Back to School: What's in Your Lunchbox

Breakfast on the go: Kite Hill vegan cream cheese on toast

Back to school is becoming less of a thing in my house, though my youngest is leaving for her junior year abroad in a month. On to Ecuador!

For us, it's more about when the girls return, often with friends in tow. This one is gluten free, that one lactose intolerant, another is on a paleo diet. And we are vegetarian. How can we cater to all these different food sensitivities and intolerances and maintain our sanity?

Plus, we are moving away from kid-friendly food - I converted our cereal shelf in the pantry to an overflow liquor cabinet when the youngest went to college. It's a grain, right?

Kite Hill almond milk yogurt

Kid friendly food for all

At the Momtrends back to school event, I found out about a few new foods that are perfect for us. Kite Hill had its plant based yogurt and cream cheese, both made from almond milk, at the event. The 'cheese' and 'yogurt' are vegan, gluten free free and soy free so they truly cater to a diverse set of food sensitivities.

Although I am a huge Greek yogurt fan, I am somewhat lactose-intolerant, and when I run, I try to avoid dairy. Since I am training for a marathon, I was happy to discover that these yogurts and cheese are delicious. The yogurt is also low in sugar.

For little kids (or adults, I'm not judge-y), Kite Hill has a new squeezable yogurt tube, with its almond milk yogurt.

Ozery Bakery morning rounds

Breakfast on the go?

Whether it's kids leaving for school, or adults rushing off to work, breakfast can be challenging. Mom trends had Ozery Bakery at its back to school event, with Morning Rounds, fruit and grain breakfast buns that were a tastier and healthier take on English muffins. These buns, which are scored for easy slicing, come in five flavors, including muesli and cranberry orange. We had them spread with Kite Hill's cream cheese and topped with strawberries, an easily totable breakfast. I got a sample to bring home and toasted it with peanut butter. Delicious!

Dried fruit, with a twist

Raisins were one of my first loves, and I still choose dried fruit as a snack. It packs a powerful punch. Raisels are golden raisins flavored with a little sour, so you get a sweet and sour thing going. The small boxes are great for lunch boxes or for travel.

What to pack it in?
12 littles makes diaper bags, backpacks and lunch boxes. We each got a lunch box. I'm giving mine to my niece, since I work from home, but anyone can use these lunch boxes, which are insulated to keep food warm or cold.

Note: I received samples of the products mentioned. I was not otherwise compensated.