‹ Healthy Living Blog

Brain-Boosting Lunch and Snack Solutions

Shopping for the new school year can be fun and exciting! While backpacks, school supplies, and clothes may be at the top of your list, it’s also a great time to stock your kitchen with nutrient-rich foods to help kids stay healthy and perform their best. It’s just as important to provide brain-boosting, healthy school lunch and snack options for kids, along with everything else kids need to be successful at school.

Our back-to-school food shopping list is parent-approved, but kid-friendly, and you’ll find Michigan Apples top the list! They provide many of the key nutrients missing from children’s diets – fiber, complex carbohydrates, potassium, and vitamin C. They also add flavor and versatility to meals and snacks, which makes them a perfect addition to lunch boxes and quick after-school recipes. Michigan Apples is your partner in helping you find healthy school lunch ideas.

Back-to-School Food Shopping List:

Fruits & Vegetables:

• • Michigan Apples
  • Clementines
  • Bananas
  • Berries
  • Baby carrots and cucumbers
  • Grape tomatoes
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Peppers
  • Fruit cups (no sugar added)
  • Raisins
  • Grapes

Whole Grains:

• • Bread, wraps, pita
  • Crackers
  • Pasta
  • Cereal and granola
  • Tortilla chips
  • Mini bagels

Dairy:

• • Cheese (slices, cubes, string, shredded)
  • Low-fat milk
  • Yogurt
  • Cottage cheese

Protein:

• • Lean meats
  • Beans/Nuts
  • Nut butters
  • Hummus
  • Eggs

Other:

• • Salsa
  • Yogurt ranch dressing

Build a Better Lunch Box:

Ingredients from our healthy shopping list can be easily combined to help you build a better lunchbox for your child. Here are some healthy school lunch ideas to get you started!

PB&J: A New Way

• Peanut butter and jam on a whole wheat mini bagel
• Sugar snap peas with yogurt ranch dressing
• Fresh Michigan apple
• Yogurt cup

It’s a Wrap

• Turkey hummus wrap (spread hummus on a whole grain wrap; add slices of turkey, cucumber, and lettuce)
• Low-fat milk
• Red pepper strips
• Natural cinnamon applesauce

Finger Food

• Apple zucchini mini muffins (recipe below)
• 2 String cheese
• Baby carrots with yogurt ranch dressing
• Fresh grapes

Apple Zucchini Mini Muffins

Bake a batch on the weekend so they’re ready to pack into lunches!

Makes 8 servings (3 mini muffins each).

Recipe Source: produceforkids.com.

INGREDIENTS:

• • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 3 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup grated zucchini
  • ½ cup grated Michigan apple

DIRECTIONS:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
   2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
   3. Mix yogurt, honey, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
   4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in zucchini and apple.
   5. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and fill ¾ full.
   6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Remove and let cool.

Sensible Lunch and Snack Assembly:

Children get approximately 25% of their calories from snacks, so make sure they are choosing foods that can help fill nutrient gaps.

Whole grains, protein, low-fat dairy, and fruit and veggie choices can be combined to provide an energy boost for homework and after-school activities. Michigan Apples are a perfect addition to snack time.

Try our Apple-licious and Super-Nutritious Snack Ideas!

•  Vanilla Yogurt + Chopped Apple + Whole Grain Cinnamon Cereal
• 2 Oat Raisin Applesauce Cookies + Low Fat Milk
• Whole Grain Crackers + Natural Applesauce + 2% Cheddar Cheese Cubes
• Apple Slices + Nut Butter + Chocolate Chip Granola
• Whole Grain Tortilla Chips + Apple Salsa + String Cheese

Find More School Lunch and Snack Inspiration:

Michigan Apples has a number of resources for parents, including healthy meal planning, kid-friendly recipes, and even fun and educational kid activities!