Here it is, my latest edition of Lily's Lunchbox. In this post, I am including both vegetarian/vegan lunch boxes which my daughter actually took to her Montessori school, as well as nut-free, non-vegetarian lunches that she had at home! Enjoy!

Lunchbox 1
This is an actual lunch my daughter took to school.
Sundried tomato basil hummus (recipe)
Olives and Multigrain Pita Break Mini Pita
Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, Peppers
Watermelon
​Apple slices

Lunchbox 2
Chicken Burrito Bowl with Avocado (Leftovers- Recipe minus the cheese)
Peppers and Cucumbers
Apple Slices
Red and Green Grapes

Lunchbox 4
Thermos: Vegetable Beef Soup (Recipe)
Apples
Pears
Strawberries
Cucumber, Peppers, Olives and Hummus​

Lunchbox 5
Apple Onion Chicken Breakfast Sausage (Recipe)
Carrots, Celery, Cucumber
Apple Slices
Grapes, Raspberries, Blueberries
Raisins
​
And just a few more of her actual school lunches.....

(Clockwise from top left):
Lunch box 1: Peaches, Strawberries, Watermelon, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Dried Cherries
Lunch box 2: Peppers, Watermelon, Apple/Almond butter rings, Cucumber, Olives
Lunch box 3: Watermelon, Apples, Cucumber, Peppers, Olives, Sun dried Tomato Basil Hummus
Lunch box 4: Watermelon, Green and Red Grapes, Cucumber, Classic Hummus, Almonds, Dates

​Happy Lunch Box Packing!!!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.

Only on Day 2 of school lunches and already starting to struggle for ideas? A few months ago I posted about my daughter's lunches....with a great response! However, there was a common thread- "Do you have any ideas that are nut free?" haha I hear ya! Because my daughter is in a home based Montessori which also happens to be a vegetarian home, it has no restrictions on nuts but animal proteins are a no go. At home, however, we are not vegetarian and once my daughter transitions to public school her lunches won't be vegetarian based either. So, I started to document some of the lunches she has had in the last few weeks (and even put them in the Planet Box!) to help with public school lunch ideas. I don't have a tonne of pictures...yet. But because this has had such a great response, my goal is to start a monthly series to keep you going with 5 new lunchboxes a month, because, let's face it, by Thanksgiving creativity is usually dwindling...
So, here is my first (technically second) instalment of Lily's Lunchbox! 

Lunchbox 1
Mini Cucumber
Apple slices and grapes
Left over Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts (I wasn't lying about her loving Brussels Sprouts..) Recipe (just leave the Pecans off for nut free)
Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs with Teriyaki Dip Recipe
Jelly Bean Treat

Lunchbox 2
Cucumber and Peppers
Grapes
Watermelon
Pasta Salad- Brown Rice Pasta, Grilled Greek Marinated Chicken, Cucumber, Peppers, Tomatoes, Goat's Feta with Olive Oil and Vinegar

Lunchbox 3
Cauliflower
Field Green Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Olive Oil and Vinegar
Left over St Jacob's Market Schnitzel
Nectarines
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Lunchbox 4
Peppers, Cucumber, Tomatoes
Greek Lemon Potatoes (potatoes, chicken stock, water, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper)- left over
Greek marinated Chicken (Red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes)- left over
Grapes, Kiwi, Watermelon
Dried Cranberries and Cherries

Lunchbox 5
Egg Muffins (Red peppers, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Egg)
Romaine and veggie salad with cucumber
Peaches
Watermelon and Strawberries
Dried fruit

A few notes:

• Yes, all these lunches require cooking, however, all of cooking part can be done in bulk ahead of time. Even the chicken is actually just left overs and I actually packed that lunch as I put left over supper away! Doesn't get much easier than that...
• All of these can be customizable- mix up the fruits and veggies based on availability/season and what your child likes!
• Generally we are dairy and gluten free, however, none of us are extremely sensitive so we do consume some in small amounts. Some of these lunches contain dairy (Goat's feta) and gluten (Schnitzel breading) but can be easily left out if there is a sensitivity.
• Need some more ideas? You can find my original Lily's Lunchbox post here. Most of these contain nuts, however, the nuts can easily be substituted for a non-nut protein whether it is animal based or not. 

Happy Lunch Box Packing!!!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.

My daughter, 3 years old, started pre-school at the beginning of this year. This was also the kick off of making kid lunches for the next decade and a half. As a Naturopath, I have to say, I am not an extremist. I really do try to keep it realistic- I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I am far from perfect. However, I will admit I am most neurotic about what my kids eat. I think about the stuff that I ate as a kid, and even what I ate while I was in undergrad, and it gives me palpitations. I run a pretty tight ship but also have a 3 year old who, when asked what she would like for dinner, requests Brussels Sprouts. No joke. This is not to say she hasn't eaten McDonald's before (she has) but on the whole we keep it pretty clean. So, when it came time for lunches, I obviously wanted to continue this trend. I know many parents struggle with what to send for lunches, so I have been documenting a selection of my daughter's lunches since January. 

