Homemade

In an effort to have more control over the amount of sugar and salt my kids take in, I spent the weekend making homemade granola, granola bars, trail mix, chicken broth, and muffins.  The granola recipe needs to be tweaked before it'll be a hit for breakfast, but it made great granola bars.  Basically I just made Rice Krispie treats but with granola instead of Rice Krispies, and I added mini dark chocolate chips and the kids love them!  I also hid healthy things in my muffins, like carrots, and bananas, and blueberries, and bran flakes (not all in the same muffin). My freezer is now stocked with quick, healthy things for Anthon to grab when he's making his own lunch (I know, he's amazing). I also packaged snacks from the store (like pretzels) into appropriate portions, cut cheese and put it in baggies, cut up veggies and put them in baggies, and made a snack bucket (for Anthon to use for his lunches) and a "free snacks" drawer in the fridge that the kids can raid whenever they want (fruits and veggies only).

                                                                                                            

I'm also trying to be more creative about Anthon's lunches since even the best kids can get tired of PB&Js day in and day out, so I bought little containers to send salad in (one of Anthon's favorite things), and fruit, and whatever else comes to mind.  For his lunch tomorrow he's having a tortilla roll-up, with cream cheese, ham, lettuce and tomato, a homemade granola bar, an apple, and organic fruit leather (that last one's a bit extravagant, admittedly; we'll see how long it lasts), with V8 fusion juice in his thermos--(no juice boxes for this boy, he wants to do his part to help the planet).

Hmph.  I think I'm feeling a bit smug!