{"id":3921,"date":"2022-08-02T16:55:53","date_gmt":"2022-08-02T16:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/?p=3921"},"modified":"2022-08-09T13:29:22","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T13:29:22","slug":"healthy-hacks-for-back-to-school-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/healthy-hacks-for-back-to-school-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy hacks for back-to-school on a budget"},"content":{"rendered":"<center><strong>Click below to print a $1 off coupon to use in store!<\/strong><\/center>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<center><script id=\"propodEmbedc671fc34127b9b744e343f215c5f78177a849308\" src=\"https:\/\/banner2.promotionpod.com\/frames\/c671fc34127b9b744e343f215c5f78177a849308.js\"><\/script><\/center>\r\n<p>It\u2019s that time of year again: Back-to-school season! It can be a struggle to marry health and creativity in the kitchen for the kiddos without it being a time suck.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>If your self-esteem is drowning from Pinterest overload, we\u2019ve got you covered. Below are healthy hacks for back-to-school that are easy on you, and your wallet.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Start the day with a healthy breakfast.\u00a0<\/strong>Breakfast is the most important meal of the day according to experts, and we agree. Mornings can be hectic so try a breakfast smoothie! We\u2019ve got recipes for you\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/shamrock-smoothie\/\">here<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/orange-strawberry-smoothie\/\">here<\/a>. Got a little more time? Let the kids decorate their smoothies with healthy and fun toppings when making smoothie bowls like this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/pineapple-orange-mango-smoothie-bowl\/\">one<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Pack foods with a nutritional punch.<\/strong>\u00a0Avoid convenience foods like fatty chips and pre-made, sugar-laden granola bars. Opt for fruits like oranges and apples, which stay fresh for a long time, and here\u2019s a recipe for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/orange-turmeric-granola\/\">Orange Turmeric Granola<\/a>\u00a0that can be made gluten free, or vegan.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Ditch the pre-packaged snacks.\u00a0<\/strong>Buying pre-packaged foods is a budget buster. What\u2019s more, many packaged foods contain preservatives that aren\u2019t healthy. Experiment at home with homemade\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/orange-chocolate-energy-bites\/\">Orange Chocolate Energy bites<\/a>\u00a0or healthy baked goods like our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/orange-carrot-oat-muffins\/\">Orange Carrot Oat Muffins<\/a>\u00a0. Low on time? Organic apples with peanut butter and organic carrots with dip or hummus are good options.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Get your kids involved<\/strong>. Let your kids choose organic veggies and fruits they want to eat for the week in advance. They\u2019ll feel more empowered and excited about what they\u2019re eating, which will increase the odds of them consuming better nutrition. Plus, you\u2019ll only be buying what you need.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Creativity is important.\u00a0<\/strong>Think outside the bread! You don\u2019t have to send a sandwich every day. Hard boiled eggs, yogurt like our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/ultimate-immune-parfait\/\">Ultimate Immune Parfait<\/a>, tuna in pouches with crackers and beans are good protein-packed choices. You can even experiment with \u201csandwiches on a stick,\u201d which are kabobs with cubes of turkey, cheese, bread and veggies. Make lunch fun!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Utilize a thermos.\u00a0<\/strong>Consider packing a nutrient-rich veggie smoothie sweetened with fruit like this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/orange-power-immunity-smoothie\/\">Orange Carrot Smoothie<\/a> or this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/uncle-matts-berry-beet-smoothie\/\">Berry Beet Smoothie<\/a>. You can also pack homemade soup from leftovers the night before in an insulated thermos!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Avoid soda.<\/strong>\u00a0Instead, pack water, organic milk or better yet, Uncle Matt\u2019s Organic Kids No Sugar Added Lemonade or Strawberry Lemonade <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.unclematts.com\/collections\/no-sugar-added-juice-boxes\">Juice Boxes<\/a>. Our new juice boxes are delicious and kid-approved \u2013 without the added sugar. Perfectly sized for lunch boxes, too!<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Invest in reusable snack bags for a litterless lunch.<\/strong>\u00a0We all know using less plastic is a smart idea, so get your kiddos on board with sustainability habits early. A well-made reusable snack bag will last a long time.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B01M7V2FFX\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?psc=1&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=mindmomm099-20&amp;linkId=53f6a11cda5288be43b14a1b1d29bb73\">Nordic by Nature<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fluf-Zipper-Lunch-Organic-Cotton\/dp\/B09X77CMNP\/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=fluf%2Blunch%2Bbag&amp;qid=1657568640&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMUxVTVlVQVFTN0NGJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDIxOTYwMVVFOThVWU43UEZaSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzY2MTQ2UUdDOUdRRUxUUFdYJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&amp;th=1\">Fluf<\/a>\u00a0are two options to consider.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><strong>Make packing lunch an after-school activity!<\/strong> Once your kids are used to picking out their own produce and using sustainable lunch bags, encourage and supervise your kids as they pack a portion of their own lunches. Packing something like this reusable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Containers-1300ML-4-Compartment-Microwave-Dishwasher\/dp\/B09P7YXKHQ\/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1VI24Y94RB7M0&amp;keywords=bento%2Bbox%2Bfor%2Bkids&amp;qid=1657569194&amp;sprefix=bento%2Bbox%2Caps%2C118&amp;sr=8-16&amp;th=1\">bento box<\/a> is a great guide for the kiddos to give every piece of lunch its own space.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s Note: This post was originally published in 2021 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.<\/em><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Click below to print a $1 off coupon to use in store! &nbsp; It\u2019s that time of year again: Back-to-school&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[202],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3921"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3921"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5755,"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3921\/revisions\/5755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unclematts.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}