Healthy Lunchbox Series Day 4

Wow, it's already my second-to-last day at home. While I'm very excited to go back to school, I'm a little sad to leave my family so soon. It feels like I just got here, even though it's already been a week and a half!

Anyway, you're not here for my sentimental blah-blah-blah.

So here's day 4 of my Healthy Lunchbox Series!



Yesterday was National Sandwich Day, but I made Nacho Momables instead. So today, a day late, I decided to go for the old lunchbox staple - a sandwich! And a PB&J at that :) But of course I had to jazz it up a little, as I can never leave 'good enough' alone. I like great.

Or at least unconventional.

 Again, this is a lunch for a seven-year-old with a short lunch break followed shortly by a snack. So if you're packing for an older kid, a more active kid, or an adult, just increase the portions. With this lunch it's easy - make the sandwich out of two slices of bread, instead of one, and include more grapes and cookies (or add a yogurt on the side). The great thing about brown bag lunches is how customizable they are!

Okay, so here are the components of this lunch:

* A jazzed-up PBJ (also known as a SBHC)
* Purple Grapes (washed with a special fruit wash out of water and vinegar, since they're in the Dirty Dozen)
* Newman's Own Organics Ginger-O's
* Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail

The cranberry juice was a bit tart for my little sister, but I liked it. It's not 100% juice, though, and I wasn't in love with all the added sugar. I think I'll keep looking, or stick to their 100% apple juice, for the staple in my lunch. My sister liked the Ginger O's, but still prefers the standard chocolaty Oreo-type cookie. She loved the grapes and said that we should always leave them on the stem now, because it's "more fun that way."

My little sister told me that there's a kid in her class with a peanut allergy, so you have to sit at a different table if you have peanut butter in your lunch. For anyone with a similar situation, a peanut allergy, or a peanut-free school, there are plenty of peanut butter alternatives that are just as yummy and nutritious! Like Sunbutter!

I used their unsweetened organic sunflower seed butter in this sandwich, which is made with only one ingredient : fresh roasted organic sunflower seeds! Though there's oil separation, which is just natural, once you stir it it's pretty much the same consistency as your standard all-American peanut butter! It's also processed in a peanut-free and tree nut-free facility, so it's totally allergy safe :)

PBHC

Ingredients (serves one 7-year-old, double for anyone else):

* 1 slice of honey wheat bread (any bread will do)
* 1-2 Tbsp. Organic Sunbutter
* 1 Tbsp. Honey
* A small handful of Craisins

Directions:

1) Spread the Sunbutter on the bread. 
2) Spread the honey on top.
3) Sprinkle the Craisins on top of that (I sprinkled them just on half of the slice, since I was using just one slice here).


4)  Put the other slice on top (or if you're just using one slice, fold the halves together).

Now doesn't that look delicious? I promptly made one for myself and can confirm that it is as yummy as it looks.

My little sister didn't like it very much, as there were just too many different flavors going on for her relatively simple tastes, and said she'd prefer just Sunbutter and honey next time. My mom and I loved it, though, so I'd recommend doubling to the recipe to a proper sandwich portion and packing it for adults and older kids!

I'd love to try cutting sandwiches into fun shapes as a lunchbox twist, but you just end up cutting away so much of the sandwich when you do! Has anyone figured out a way to make shaped sandwiches without so many sandwich scraps?

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the last day of the Healthy Lunchbox Series! In the meantime, there's still time to enter my Nana's Cookies Giveaway and my Gardein Giveaway!

 What's your favorite PBJ Spin-off?

How do you like your peanut butter sandwiches?

What do you consider the end of summer?