Thinking Inside the Lunchbox

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Getting kids to eat a healthy meal at home is hard enough. Making sure they get a proper lunch at school, with the siren call of recess and the pandemonium of the cafeteria all around them, can seem almost impossible. Sun Basket’s team of dietitians share some of their findings and offer real-life lunchtime solutions. 

What the experts say: 

A paper published in the Journal of School Health that surveyed 5,200 Canadian fifth-grade students and their parents found that a higher fruit and vegetable intake improved students’ reading and writing scores. Unsurprisingly, an Icelandic study of 5,800 students found that when the kids’ diets suffer, so do their grades. One report points to a link between diets that include large amounts of sugar-sweetened soft drinks, sweets, chocolate, processed snack foods, pizza, and hot dogs and increased challenges with math. 

Here, our dietitians break down their strategies for a smarter school lunch: 

Strategies for a Smarter School Lunch 

Let the Kids Help: Kids are more likely to eat food that they’ve prepared. Involve your child in planning, shopping, preparing, and packing their lunch. It’s a great way to educate your child on healthy choices and increase the chance that their lunch won’t end up in the garbage. 

Beyond the Brown Bag: Presentation can be a powerful tool in encouraging healthy eating. Lunch is much more fun when it’s packed in a decorated bag or lunch box, or if it includes special utensils. Let your kid pick out a bento box with colorful chopsticks or a tiffin with a bright cloth napkin. Or simply let them color a brown bag with crayons and/or markers before leaving for school. 

Rely on Leftovers: UUse food from last night’s dinner and have lunch ready in minutes. Keep tortillas (like the Mi Rancho Organic artisan corn and wheat tortillas available in the NEW Pantry section of our menu) on hand and fill them with leftover vegetables, or top the tortillas with leftovers and a sprinkle of cheese for mini pizzas. 

Trade Up: Swap the lunch box standbys for something just as exciting yet healthier. Instead of a fruit roll-up or gummy snacks, tuck in a mix of dried fruits, such as apricots, cherries, and mangoes, or a nutrient-dense treat like a That’s It apple and blueberries whole fruit bar, available in the NEW Snacks section of our menu. Trade juice boxes for a thermos filled with a homemade smoothie or Happy Moose Juice California orange juice (available in the NEW Breakfast section of our menu).

Here are some more dietitian-approved kid’s lunch favorites from our NEW expanded menu:

 

7 Tips for Building a Healthy Microbiome From our Director of Nutrition

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At this very moment, your body is host to roughly 10 trillion bacterial cells. Collectively known as the microbiome, these bacteria outnumber human cells by 10 to 1 and, lately, they piqued the interest of the scientific community. Researchers are beginning to think that these microbes may have a significant impact on everything from your mood to your mortality, and may ultimately be as important to our individual identity as our DNA.  

While these microbes thrive all over our bodies, inside and out, it’s the bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract that appear to have the greatest impact on our overall health. Research points to a connection between the microscopic residents of our intestines and a host of conditions including diabetes, obesity, digestive problems, depression, even autism and multiple sclerosis. Keeping those bacteria happy is key to maintaining good health.

Here, Sun Basket’s Director of Nutrition Lindsey Kane offers a few suggestions for maintaining a strong and mighty colony of microbes:

Be a Good Host

When you have houseguests, your first instinct is to tidy up and make them feel welcome. You’ll want to do the same for the nearly one thousand bacterial species couchsurfing in your gut. Here’s how to maintain a bacteria-friendly domain:

  • Reduce inflammation: Eat a balanced, nutrient-rich, plant-centric diet; exercise regularly; reduce stress; get sleep.

  • Choose organic: Opting for responsibly-raised animal proteins in place of conventional alternatives can minimize exposure to antibiotics and harmful hormones.

  • Load up on omega 3’s: These healthy fats found in salmon, walnuts, and flax seeds help maintain the integrity of your intestinal lining.

  • Get to know Glutamine: This amino acid found in fish, poultry, beef, and vegetables like asparagus and broccoli, help keep your intestinal wall healthy and strong.

  • Incorporate anti-microbials: Alliums like garlic and leeks, as well as spices and herbs such as oregano and cumin, have been found to inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria.

  • Eat plenty of plants: Give your gut bacteria what they love best: plenty of plant fiber. While we cannot fully digest the fiber in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, our gut bacteria can’t get enough of the stuff.

  • Fill up on fermented foods: Consider adding more lacto-fermented foods like kimchi, kraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and miso to your diet. They’re full of the probiotics that your gut thrives on. 


Artwork by Ekström Design

DIY Spa Water

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Who said water has to be plain? There are many ways to make your daily dose of H2O more delicious. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs give a boost of flavor while delivering many beneficial nutrients. And no one says you have to use water—many of these combinations are delicious with your favorite herbal teas. Here are our favorite spa water flavor combinations:

Cucumber Melon Mojito 

Muddle cucumber slices, watermelon cubes, a peeled lime slice, and some fresh mint leaves in a glass and top with seltzer. The watermelon contains lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which may reduce the risk of heart disease. 

Peach Ginger Hibiscus Tea

Steep sliced fresh ginger in hibiscus tea and garnish with peach slices. The ginger can help settle a queasy stomach, and the hibiscus is a good source of vitamin C. 

Cherry Rosemary Lemon

Lightly crush a few pitted cherries, a sprig of fresh rosemary, and a peeled lemon slice in a glass and fill with sparkling water. Cherries are a good source of potassium, which may help lower blood pressure, while the rosemary can aid in digestion.

Mango Chia “Bubble” Tea

The soluble fiber in chia seeds becomes gelatinous in liquid, resembling the tapioca pearls in bubble tea. Simply combine chia seeds with a spoonful of mango purée, season with ground turmeric and a little freshly ground black pepper, and top with herbal tea. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to give the chia time to absorb the liquid. This hydrating refreshment is loaded with healthy omega-3 fats, protein, and fiber, and the turmeric delivers a powerful antioxidant boost. 

Artwork by Ekström Design