Kids - Treats and Lunch

I have been labeled as many thing in my mommying style. A hippie, uber healthy, overly particular. 

I am clearing the slate right now: it's not true. 

None of it. 

Do you know what the kids are eating in this picture? 

Root Beer Floats.

With Ice Cream.

And Root Beer.

I am not the food Nazi that some people believe me to be. 

That being said; I have my limits and my lines. 

The kids chose, of their own free will I might add, to trade the candy they received for Valentine's day in for a treat that mommy approved of. 

It's organic ice cream and all natural root beer. The alternative was corn syrup solids, every color dye and number you can think of and other ingredients that I can't write right now because I have no idea what they were. 

I'm not anti occasional treat, but chemicals and non food items I'd prefer not enter these growing bodies. 

And here is a lunch idea that is a big hit around here.

Turkey Rolls and Salad 

Slices of roasted turkey

Please be careful when buying lunch meat; it, for the most part it is gross. Really gross. And full of BAD things. Costco sells roasted sliced turkey breast that is just that no preservatives or additives. Yes, organic would be better, slicing your own would be amazing, but it's all a balance, yes?

Cheese Sticks

Spinach

Strawberries

Banana Chips

Pine Nuts

Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Wrap the turkey around the stick of cheese. 

Assemble the salad.

Turkey Rolls

They're called turkey but any lunch meat works.

Well, not really, most lunch meat is full of nitrates and crap that is gross and really bad for you. So take your time, read the labels and find some lunch meat that is just that; meat.

Very simply, spread cream cheese on meat and roll.

So easy and so popular with the kids!

Variations;
Put a pickle in the middle.
Use a stick of cheese instead of cream cheese and roll it up in meat.
You can slice these and make pretty little appetizer snacks for ‘snacky meals*’

*Snacky meals are super popular around my house.
 They can consist of pretty much anything as long as it can be cut up and served in little pieces. A peanut butter and banana sandwich is only so exciting, but when it is cut up in 6 pieces and served with small pieces of cheese, grapes, roasted garbanzo beans, cucumber slices.... you get the drift; finger foods are popular for a reason, you’ll be amazed at what you can slip on your kids’ plates!

Avocado Salad

Or as I like to think of it; the pregnant girl manna.

A few years ago I make this salad and bring it to the beach to share.

Jessica, quite pregnant at the time oohs and ahhs over it and tells me it meets all her crazy pregnancy needs.

I’m happy to have provided a good lunch and all is well.

Until the next summer, when I am in her former state and she returns the favor.

It is only then than I truly understand what she was trying to say.

This salad was like food to a starving Ethiopian kid. (I guess that dates me.... my father would have said Chinese kid.. I don't know what the starving kid de jour is but let me tell you send him some of this salad and everyone will be good.)

Bottom line, I cried in gratitude.

Seriously.

3 Avocados, chopped in 1 inch cubes

10 Cherry Tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size

1 can of garbanzo beans

1/2 red onion diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 can of salmon

Mix it all together and serve over lettuce, in lettuce as a wrap, or with flax chips or flax crackers.