A cookie cutter and a pinch of creativity is all you’ll need to pack a special Valentine’s Day lunch!
If you’d like to surprise your kids with something fun in their lunch boxes this Valentine’s Day, but don’t know where to start, consider turning everything from PB & J to organic strawberry snacks into thoughtfully-prepared meals made with love.
Turkey and cheese, with a side of TLC
Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to add a little extra TLC to your usual turkey and cheese. First, create heart-shaped bread, turkey and Swiss cheese slices using a cookie cutter. Then, before you assemble the sandwich, kick it up a notch by adding dried cranberries for a pop of festive red and a little natural sweetness! Round out your red and white theme by pairing your sandwich with white-chocolate covered pretzels and strawberry Greek yogurt. Pack the lunch in a red lunch box and sprinkle in some Valentine’s Day stickers for fun!
Heart-shaped strawberries and PB & J with a twist!
If your little one loves PB & J but you’d like to try something new, consider adding chocolate almond butter or Nutella to their strawberry preserves… on heart-shaped bread, of course! Then, pair your PB & J with fresh strawberry hearts. Simply remove the stem and split the strawberries in half to create strawberry hearts. Of course you can always shape the strawberry tops with a knife, if you’re a sucker for details. Round out the heart-themed lunch with a cookie that’s as fun as a sugar cookie laced with colored sprinkles, but packed with organic goodness. With a quick press of your cookie cutter, you can turn an organic raspberry or strawberry toaster pastry into a treat that’s just as fun as a traditional Valentine’s Day sugar cookie, without all of the artificial ingredients!
Go red… sans preservatives and artificial colors
If you’re ingredient-conscious but want your little ones to revel in all of the red and pink fun, there are many ways you can get in on the festivities and still stick to a natural diet. From natural food coloring, to preservative-free fruit snacks… even organic strawberry milk boxes and organic preserves. With some creative shopping, you can shower your little one in several shades of holiday red without ever dipping into Red 40.
Little love message
Of course, no matter what you pack for lunch, make sure you don’t forget the most important part: A love note for your little valentine! Whether it’s a store-bought valentine with their favorite character or a handwritten note, there are so many ways to tell them you love them. If your kids love bananas, you can even surprise them with a little love note where they least expect it. When you’re packing their lunch in the morning, grab a toothpick and etch a message on the skin on the banana that will appear by the time they sit down for lunch!
Image credit: Jennifer Chidester
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