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Getting kids excited and ready to go back to school is no small feat. There's shopping for clothes, shoes and school supplies plus the challenge of finding sensible snack and lunch options that moms can feel good about packing... and the entire family will eat!
With no preservatives, no trans fat and no high fructose corn syrup, Lance® Sandwich Crackers can be part of your back to school plan. Available in more than 16 varieties, every Lance® Sandwich Cracker is baked fresh with either real peanut butter or real cheese filling.
New this year are Whole Grain Lance® Sandwich Crackers with real peanut butter, real cheddar cheese or real sharp cheddar cheese. Lance also recently unveiled 100 calorie options of its three most popular sandwich cracker varieties: ToastChee®, Toasty™ and NipChee™.
Lance asked eight bloggers to review its new whole grain sandwich crackers and 100 calorie sandwich crackers. Read below to see what they had to say and to get tips from award-winning journalist and mom of 7, Joan Lunden, about keeping lunch and snack time fresh and wholesome!
Joan Lunden, one of America's most recognizable and trusted television personalities, award-winning journalist, best-selling author, international speaker and mother of 7, knows about balancing nutrition with the taste preferences of school-age children. With two sets of twins in elementary school, Joan takes on the daily challenge of packing four sets of lunches and after school snacks!
Childhood health, safety and nutrition issues are dear to my heart. That's why I was thrilled when Lance asked me to talk about childhood nutrition – especially as it relates to getting kids ready for school. In fact in my book, Growing Up Healthy, I dedicated an entire chapter to this subject.
A recent paper from the American Dietetic Association shows that children ages 2-to 11-years old are not meeting the recommendations for the fruit, grains and dairy groups. Below are a few tips on how to pack a lunch that packs a punch.
•Pack fresh fruit for dessert cut into bite-size pieces. Kids tend to eat more fruit when it's easy to pop into their mouths.
•Look for low-fat versions of favorite dairy foods and drinks. In addition to low-fat milk and cheese, consider dairy products that make good dips like yogurt or even cottage cheese.
•Try to pack at least two servings of grains or bread and some protein every day in your child's lunch. Look for whole grain versions of breads, pitas and wraps; brown rice instead of white and whole wheat pasta options.
Don't forget about sensible afterschool snacks that can be eaten on the run. My family often grabs Lance® Sandwich Crackers – my personal favorite are the 100 calorie sandwich cracker pouches, especially the NipChee™, while my kids lean toward the Whole Grain with Real Cheddar Cheese. My kids can reach for these along with a yogurt, milk or fresh fruit to increase their intake of fruits or dairy along with whole grains.
For more back to school nutrition tips from Joan, visit her Web site.
Check out what each BlogHer Reviewer had to say about these fantastic snacks!
Kimberly of Petroville said, "Healthy food usually gets the squinty EWWWW face in this house however these crackers all received rave reviews... as a mom who is constantly trying to camouflage nutritious food into something cool and yummy, watching my daughters gobble up whole grain crackers was extremely refreshing."
Bonggamom from Finding Bonggamom got creative and thought of ways to sever each different flavor, including, "Real Peanut Butter on Whole Grain with Nutella spread on top, chicken salad spread on Real Sharp Cheddar Cheese on Whole Grain, topped with a grape and a walnut and tomato soup with Real Sharp Cheddar Cheese on Whole Grain on the side."
Heather from Cool Zebras was relieved when the Lance Snacks arrived just in time for her to send off with her 7-year-old daughter to school as a required healthy snack. "Miss M didn't take long to voice her opinion of the Real Sharp Cheddar variety. "Mmmmm! These are yummy Mommy!" I didn't even have to ask what she thought of them, and she declared them yummy upon the very first bite. "
Deb of Mom of 3 Girls had a hard time keeping their snack drawer stocked with the popular sandwich crackers. Knowing they were not loaded with sugar and artificial flavors, she appreciated not having to portion snacks out to her kids.
Kate from A Simple Walk, always on the lookout for something more substantial than their typical snacks was thrilled that her "kids couldn't get enough of these. I suspected that would happen, but what I didn't expect was how much my husband and I would enjoy them."
Sara of My Sippy Cup Runneth Over was more interested in whole grain products, "once I realized my kids would ACTUALLY eat these products. It makes me feel comfortable knowing I'm helping them on both the health and taste side of their food intake."
Tuesday Girl of A Girl and Her Life shared, "My sons both love the real sharp cheddar or cheddar on whole grain crackers and my daughter's favorite is the peanut butter on whole grain crackers." Her favorite are the 100 calorie Lance sandwich crackers with the real cheese or peanut butter varieties.
Bennie from A Work of Art: Raising Our Exceptional Son has Lance Sandwich Crackers stashed all over the place. "When the hunger pangs strike you can bet the first thing we're searching the cupboard for is a pack of Lance sandwich crackers."