A few notes:

• All of these lunches are prepared the morning of within about 10 minutes.
  
• I say 'lunches', but my daughter only goes to school for a half day (8:45-11:45) so it's really supposed to be her snack. However, I tend to pack a lot of food- some days it's all gone, some days it's barely touched. If she hasn't finished it, she will usually finish it when she gets home and some more food as well.
• Her Montessori school is home based, so there is no restriction on nuts. However, it is a vegetarian home so animal proteins (even eggs other than in baked goods) are restricted, so you will see a lot of nuts in her lunches. This is because I want her to get protein sources. When she does transition to the public setting, the nuts will be substituted for animal proteins- grilled chicken pieces, eggs, meatballs, etc.
• Like I've said before, I am a creature of habit. I do not pack completely different lunches every day. I do not have time for that. So, she tends to have variations of similar lunches and she will usually have the same lunch selection for a few days at a time before it is switched up based on groceries in the house. 
• I generally fill her lunch with fruits and veggies, add some nuts, limit grains and add in a 'treat'. A treat could be anything from raisins, to the "Granola Bars" or, on a more rare occasion, a baked good like a bit of cake.
• We avoid dairy for the most part. However, my daughter loves yogurt, probably because she never gets it, but the odd time I let her have it as a treat. 

(Left to Right/Top to Bottom)
1. Watermelon, Apples, Raisins, Cucumber, Rice Cake with Hummus (Sunflower Kitchens).
2. Apples, Cucumber, Raisins, Hazelnut crackers with almond butter and raspberry jam, oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce and cinnamon (unfinished from breakfast).
3. Carrots, Cucumber, Raisins, Almonds, 1/2 GF/DF Morning Glory muffin, Greek Yogurt.
4. Peppers, Rice Cake with Hummus, Blackberries, Grapes, Almonds, Chocolate Chips and Raisins.
5. Blackberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Grapes, Almonds, Cucumber, Rice Cake with Hummus.
6. Strawberries, Cucumber, Cauliflower, Ranch Dip, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter "Granola Bar" (Against All Grain), Brownie.
7. Watermelon, Strawberries, Blueberries, Cucumber, Apples with Almond Butter, Raisins and Cinnamon.
8. Cauliflower, Cucumber, Hummus, Apples, Raisins, "Granola Bar", GF Cake.
9. Peppers, Strawberries, Cucumber, "Granola Bar".

(Left to Right/Top to Bottom)
1. Strawberries, Apples, Grapes, Almonds, Dried Fruit, Peppers, Cucumbers, Carrots.
2. Carrots, Cucumber, Almonds, Grapes, Strawberries, Oatmeal.
3. Blackberries, Strawberries, Peppers, Carrots, Cucumber, Raisins, "Granola Bar".
4. Apples, Strawberries, Blackberries, Grapes, Cucumber, Almonds and Dried Fruit.
5. Strawberries, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peppers, Veggie Dip, "Granola Bar".
6. Almond Butter and Raspberry Jam Rice Cake Sandwich, Bananas, Strawberries, Cucumber, Almonds and Blackberries.
7. Hazelnut Crackers with Almond Butter and Raspberry Jam, Apples, Cucumber, Raisins.
8. Bananas, Strawberries, Grapes, Almonds, Cucumber, Avocado, Rice Cake.
9. Strawberries, Blackberries, Mango, Grapes, Apples, Cucumber, Almonds and Dried Fruit.

This was Monday's lunch- Carrots, Strawberries, Apples, Grapes, Mango, Blackberries, Gluten Free Pancake 'Sandwich' with Almond butter and Raspberry Jam. Her class spent the day at the Community Garden getting the soil ready for planting, so I wanted to pack extra fruit to help keep her hydrated! She ate everything, except for the pancake sandwich. She started the morning with Oatmeal (with unsweetened apple sauce, cinnamon, coconut almond milk, raisins and a few chocolate chips- her favourite), this for school lunch and then she came home and had eggs and more veggies and dip to finish her lunch! That would be a pretty typical day for her meal/food wise. And then of course dinner is whatever we are having!

The recipe for the Dark Chocolate Almond Butter "Granola Bars" can be found here at the Against All Grain Blog. Though the original recipe calls for peanut butter, I substitute almond butter and use semi sweet chocolate chips. These bars are amazing and work great because you can make a tray of them and just keep them in the freezer, cutting off pieces as needed. My daughter loves these! I also like to keep things like no bake cookie balls and other no bakes bars in the freezer for more treat options! I will usually add a scoop of Vegan protein (Sunwarrior Warrior Blend is my preference) to increase the protein in her lunch and make even her treats a bit healthier. Overall, I find my daughter loves her lunches and I do tend to ask her every morning what she would like or give her options of what she could have so she feels like she has a say in what she is eating. It is not uncommon for her to get home with a lunch box that looks like this...

...and I'm not complaining!!

Disclaimer: Naturopathic Doctors strive to provide individualized health care. The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. This information shouldn’t take the place of seeing an ND for individualized health recommendations.