Tips For Packing Healthy School Lunches

(StatePoint)  Getting kids to eat healthy can be tricky, especially when you're not with them during school lunchtime. 

A little creative planning and the right food choices can make healthy eating fun, giving kids the nutrition, energy and stamina they need to do well in school.

Get Kids Involved

Take children shopping for healthy foods they like. Let them choose favorite sandwich stuffers, vegetables, fruits and juice. Only buy healthy items, so kids can't be tempted by junk foods. 

Each evening pack the next day's lunch together, letting kids choose their main dish, snacks and beverage. 

Go Preservative Free

Avoid foods with lots of preservatives. What children drink is as important as what they eat. Send kids to school with water, low-fat milk or 100 percent real fruit juice in ready-to use cartons. Juice boxes are particularly healthy and convenient, because they don't need added preservatives to stay fresh and last up to 12 months without refrigeration.

Keep Things Fresh

When refrigeration isn't possible, keep food fresh and safe by selecting items with long shelf-lives, like crackers, peanut butter and juice. Or, try freezing a juice box the night before, to keep meat or cheese sandwiches fresh until lunchtime. 

"Families should also consider the environment when packing lunches," says Carla Fantoni, vice president of communication for Tetra Pak US & Canada, a packaging solutions company. "Juice boxes, for example, are made mainly from paper, a renewable resource, are lightweight, compact and recyclable. They meet consumer needs for convenience, safety and ease of use with a low environmental impact."

Pack Balanced Meals

Instead of fretting over each meal, make sure kids eat a variety of foods -- such as protein, fats, carbs and fiber -- over a week's time. It's okay to pack chips with a cold cut sandwich, so long as they're having veggies and fruit juice the next day. And if they want the same sandwich daily, roll with it. Just change the topping and include a balanced side.

Have Fun

Have kids help create fun sandwiches or silly sides, such as "ants on a log" (raisins atop peanut butter on celery). Share foods and stories from your childhood. This year is particularly nostalgic for parents who were kids in the '80s, as it's the 30th birthday of the juice box, a staple of many childhood lunches.

For even more fun, get creative with your kids and make your own music video as part of a contest honoring the juice box birthday. Visit www.juiceboxbirthday.com to hear a new tune from The Juice Box Heroes and submit your family's original take on the song's music video. Prizes include $2,500, a year's supply of juice boxes and more. The contest runs from August 3 to October 31.

"With a little ingenuity you can help kids form good eating habits while having fun," says Candace Cameron Bure, mother of three and star of "Full House" and the current hit show, "Make it Or Break It," who is currently celebrating the juice box birthday with her family. "The juice box was a part of my childhood and with my family's busy lifestyle, I love giving my kids convenient and healthy treats I know and trust."

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Jack Daniel’s Birthday Celebration Continues with Ultimate Cake Contest

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Jack Daniel Distillery is searching for the best Jack Daniel’s-inspired cakes in the country for the Jack Daniel’s Ultimate Birthday Cake contest. The competition is part of the month-long September celebration of Jack Daniel’s 159th birthday.

Amateur bakers and decorators 21 and older can submit images of their cake creations to cakecontest@jacktember.com or by mail to Jack Daniel’s Ultimate Birthday Cake, c/o DVL, 209 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219, for a chance to win one of 159 exclusive Jack Daniel’s Birthday cake kits. The kits include a limited edition Jack Daniel’s bottle-shaped cake pan, a Jack Daniel’s label stencil, and a special Jack Daniel’s Ultimate Birthday Cake recipe.

“We know that many people celebrate their birthday with Jack Daniel’s, not only by enjoying our fine whiskey, but also with cakes that include Jack in the recipe or decoration,” said Lynne Tolley, Jack Daniel’s great-grandniece and proprietress of Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House in Lynchburg. “We want to see how creative our friends can be when designing a cake inspired by Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey. Since we are celebrating my Uncle Jack’s 159th birthday, however, I might suggest that they leave off the candles.”

The Jack Daniel’s Ultimate Birthday Cake contest will run from September 15-October 15, 2009. Entries will be judged on creativity, representation of the Jack Daniel’s brand and appearance. For complete contest rules, go to www.jackdaniels.com/cakecontest.

Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel, the man who pioneered the world’s best-selling whiskey, was born in Lynchburg, Tenn. in September 1850, but his birth records were likely lost to fire or the passage of time. Because his exact birth date is unknown, Jack Daniel’s is celebrating Mr. Jack’s birthday throughout the month of September.

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Celebrate a Pop-culture Icon with Delicious Raisins

(ARA) – What do you think of when you think of raisins? Sure, you know they are tasty and nutritious, but does anything else come to mind? Perhaps you remember the groovy, sunglass-wearing raisins that danced on the TV screens and into the hearts of families across the country years ago.

In fact, the word through the grapevine is that the California Dancing Raisins are turning 25 in 2009. It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since the 1980’s phenomenon. In addition to their status as pop-culture icons, California raisins have long been a family-favorite snack, as well as a tasty addition to recipes.

A perfect reason to celebrate is all of the nutrition that is packed into tiny California raisins. They are fat- and cholesterol-free, high in antioxidants and raisins also deliver valuable potassium and dietary fiber. Just 1/4 cup is a serving of fruit, which makes raisins a wise choice for snacking and ideal for adding naturally sweet flavor to recipes.

To kick-off the birthday festivities, try this delicious Happy Birthday Chocolate Cupcake recipe. Pureed California raisins are the secret ingredient that makes these moist and chocolaty cupcakes a wholesome treat. For more California raisin recipes to keep the celebration going all year long, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com.

Happy Birthday Chocolate Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 18 to 20 minutes

Cupcakes
3/4 cup California raisins
2 to 3 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup softened heart healthy vegetable spread
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
4 egg whites
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/4 cup softened heart healthy vegetable spread
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F and line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers. Set aside.

Combine raisins and hot water in food processor or blender; process until smooth. Beat raisin puree together with sour cream, spread and extract in a large bowl until light. Beat in sugar, then egg whites. Add dry ingredients and beat until well mixed. Spoon into lined cups and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

For frosting, beat together 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar with remaining ingredients until smooth; spread the top of each cupcake with a thin layer. Stir remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar together with a few drops of half-and-half until thick and smooth. Drizzle a swirl on top of each cupcake.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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