Double Cheeseburger Meal

Fit & Fresh Lunch Made for School

Welcome to school year 2015-16 everyone!!  It's back to school once again.  First days are fun, but we can't help but have jitters.  I have tons of that especially when it comes to meal planning & preps for first days of school, till Week 1 is over.  With all the jitters come excitement as well. We love it because of new stuffs we accumulate over the break to prepare for the coming school year.

Over the break, I am thrilled to share that I was contacted by numerous bento retailers and suppliers to partner with as I blog away my bento lunches to school as I see fit.  For starters, Fit & Fresh has sent me their wonderful Bento Lunch Kit, which immediately caught my boy's attention.  At first I didn't know how I can present it to you to differentiate it from the other lunchboxes I've tried.  All have positive reviews but this has features to die for. Ok..ok..not to exaggerate, but there are stuffs that Fit & Fresh has that I always wanted for a bento box.

Multi-compartment bento lunch kit is always a must.  We love our main entree to be separated from its sides and desserts.  That way flavors don't mix, and sandwiches don't get soggy by lunch time.

Size does matter. We found that Fit & Fresh lunch kit has the perfect size for my Middle School-aged boy. I can fill up the large compartment with 3 cups of rice, or 2 standard-sized hamburger with buns. The other two smaller compartments can fit 3/4 cups of diced medium pears, grapes, apples, on each side. On this meal, I packed several slices of pickle ovals for his cheeseburger meal.  He loves ketchup and just glad I keep stashes of to-go ketchup sachets from different fast food chains at home.

I also love that those smaller compartments have several packing options. It is given, like others, the base is compartmentalized.  Furthermore, it includes 2 bento pods (containers with individual lids) that can accommodate 1/2 cup each of runny sides like yogurt, dips, and salsa.  It's leak-proof so it's mess-free.



Isn't it lovely to find a lunch kit that includes reusable ice packs to keep food chilled and fresh at all times. And, still keep them compact with minimal parts to assemble.  I like the fact that it is clipped to its lid, that way kids don't lose them. That's what sets Fit & Fresh shine above its leading competitors.  Personally, it's a winner and a keeper.



To top it off, for $19.99, it comes with a quality insulated travel bag that gives no additional bulk. It keeps everything in one place. It's machine-washable, or you can even wipe them clean in between uses. Perfect for kids who just want to stash it inside his backpack and go. They also come in different colors and style.  What more could anyone ask for?

Do I recommend Fit & Fresh Bento Lunch Kit? Absolutely! It's genuinely leak-proof inside and out, and my kids can open and close the lid with no issues at all.

Disclaimer:  The Fit and Fresh Bento Lunch Kit was provided to me by Fit & Fresh to try it out for my daily lunch packing routine, without any obligation to review.  It was my decision to feature their product on my blog as a courtesy due to my overwhelming positive experience with the product.

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.


Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Chow Mien

Lunch Ideas on Thermal Containers

I've been noticing that my third grader has been eating considerably bigger portion of meals each day. Good news for us because it can be a good sign that her pickiness will soon be over.  With all of my lunchbox collections I've been hoarding at home, there's only one container that successfully keep her eating happy at school. She loves warm lunches, and only thermos can guarantee that.  So this year, I am investing on thermal lunch jars to hold her meals warm on a daily basis in school.

Today, she brought in warm Vegetable Chow Mien, with white peaches on the side.  

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

HESH Heart 13

A Year End Review

Year 2013 has been truly an amazing and productive year for us, as a family. A budding year that sparked a promising and a stable career for me. A career that gave me the flexibility to work and care for my kids full-time.  The career that gave us the capability to purchase our very own home after 11 years of married life. It is also the magic year that dismissed our son from ASD after careful re-assessment.  A fulfilling year that put me into the PTA board member, and my son into Student Council Alternative President.  A threatening but miraculous year, when dad had a stroke, but had overcome it without any nerve, organ, or vessel damage. A forgiving year that rescued my marriage and my family from breaking apart. Truly, God is wonderful and great. I thank him for everything.

