with 1/2 c. coconut sugar, 1/2 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. cranberries, 1/2 c. chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand), orange zest from 1 orange (set aside)

Mix in a smaller bowl 1 cup Bob's Redmill all purpose GF flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Pour dry ingredients into wet, mix with a wooden spoon until mixed well- do not over mix.
Place in 10 lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  (Toothpick test:  insert toothpick, if it comes out clean- done, if not cook a bit longer)

FROSTING (Optional- good without it)  4 oz. Tofutti Cream Cheese, 4 oz. Smart Balance or Coconut Butter, 1 C. Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract (GF)  Cream Tofutti and Butter, add sugar and vanilla.  Spread a small layer over cupcake and I refriedrgate them! 

To make muffins easier:
Grate up beets and freeze each one in a ziplock bag.  Write muffins on the front of it and then your beets are all ready to go all winter long!  Make sure when they defrost that you add all the JUICE as well as the beet or you will get some dry muffins!

Grilled/Roasted Beets
My kiddos are still getting use to this one but I LOVE it.  I slice my beets real thin and then toss them in when I roast or grill veggies.  I put all my veggies in a big bowl (I usually use season veggies like summer:  zuchinni, tomatoes, baby red potatoes, green beans, carrots/winter:  winter squash, potatos, carrots, turnip) toss them lightly in olive oil and then grill or roast with a touch of sea salt and pepper!

Tip:
Slice up beets thin and freeze.  Remove juice and pat dry before adding them into the other veggies.

Beet Chips
Slice beets really thin.  Toss in olive oil lightly.  Place in single layer on a cookie sheet and spinkle lightly with sea salt.  Bake in 350 degree oven until crisp!  Allow to cool and yummy!

NO MORE EXCUSES for leaving beets out of your diet!  Enjoy!  Facebook and tell us what way your family likes beets best!  One of the above recipes or one of your own!

Kids in the Garden

What an awesome sight, harvest time is here and my kids are so excited to see all their hard work flourish into beauty and food!  This past spring my son Matthew planted a sunflower on a school field trip.  Oh, the excitement when it popped out of the dirt on our kitchen table!  Then we watched it grow, moved it outside, and realized it needed a home where it could really take off, the spot we selected, "THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN!"  We planted his little seedling there in early summer and watched it grow.  Then to our dismay one day we came out and all the leaves were missing, a deer had visited and feasted on my sons precious plant.  We were not sure if it was going to make it but look there it is, beautiful and towering over my son.  What a sense of success and delight to see his little seed turn into this beautiful flower that makes our veggie garden so beautiful!  He has total ownership in this garden as well, its not just mom's garden it is his too....this is how we all feel.  Our gardens would not make it without the help of everyone.  It is a FAMILY thing!

Making gardening a family thing is uniting as well as prosperous in the fall harvest time.  Not only do the kids have a great time planting in the spring, caring for the garden learning responsibility for watering, weeding, and investigating problems that arrive, they LOVE the harvest!   As little Benj is showing in the photo there is nothing like a tomato right off the vine and a carrot with the long green stem on it!  One of my favorite tips for getting kids to eat better is to get them involved in the "cooking" process (for ideas on how to do this watch my youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlbqjOu2Ti0&feature=share), another great way to get them interested in veggies is to have little garden helpers, they are so inspired to try the things they have seen grow from seed...to plant...to food!  Even if they don't love it this year and only try it, next year they may just love it (or the year after, hehehe....)

Check out that grin!  What a harvest for my 5 year old!  He is my famer at heart.  He goes out and checks the gardens everyday.  Not only does he bring in veggies for us he tends to deliver them to the neighbors as well, rumor has it!  This is  my little guy who told me he wants to be a farmer when he grow up, I was so excited!  I said,"Can I work on your farm, because I want to be a farmer when I grow up too."  He said, "Yep,  you can take care of the PIGS!"  What a hoot! 

It is amazing how much food our two little flower plots have put out this year.  We have frozen up bunches of zucchini and green beans, carrots and peppers are next.  I will be canning tomatoes next week.  And we have had an abundance of fresh tomatoes, kale, and cucumbers at every meal! 

So, use this winter to come up with a garden plan for your family.  It will bring great family unity, fun, get them eating new and yummy veggies as well as make a dent in your winter shopping bill!  Watch for my next post on preserving your harvest!

The Schulte's Go To School!

The day has come where all four of my older children are going to school.  They began last week and had a great start at an amazing school called Life Academy in Bloomington, MN!  The challenge for me (other than missing them terribly as they have been home schooled the last four years), was LUNCH!  Wow, it took some time to plan and then implement a lunch plan that I felt good about, that fit our dietary needs, was nutritious, and delicious!

What I did to survive week one of school lunches....
The first thing that I did was create a Fall School Menu.  The menu had breakfast, lunch, school snack, and after school snack on it.  I then pulled all the recipes, printed them, and put them in a binder.  I am still in the age of hard copies.  Quick and easy in my kitchen and then I don't spill all over my computer.  I created a master pantry list of everything that I need to create the meals and snacks that I was preparing.  I then typed up that list and highlighted everything that I needed.  Then off to the stores I went.  Came home put everything away and awaited day one of school.

The night before school began I had a mini muffin making party with myself and made a double batch of chocolate chip banana muffins and beet muffins.  I let them cool over night and served up one batch for breakfast with a protein shake on the first day of school.  I then tossed the other 3 batches in the freezer and I have my Monday breakfasts done for the rest of the month.

On the first day I kept it simple with PBJ sandwiches (sun butter for one who prefers that to peanut butter), carrot sticks, strawberries, and a crispy energy bar.  For snack at school I sent a trail mix with nuts, craisins, and raisins.  After school they feasted on guac and chips!  A successful and relatively easy day one!

Day two was hamburger rice hot dish in the thermos, (I just threw it together the morning of so it was piping hot going into the thermos), organic grapes, pea crisps, and crispy energy bar (they were a hit)!  The school snack was craisins and cashews.  After school snack was homemade sweet potato fries.

Day three was "meat" sandwich day with a cucumber and tomato salad, organic raspberries and a date ball that we call "almond joys" they are yummy and packed with nutrition.  The school snack was apple sauce.  The after school snack was kale chips.

The last day of the week for us this week was day four (nice way to start the year, short and sweet).  The main course was pesto pasta in the thermos, fresh strawberries and blueberries, carrot sticks, and dark chocolate covered almonds with a note from me telling them what an awesome job they each did on the first week of school!  The school snack was apple sauce again.  After school snack was nothing as they all ran in the door, changed, and ran out the door to play with friends!

A successful week one of school.  Next week will be even easier as we have done it once already!  I will use this menu until winter in which I will create a whole new menu to fit the winter season!  Next week I will blog on the breakfasts that we are eating to start the day off right!

I know many of you start school this week after the Holiday weekend.  I pray that my ideas will help you send delicious and nutritious lunches for your kiddos!  I am excited that these meals will keep our kids healthy, energized, and well nourished!

FOR THE BRAIN....
One last quick note.  Make sure your kids are taking a quality fish oil like Nordic Naturals everyday for optimal brain functioning!  WATER is also critical to brain functioning so make sure your child is drinking 1/2 their body weight in oz. of water each and everyday!

Happy School Year!