Posts Tagged ‘plant-based’
Rainbow after the storm
Posted on: August 28, 2012
- In: bento | casein free | dairy free | eating local | Foods | kids | lunchbox | plant based | raw food | salad | snacks | Vegan | Vegetarian
- 4 Comments
Live music thumping on the streets, gorgeous old architecture, cobblestone streets and lots of interesting people. What’s not to love about New Orleans? I spent a long weekend there for a blogging conference. I met some wonderful people, left with many pearls or wisdom and a large to do list and had a bunch of fun too. I thought that hurricane Isaac would be hitting my house in Florida when I got home. Luckily all we’ve seen is a bunch of rain and now the sun peeking out. Just hoping for my New Orleans friends that they escape the worst. Sometimes we need a little reminder of how lucky we are to have each day, and that our true needs are few.
A rainbow lunch is what I decided on for Miss G’s school lunch today. A rainbow after the storm. We have a new LunchBots Quad stainless container for the new school year. At the top left are flower sandwiches on Rudi’s Whole Grain bread, top right are mini carrots underneath sugar snap peas and yellow bell pepper strips. At the bottom right underneath are lots of pineapple pieces, and papaya and strawberry flowers on top. And at the bottom left are picks of blueberries and blackberries.
For her snack today she had Sabra hummus with Sesmark brand Ancient Grain crackers made of amaranth, millet, sorghum and quinoa. She also has sugar snap peas and pistachios mixed with dried cranberries packed in her sistema brand bento. Not shown is her Kleen Kanteen water bottle.
And I sent my husband off to work with some leftovers (not shown) and a mixed green salad with sugar snap peas and mini carrots. At the top left are organic blueberries and at top right are organic plums and nectarines packed in his Easy LunchBox container.
Little berries and bears
Posted on: August 17, 2012
- In: bento | casein free | eating local | Foods | kids | lunchbox | plant based | raw food | snacks | Summer | Vegan | Vegetarian
- 12 Comments
My kids LOVE to go to the market. I can’t handle all the grocery shopping with both of them so I get the basics by myself. I do find it EXTREMELY important to take them to the local farmer’s markets, farms and organic stands in our area. I save my fruit and vegetable shopping just for them on the weekends. If THEY pick it out, they will normally eat it. I’m not sure who taught me this trick, but I am forever grateful. Our rule is that they girls do not have to eat the whole thing, but they do have to try it when something new is introduced. It helps to say things like, “Carrots give you x-ray vision.” or tell them that they’re very brave for trying new things. Experts even suggest stickers as a reward for eating fruits and vegetables. I always make a big deal about them trying a new fruit or vegetable because for them it IS a big deal. Remember it can take up to 15-20 tries before a child adapts to a new food. I keep reintroducing things each week even if I know they haven’t eaten it the past 10 times. Persistence does pay off.
Many moms and bloggers that I know have used the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit with great success. You children get to reward themselves with different magnets for trying different colored foods each day. It’s a fantastic way to make sure they’re getting their fruits and vegetables in too.
I had forgotten I had these cute little bear cups for bentos so when I found them buried at the bottom of the bin, it was a must. I made some small sandwiches with another little bear pastry plunger that I found at a local baking store. In the bottom compartment are sugar snap peas and raspberries packed in our Easy LunchBoxes.
Little Miss 2 year old had a much smaller lunch. She has strawberry sandwiches made with a pastry plunger as well. Above the sandwiches are strawberry picks of blueberries and raspberries and on the right are sugar snap peas and strawberry hearts packed in her Gel-Cool brand Polar Bear bento.
Things I used to make this lunch:
- In: bento | casein free | eating local | Foods | kids | lunchbox | plant based | raw food | salad | Spring | Summer | Vegan | Vegetarian
- 3 Comments
I got caught with my hand in the Play Doh cabinet again. I found these cute little bread cutters, washed them off and made these mini sandwiches today. I cut Stretch Island grape fruit leather faces for both of them. Just above the sandwiches are picks of green and black olives. At the top left are raspberries and top right are blueberries.
Little Miss 2 year old is my finicky eater. She had three little birds today for her lunch. My kids love that Bob Marley song. A pick of black olives is just above the sandwiches. Raspberries, blueberries and a cantaloupe bird are at the top. Both lunches are packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.