I am also thankful for being a part of the Bento Bloggers and Friends for the much needed inspiration and support in almost everything, may it be bento-related or not.  I have continued to pack lunches to school and work despite of my hectic schedules and busted camera.  But of course, with my new DSLR, I think I'd be able to go back blogging my lunches in 2014. Hooray for that!

We, the Bento Bloggers and Friends, have agreed to put up our favorite thirteens. I would not consider it my top 13, but my favorites. How did I choose my favorites?  Here are the criteria that influenced my choice.

1. Pageviews
2. Most Requested Meals
3. Ease of Preparation
4. Blog Hops
5. Recipe

Hover on the images below and click the individual images to direct you to its corresponding blog post. Enjoy the following posts and hope that this will bring inspiration to your 2014 lunch packing madness.

Thank you!!

Have a healthy and blessed 2014!!

Please push the button below to see more 13 Favorites from the rest of the Bento Bloggers and Friends.

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Waffles & Peaches

Missy A has a cinnamon fascination lately.
Cinnamon toast is one of them.
So I tried waffle by adding a dash of cinnamon and brown sugar on my traditional pancake mix.
Everything else follows.

I wasn't able to shop for apples this week, but peaches saved the lunch.
No honey or syrup on pancakes since the brown sugar had made it sweet enough for my Missy A.

I have always seen waffles packed with strawberries and cream, YUM!!  I've eaten them for breakfast, and they're delicious. So wanting to give it a try for my kiddos. But Missy A is not a huge fan of milk and cream.  She would literally scrape it off her waffles, just like she does it with cheese from her quesadillas. I think it's odd too, but I would just have to find ways to send it that she would devour. And this is my end product, which she, by the way, loved.

I am also linking this up to Bento For Kidlet's Meatless Monday

Please stop by and visit Jenn for more Meatless Monday entree ideas.

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Turkey & Cheese Subwich

Today's lunch is a DIY - Subway Lunchable.  
Everything what my kiddos would love to put in their sub.  I tried to put them all together, but I'm afraid that they might turn soggy by lunch time.  So we put all things on the side, but the TLC - turkey, lettuce and cheese.  No tomatoes and onions.



Not sure if I already mentioned that Mr G has started with his ortho appliance prior to the actual braces.  He has the palatal bar attached to his upper first permanent molars, with the bar across his palate.  We thought it was easy at first, but foods get caught on the bar, and is a nuisance for him.  Since then, I tried to cut food as bite-sized as possible so he could chew his food and lessen the chance of getting caught in there.

For a time he's been on soup-based meals.  Anything goes.  For one, he's not a very picky eater.  And secondly, he eats healthy by choice.  So his lunch tomato-based soups were mostly veggies and shredded meats to satisfy his proteins, carbs, and enough calorie to get by the day.  I will blog them, so you get the idea what he had on those days.

Now that he's over the transition stage, we're back to be eating normally.
Also, he has asked to eat cafeteria meals with his friends on some days, which I allowed.
So he wouldn't feel that he's missing out so much.

If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.

It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Corn on a Cob: A Whole Grain

Lunch doesn't need to be complicated all the time.  It can be something as simple as corn on the cob, and still make it healthy for the whole family.

Remember that corn is a whole grain, which plays an important role to prevent chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes.  So if it's in the line of your family history, it's best that we switch diets into more whole grains, and corn is one of them which is the easiest and most economical way to serve a fulfilling meal.

We love corn because of its endless possibilities.  You can serve it steamed, grilled, stewed.  May be buttered,  salted, sprinkled with cheese, or simply eaten as it is.  We love corn not only because of its nutritional value, but also because of it's natural sweetness.

 I can't find a corn skewer to put them on each end, so my little girl could hold onto it, and eat them better mess-free.  For a bento-maker, I say it's a must-have.  So I'm off on a hunt for one or more.  If anyone knows where I could get it locally or online, please jot me a comment.  I would greatly appreciate it.

 If you love Healthy Eating Starts at Home, you may subscribe via email to get all my posts straight to your inbox. No spam mails, just healthy food ideas for your lunchboxes.

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

If you need weekly meals straight to your inbox, try MOMables.
It's our one-stop shop when we're on a lunch rut.

