Lunch Box Love Notes - by Just Something I Made

I met Cathe Holden at a Blog workshop during the Creative Entrepreneurs Conference in San Francisco last year. She's had successful careers as both ad agency Art Director and Studio Owner/Graphic Designer, but after Cathe gravitated toward creative blogging. Inspiring others through design and crafting on her blog, JustSomethingIMade.com, her unique projects have been featured widely around the blogosphere.

I spotted a really cute idea on her blog this morning, that I had to share with you. It's a perfect way to "illustrate" that a kids lunch is a great opportunity to show them you love them. She takes a snapshot of some of the little notes she would put in her kids lunches when they were small. The smallest gestures can mean a whole lot. I thought it was the simplest but nicest way to express to a kid that you care, especially if you're a visual/graphic type person like me!

It doesn't take a whole lot of time out of your busy morning, but maybe it makes your kids smile a little when you're not there to prepare them a lunch. Maybe it'll make them think twice about trading their almond butter and fruit preserve sandwich on whole grain bread for a bag of cheetos. =P

See the full post on Cathe's site JustSomethingIMade.com. She has a whole arsenal of great ideas!

Healthy (and practical!) lunchbox ideas

Be a healthy hero—not a nutritional zero—by opting to pack lunch for yourself and your children. Choosing to forego putting your kids in the cafeteria line or hitting the drive-through in favor of brown bagging it can help reduce your overall intake of sodium, saturated fat, refined grains and sugar. You’ll save money in the long run, too.

Most school lunches are processed foods prepared in ovens or fryers that lack whole grains and contribute a disproportionate amount of calories and sugar to children’s diets. “Eating out at lunch for the parents can mean a whopping dose of sodium. Most restaurant foods average about 1,000 mg. per dish. That puts mom and dad at risk for hypertension, heart disease and stroke,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., YouBeauty Nutrition Advisor.

Every packed lunch, whether for mom, dad or junior, Kirkpatrick says, should include these five health-conscious staples:

1.100-percent whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, pasta or brown rice
2.One fruit
3.One vegetable
4.Protein, such as yogurt, string cheese or chicken breast
5.Nuts

When preparing children’s lunches, Kirkpatrick advises parents to pay attention to portion control and to include a vegetable or a fruit, preferably both. Join the Healthy Lunch Idea Flickr Group.