And I’m working on a local food story so my husband’s lunch today included foods I purchased at the local farmer’s market. The base of the salad is baby spinach leaves. I placed okinawan spinach leaves (purple and green) on top for color and for him to try, organic radishes which I bentoed out with these cute faces, and topped the salad with fresh sunflower sprouts. I had never seen the okinawan spinach before so we had to try it. Here’s a link to find out more about okinawa spinach. Besides adding awesome color, it apparently has cholesterol lowering properties in it. All of the ingredients came from My Mother’s Garden at the Sarasota, FL Downtown Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. In the top compartments are organic blueberries and organic red quinoa at the top right (cooked in vegetable broth) packed in an Easy Lunchbox container.
Things I used to make this lunch:
Little stars & baby greens salad
Posted on: July 16, 2012
- In: bento | casein free | eating local | Foods | Holidays | kids | lunchbox | plant based | raw food | salad | Spring | Summer | Vegan | Vegetarian
- 2 Comments
Miss A had to skip camp today due to a runny nose so I sent Miss G to school with her small square bento. From the top left she has organic nectarine sections, star shaped sandwiches on Rudi’s Whole Grain bread with almond butter & jam and organic red seedless grapes with a star baran (food separator/decoration) on top. 
My husband had another baby green salad with baby bok choi and spinach. I found a black radish at our local Whole Foods which I’d never seen before. It’s larger than the traditional red radishes and a charcoal colored black on the outside, but it tastes very similar to the red radishes and is completely white in the middle. The black radish slices are in the middle, next are small slices of a baby zucchini, and I also julienned a larger carrot I had left in the fridge for the outer edge of the salad. Not shown is his favorite ginger dressing. At the top left are mixed nuts and goji berries and in the flower at the top right are strawberry pieces packed in his Easy Lunch Box container.
Things I used to make this lunch:
My angel and a tulip
Posted on: June 12, 2012
- In: bento | casein free | eating local | Foods | Holidays | kids | lunchbox | plant based | Spring | Vegan | Vegetarian
- 1 Comment
My littlest cherub asked for an angel lunch today so I pulled out the Christmas cutters in June. This one was done quickly so not a lot of detail, but she enjoyed it. She has a vegan deli slice and vegan cheese on Rudi’s whole grain bread. Next to the sandwich is a Late July brand organic chocolate cookie with a dried apricot angel on top. The top half of her LunchBots Duo box is (clockwise) blueberries, cantaloupe, and in the flower cup watermelon with a honeydew angel on top.
Miss G couldn’t make up her mind so I made her a tulip lunch. Hers has the same vegan deli slice with vegan cheese on Rudi’s Whole Grain bread. To the right are plum sections in the orange flower cup. At the top left are picks of blueberries, honeydew melon circles in the pink flower cup and a Late July organic chocolate cookie with dried apricots tulips on top.
Don’t forget to enter my 1 year giveaway with tons of goodies. Click the link below to enter!
- In: bento | casein free | eating local | Foods | kids | lunchbox | mom | plant based | Vegan | Vegetarian
- 214 Comments
FREE SWAG! Who doesn’t want that? I do! Oh, wait, it’s my giveaway for one lucky reader. To celebrate the 1 year anniversary of bentoriffic and all those who have supported me, I decided to get together a few of my favorite lunch making items to giveaway. I tried to put together all the things that would get someone started with their own bento/lunchmaking kit for their kids in the fall. Or better yet for the older kids, something to encourage them to make their OWN lunches. I didn’t ask for freebies, but I did support some of my favorite products to give to one lucky winner.
Here’s what the loot consists of:
1 complete set of 4 Easy Lunch Boxes for packing meals. They’re great for adults AND kids.
Two Plastic Egg Molds, a rabbit and a bear
A set of 10 adorable animal picks that are great for girls or boys.
A set of small deco cutters that are great for meat, cheese, fruits and vegetables.
a set of 4 stainless steel vegetable cutters:
And 12 Wilton Silicone square cups
This contest is only open to United States residents.
Please let me know in the comment section below either your favorite lunch I’ve made or one you’d like to see from bentoriffic.
YOU MUST “LIKE” BENTORIFFIC ON FACEBOOK TO WIN AND COMMENT BELOW IN ORDER TO WIN.