Quesadilla Strips with Layered Dip

Today's lunch was originally inspired by a friend's Meatless Monday bento, Jenn of Bento for Kidlet, which can be found here.  Check her out and see other awesome lunches linked up to her party.  Hers was mouth watering nacho lunch which gave me this idea for the kiddos' lunches.  But since mine are not huge on beans, I omitted that and substituted it with salsa.  This is actually their first time to eat quesadilla with sour cream and guacamole dip, so I separated it from the salsa, just in case. They love quesadilla, but I've never sent them this way before.  And it was a huge hit.  According to Mr. G, it couldn't be better!

I decided to cut the quesadilla into strips instead of the traditional triangular shape, so they could scoop and dip it better in the Mini dippers, mess-free.  Mr G is a clean-freak. He doesn't want his hands get messy and gooey when eating.  One reason why burritos and tacos won't work for him, unless I wrap them nicely that allows him to reposition his food on his hand.

Missy A loved it as well sans the salsa and guacamole. She came back home with salsa and guacamole left behind.  Fine with me. At least she ate them without any fuzz.  I just noticed one thing though. I think she peeled some of the cheese off the tortilla and tossed it on her EasyLunchboxes.  Y'all know that she doesn't like cheese and I would be lucky if she eats a piece.

I hope you all have a wonderful lunch.

Happy Wednesday!!

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

May the 4th Be With U: A Star Wars Bento HOP

Welcome to the DARK Side!

May the 4th is a day dedicated especially for Star Wars.  Or should I say in the GEEK World, May 4th is Star Wars Day.  My family is a huge Star Wars fanatic, and so does my fellow Bento Bloggers and Friends. I must admit I'm the lesser fan amongst them all, coz they know all the rightful terminologies associated with Star Wars and I simply lack the capability to store that in my system. I can watch the film over and over, but not absorb the needed force to be a true Jedi.  So pardon me for anything not suitable you might find on my post.  I deserve to be corrected should I misled you.

My fellow BBF (Bento Bloggers & Friends) are once again doing another bento hop.  This time in 2 groups of 16-17 participants, so as not to overwhelm you hopping from one lunch to another.  Consider yourselves forewarned, our bento madness can become addicting but fun.  So beware!

Since this hop falls on a Saturday, I thought of making a surprise big breakfast for my kiddos. Big breakfast for us mean a combination of carbo, protein, dairy and fruits.  Today is a big day for Mr G coz he's trying out for the Swim Meet this morning.  Keeping our fingers crossed that he'll make it to the team.

 

The kids were very excited of this big breakfast. I had to prepare them the night before because of a busy morning schedule ahead of us today. I served them buttered apple cinnamon pancakes with a maple syrup on the pink cup, all-natural hotdog where Darth Vader sat with the Jedi's light sabers on their quest to defeat him.  They also had hard-boiled eggs with the Sith Logo and Storm Trooper Cuties oranges.

 

Mr G reacted on this lunch. He said that Darth Vader has a Red Saber.  He neither has blue nor green. So I had to explain to him that they were the Jedi's.  He loves the cheese cut-out though.  He thinks its cool.

 

How did I make this? Since I am not an awesome food artist, I researched considerably for Star Wars logos, than faces. I sketched and pre-cut on parchment paper, traced on cheese and cut. The logo on the egg was drawn by an all-natural food-safe writer. 

I originally made an onigiri lunch for this hop, but I messed up the nori decals.  So I did the easy way out, and prepared an appropriate meal for the kiddos this morning.

Next stop is Sarah of Bentoriffic.  Let's see what she has served her girls for this hop. Please push the button below, that you might find at the beginning, middle, or end of each post, to teleport you to the next portal of entree - either the DARK or LIGHT Side. The Best of Luck!!

Once you've completed the hop...

I hope you had a wonderful time hopping from one entree to another.  We're happy to have you around as always!  Please jot me a comment, it will surely bring cheers :)

Have a fun and wonderful Star Wars Bento Hop!!

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

Steamed Salmon Sushi Rolls

Happy May 1st!

