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- Hey, munchies, welcome to the channel
if you're new or if you're not, I'm Alyssia,
and I'm so glad you're here either way.
We are having fun with one
of everybody's favorite foods today, sandwiches.
I am talking specifically Uncrustables,
the frozen sandwich that has no crust
and is pressed together for a mess-free eating experience.
I used to want Uncrustables as a kid so badly,
and my mom would not get them.
I don't know if it was a health thing.
There are a lot more ingredients than you need for a PB&J,
or maybe it's the fact that you're spending way more
than you would if you make them on your own.
Either way, now I'm an adult,
and I can eat Uncrustables if I want and I will.
In fact, I will eat three today,
a different one paired
with each bento box lunch inspiration.
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The first up is a classic PB&J on wheat bread.
Start by making a PB&J as you normally would-ish
but no need to spread the peanut butter or the jelly
all the way to the edge or else it will get a bit messy
when you press it.
I actually put the peanut butter and jelly on the same side,
followed by another piece of bread
and then cut using a sandwich cutter.
You could also use a cookie cutter and then crimp the sides
with a fork, but with the sandwich cutter,
it actually does the crimping for you
and no need to toss the edges.
Use those crust for breadcrumbs, homemade croutons or peck,
snack on them as you're making lunch.
If you wanna save this excess bread,
that is another great reason to be mindful of not spreading
the peanut butter or the jelly all the way to the edge
of the crust
unless you want PB&J flavored breadcrumbs,
you do you.
I added that into my bento box along with some cheese cubes,
grapes and for a veggie goodness, I added some green beans.
I like to blanch the green beans by adding them
to a boiling water for just a minute
until they're a nice vibrant green
and then transferring to an ice bath.
This helps the beans become more tender
without losing their crunch and they still taste fresh.
I actually love blanching all kinds of vegetables like this,
cooling them, and then serving them with a dip like ranch.
This lunch box is filled with easy ideas and balanced
with nutritious, colorful options and fun foods.
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Okay, the next box features a very special sandwich.
One that I use to actually trade at lunchtime
because I wasn't allowed to eat it,
a Nutella on white bread sandwich.
So for this one, white bread was essential.
To make sure that the sandwich cutter fit,
I had to roll my white bread a little bit
with a rolling pin, but not too much.
I didn't wanna compromise the softness,
just enough so that the circle or the square,
whatever cutter size you're using, fits inside the bread.
Then add the Nutella, again, just in the center,
and for this, I also decided to add banana slices.
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Cut, crimp, and it is ready to go,
saving the excess for bread cubes or crumbs if desired.
When I was a kid, my mom did not buy white bread,
and Nutella wasn't a lunch food and I get why.
I'm not saying this would be a daily lunch for my kid
if I had a kid.
But every once in a while, it's fun and delicious,
and part for me of having a healthy relationship
with food is learning what are food really is
so the more and the less nutritious options.
While this sandwich may be more like a dessert,
I can also balance the other components of the meal.
Like these Caprese-inspired skewers,
they've got to tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and olives,
and that's a fun way to add nutrition on a stick,
and why not add balsamic for dipping on the side.
I also add in some fresh berries,
which provide great antioxidants and nutrition
and some Sunsweet ones.
These are Berry & Cocoa Dusted essence prunes.
You guys know, I love Sunsweet,
I've worked with them for years.
This video is not sponsored by them.
I'm just obsessed with these little, single serving prunes,
especially the Berry Essence ones.
There's no added sugar, just essence added
to the pure delicious prune,
so it's a great nutritious option adding fiber and flavor
to the lunchbox.
And I finished the box with some snap pea crisps.
It's pretty much a vegetable kicked up a notch,
and it still gave me some crunchy texture
and variety with this box.
So I didn't add a separate sweet treat to this box
and that's okay, then a tele-sandwich is the sweet treat.
Remember that these bentos are here to inspire,
so take what you want, leave what you don't.
And by the way, don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell
for new videos to inspire your health journey every week.
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The last box of the day features a cream cheese
and jam sandwich.
I use a gluten-free bread for this one.
This is Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bread.
I did a gluten-free bread review a while ago,
so if you're looking for gluten-free options
when it comes to Uncrustables, you want a soft bread.
And the gluten-free breads,
they tend to be quite small, so I rolled this one out
to get one of the smaller sandwich cutters to fit.
I filled it with whipped cream cheese and raspberry jam
before cutting and crimping.
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And served two of those little guys in my box, adorable.
I made a beautiful rainbow dragon fruit salad to go
with this box.
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First, I used a melon baller for watermelon,
cantaloupe and dragon fruit,
and then I added those to a bowl with chopped Kiwi,
blueberries, pomegranate arils, fresh mint,
lime juice and zest, and a pinch of salt.
It's so easy, but look how gorgeous.
I love the colors, the shape, the textures.
We eat with our eyes first, so taking the time
to make nutritious foods more appealing can really inspire
me to eat them more often and to be more mindful.
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Also in this box, I added in some nut crackers
with hummus for dipping along with edamame for extra protein
in this box.
And I'm finishing the box with some air fryer kale chips.
Say what? These are so easy.
First, cut your kale, get the leaves off the stem
because the stem is bitter,
and then cut those leaves into bite size pieces,
tossing with oil.
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Salt and pepper or any spices you prefer.
Now, the key is massaging the oil into the kale.
Do not skip this step,
it is gonna make them taste better and less bitter,
better not bitter.
Into the air fryer it goes
for just four to five minutes, flipping halfway.
I added a rack on top to keep the leaves from flying
around as much.
They will burn quickly so keep an eye on them,
but holy moly, when you get them out the right time,
they get so crunchy and delicious.
I am not personally nuts about raw kale,
but in a chip form,
that I can do.
I love the color and texture, a variety in this box.
Sweet, salty, soft, crunchy nutrition
with both savory and sweet flavors,
we have got it all.
Also, it's worth mentioning
that with these Uncrustable sandwiches, you can freeze them.
I recommend letting them freeze on a baking sheet
for a few hours before storing for good
in freezer bags or foil.
They will last up to two months in the freezer,
and then you can just thaw them out
the day before in the fridge.
I hope you found these Uncrustable bento boxes helpful
and that you got some new ideas.
Have fun with your sandwich fillings.
You could try turkey and cheese,
banana and peanut butter, go crazy.
There is no right or wrong and in fact,
let me know your favorite kind of sandwich
in the comments below.
Thanks so much for being here today.
I will be back next week with a brand new episode,
and remember, it's all a matter of Mind Over Munch.
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