You may gain separate entries by signing up to receive my posts by email, tweeting or sharing this post.
Please leave SEPARATE messages for each thing that you do in order to get a separate entry.
This contest will go for 1 week, ending on June 18th at midnight.
The lucky winner will be chosen through random.org. I will post through my blog and on Facebook announcing the winner, and they will have 48 hours to contact me, or I will redraw the giveaway.
THANK YOU FOR READING, COMMENTING AND SUPPORTING MY FIRST YEAR. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL!
Hello Kitty for two!
Posted on: May 23, 2012
- In: bento | casein free | eating local | Foods | kids | lunchbox | plant based | Spring | Summer | Vegan | Vegetarian
- 2 Comments
Both girls wanted Hello Kitty lunches for school today. This will officially be their last bento lunch of this school year since tomorrow is a water day with lunch in the the classroom. You never know how much you appreciate all that teachers do until you have your kids at home for a week straight with no curriculum planned! Thank you to each and every teacher, aide and friend who touches my kids’ lives. You are truly a gift!
Miss A has Hello Kitty face on Rudi’s whole grain bread. The face, bow & whiskers are cut from Vegan brand cheese. To the left are raspberries with a blueberry in the middle. At the bottom left are watermelon pieces and at the bottom right is a giant strawberry heart with Hello Kitty picks of edamame on either side packed in her pink Sanrio brand Hello Kitty bento box.
Miss G has the same Hello Kitty face sandwich with a fruit leather face, bow & whiskers. Above the sandwich are two Hello Kitty picks of edamame. To the right of the sandwich is a giant strawberry heart and a Hello Kitty container above that with dried cranberries and cashews inside. In the purple flower cup are raspberries with a Hello Kitty pick and at the top right are watermelon pieces in Hello Kitty’s face shapes. The top piece has a bow pick and black sesame seeds for eyes and a nose. Her lunch is packed in an Easy Lunch Box.
If you like what I do, please support me by voting! I’m in the running for one of the Circle of Mom’s Top 25 Foodie Moms! Just click on the button below once a day and then click on Bentoriffic. I’m hovering around # 24 now, and competition is stiff. There is no registration needed. Just click once a day! Thank you in advance!
- In: bento | casein free | Foods | plant based | Vegan | Vegitarian
- 2 Comments
My husband has to travel today so I suggested that I pack him a lunch. Airport food is dreadful in general, but when I flew recently I realized how tough it is to find ANYTHING vegitarian, vegan or just plain healthy. I packed my own sandwiches, but it was a long day of traveling. We are still doing our plant based diet so the goal is to eat as little processed food as possible. Since we’re still a bit new to the diet it takes some planning ahead.
He may want to kill me for a cutesy sandwich, but I couldn’t resist. He has the airplane LunchPunch cut out of Rudi’s Whole Grain bread which is our favorite brand for the past few months. The sandwich is surrounded by organic mini carrots and fresh blueberries on the top part. At the top left are locally grown cucumber slices and at the top right are grapes and a strawberry heart packed in his Easy Lunch Box.
Please excuse the poor photos for his traveling lunch. I had to take them late last night.
Since I know he will be traveling most of the day, I also packed a second smaller bento box. The bottom part has a single serve Sabra brand hummus with whole grain crackers and a heart container with dried cherries in it. The top portion is packed with halved strawberries as his afternoon snack along with a couple of Larabars.
Little Miss 2 year old is having an apple sandwich on Rudi’s Whole Grain bread with a surprise “worm” coming out of it. It’s actually an Annie’s Organic Fruit Bunny, but I drew a small face on one end with a food marker. Looks like a worm to me! She’s also having a small apple container of dried cherries. On the left side of her LunchBots Duo is a flower cup of halved grapes and a strawberry heart on top. Above that are blueberries.
Miss G is having a dog house sandwich with a silicone dog cup of blueberries, honeydew melon grass and a small orange cup of dried cherries. At the top right are grapes surrounding a carrot stick. At the top left is a cup of homegrown heirloom tomatoes and a green dog pick packed in her Easy Lunch Box.