Time flies so fast.  Before we know it, school is off and summer break kicks in.  I am usually one of the most excited person for this time-awaited break.  For us, this means an endless trip to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Legoland, Discovery Center, Sea World, the ZOO, playdates and picnics at the beach. But this year, I'm not quite liking it because I would have to work fulltime, and kids would be left home with nothing special to do until I come back home after work. I have discussed my work schedules with my kiddos, and they seem pretty good with change now that they've grown. I have arranged a weekday off from work to bring them to playdates, movies and picnics in between, and reserved the bigger trips on weekends with hub.

Sushi is on board again.  This time we made it pretty healthy for the growing kids.  I know that nothing is better for a kid's tastebud than a SPAM Musubi.  But let's face it, it's not very healthy when consumed on a daily basis, or say frequently.  I don't want to send sashimi (raw sushi fillings) to school either.  So I thought of steaming the salmon first to be on the safe-side.

Why salmon? Simply because we love salmon and it's one of the healthiest fish one can consume.  It's packed with all the essential nutrients that one need to live a healthy life.  Salmon is classified an oily fish, which is a good protein source, omega 3 fatty acids, and Vitamin D.  Do you know that calcium needs Vitamin D to be absorbed and synthesized?  Vitamin D is important for the health of our bones. It protects our bones and helps in calcium absorption. Primary source of Vitamin D is the sun, but with its harmful effects nowadays, we often lather our skin with sunblock.  Thus, shielding the essential effects of the sun to our body.  So where else can we find Vitamin D?  The answer always points to foods and supplements.

The kids are having Salmon Sushi Rolls for lunch today. Salmon were marinated with salt & pepper with lemon rind. Placed on a dish and steamed on a double boiler. Steamed for about 15-20 minutes. The sushi was filled with salmon flakes and a wee bit of light mayo.  You can always skip the mayo if you wish.  But mayo gives off a nice flavor to the salmon when eaten with rice.

My sushi rice was made with a drizzle of sesame oil, sesame seed and dried bonito mix.  I used to make it with Sushi vinegar, but somehow kids love it better without it. And rolling makes it easier for me too.

Have a great lunch!! 

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!

A Vegetarian Lunch Combinations

What are Lunch Combinations?

These are lunches that are made up of common ingredients but are prepared and packed in many different ways, especially made for picky but "cute" family members.  Cute is inserted there because I love them dearly no matter what.  And I don't intend to pick on anyone else about anything there...LOL!



I have been packing lunches for 3 each day for years. And soon, it will be four of us.  It's tough when it comes to packing to each one with individual preferences.  My husband is not picky so he's off the hook. But I try to pick only the healthy ones for him because he has to lose some weight.

As you see the image above, each one had tortilla, cheese, strawberry, eggs, corn and greens
(except for my littlest eater who's the pickiest one of all).



These are the lunches for my boy and my man. And oh yeah --- SPOT the DIFFERENCE!!
Mr G loves playing that game, so let's all play along.

All answers goes on the comment box, please :)



First lunch was for my man, he had a garden salad of all sorts of the healthy fresh stuff with Italian dressing on those pink and blue cups. He also had hard boiled egg white, a couple of strawberries and cheese quesadilla.



My boy's lunch was a garden salad similar to his dad but with string cheese and without an egg.



And my littlest one, who wouldn't eat cheese quesadilla, had a home-made corn tortilla chips with string cheese and strawberries and harboiled egg whites. No greens on her EasyLunchboxes but all on her juice.

I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that I was never successful feeding cheese to my little girl.  I've tried all sorts of cheese and the only one that solved the problem was this particular string cheese made by Galbani Precious Cheese.  The TRIVIA on the packaging made it interesting for the kids to peel the cheese and eat them as they enjoy the answers to the trivia.  Not only that but it got a tasty taste as well. It's not bland like any other mozarella cheeses.  It's a wee bit salty that gained the thumb of approval from my little girl.  Best of all they are made with all-natural ingredients and rbST-free milk.

Are your kids picky about foods as well? How are you able to cope up with that?

For a better treat, I have linked this up with Bento For Kidlet's
Meatless Monday. Please push the button below to visit other linked meals.



Bon apetit!

All bento accessories are available through Bento USA,

the cheapest and most complete online bento products in the USA.

Other bento gears are also available thru My Amazon Affiliate Link.
Thank you for your support!