- In: casein free | Foods | plant based | raw food | salad | Spring | Summer | Vegan | Vegitarian
- 8 Comments
I must admit that I’ve tried to eat kale many times in my life. I KNOW how good it is for me, but like many vegetables can be it has a distinct and somewhat bitter taste. I just couldn’t do it. Most people recognize it as the fake, dark green lettuce looking stuff they throw on plates at a restaurant as “garnish”.
Once we decided to give up meat as of January, I was committed to trying new foods and old ones that I had previously scoffed at in order to be the healthiest I can be. I had to find a way to make them tasty. This recipe that I found is what converted me. This salad makes me eat kale and LIKE it each week, and I’m now eating kale chips too. The lemon juice and honey (or agave nectar) soften the kale and take the bitterness out of it.
Reasons to eat kale:
*One cup of chopped raw kale provides more than 100% of the daily value of vitamins A, C, and K (Web MD)
*Kale is packed with antioxidants, and research shows that it can lower your risks of 5 different types of cancer: bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate.
*Kale contains lutein which keeps the eyes and vision healthy.
*Kale is a great resource for minerals such as copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus which control blood pressure and iron which controls red blood cell production.
The Food Network’s Aarti Sequiera posted this recipe on line. Here is the link:
Ingredients needed:
- 1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
- Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons ( substitute pistachios, sunflower seeds or whatever I have on hand.
You can also use other sweet fruits if you’re not a mango fan. Peaches, strawberries or whatever is in season are also a great substitute.
I started with lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale that I found at our local King Family Farm and Market.
I had to look up the different kinds of kale before hitting the farmer’s market to re-educate myself on the different types of kale. Here’s a link from Eco Localizer that might help you before you go shopping.
Photo guide to different varieties of kale
The salad will taste better if you cut off the branchy ends of the kale and remove the spines after washing it. Then I just cut the pieces into bite size and toss in the bowl.
In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. I minimize the oil because of calories from fat (100% of the calories in any oil come from fat). Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.
In a separate, small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey (or agave nectar to taste) and freshly ground black pepper. Add oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes. Then top with the cut fruit and seeds of your choice and enjoy!
Mom’s Day Off Blog Hop
Posted on: May 13, 2012
- In: bento | casein free | Foods | Holidays | kids | mom | mother | Mother's Day | plant based | raw food | Spring | Summer | Vegan | Vegitarian
- 15 Comments
My lovely blogger ladies decided that it would be fun to give dads and/or little ones a chance to pitch in for lunch and give us a hand for a day! What a great idea! So please make sure to push the button at the end of each post to see what everyone’s families did to help mom out for Mother’s Day!
My little Miss G is 4. She ALWAYS wants to help. I do love for her to help me, but most of the time the help she wants to give is in the morning rush to finish breakfast, making lunches & run out to school. This morning I started her early so she could choose all the things for her own lunch. She chose the ice cream cone shaped LunchPunch for her favorite sandwich shape out of the hundreds of cutters that we have. She also said she wanted LOTS of pink since it is her favorite color.
She filled her smaller compartments in her Easy Lunch Box with 2 pink silicone cups , cut her sandwich shapes out of the loaf of Rudi’s Whole Grain organic bread and asked for her favorite standard, Justin’s Almond Butter & raspberry jam. She was surprised that it was tough to spread the almond butter without ripping the bread.
I let her choose which fruits & vegetables she wanted. She chose the picks and put it all together by herself. She said she wanted a lot of pink sprinkles, and I told her she could just for today. She even knew that she needed honey (agave nectar) to make them stick. I had to laugh. I think I’m so special at this, but she has been watching me so intently that the lunch looked an awful lot like something I would have done myself (minus the loads of sprinkles and too much food) and just a tad bit messier than me.
Finishing up:
She wanted to choose the background paper herself for the official picture, and insisted that she also take the photo of her lunch too. She included watermelon, honeydew melon, mini carrots and threw in cashews and dried cherries in the green cup at the end. She also chose a Hello Kitty pick and a pink racoon pick to add in the end.
Here is her photo which I only cropped:
And here’s the photo I took of her. I’m not including her beautiful, proud face, but know that she has a HUGE smile from doing this all by her 4 year old self!
Please hop over to Ludicrous Mama’s page called Biting The Hand That Feeds You to see what her munchkin did for her lunch!
bentoriffic 