- Hey guys, it's back to school season
which means it's time for our annual
back to school lunch video.
I'm really excited about this one
because it was inspired by my two children
who have become such picky eaters.
They used to be pretty good
but now they're really getting picky.
So I said, okay, you know what,
this year we're doing bowls.
Everybody's gonna try some of these lunch bowls
and they kind of got excited
when they saw what the lunch bowl looked like
and the cool lunch bag that I was gonna get for them
that they got all excited about lunch bowls.
So maybe your kids will too.
So let me show you how to make
three really awesome lunch bowls.
I'm using a packet freezable lunch bag.
And I really love this product
'cause you don't need those freezable ice packs
that my kids always lose at school
or I forget to freeze them the night before
and they just are heavy
and they kinda just become real nuisance.
But with this one, you don't actually need the ice packs.
The freezable gel is inside the bag.
And it's foldable.
So you fold it up, you put it in your freezer overnight,
and then in the morning, you have this frozen lunch bag
that will keep drinks and food chilled
for several hours.
And then the container lunch bowls,
I recently fell in love with this bento bowls
by Kinsho Global.
I found them on Amazon and I thought
these are the prefect thing for my new lunch bowl idea.
They're so cute and lightweight.
You open it up and there's the bowl part underneath
where you put the main lunch.
And then there's a little compartment
that you can put on top of that
to hold your fork and knife and your napkin
and little snacks.
And the nice thing is is these bowls
fit right inside the packet lunchbox.
So it worked out perfectly.
So first up, I'm gonna show you how to make
what I call my California Quinoa bowl.
So the first thing you're gonna do
is fill the bottom just with some mixed baby greens.
Then I like to add one or two scoops of cooked quinoa.
I'm using a tri-colored quinoa because I think
there's a lot of great colors in it.
It's one of the things I have learned
with dealing with picky palates.
The more colors and the more inventive it looks,
sometimes the more curious they are about it.
Then on top of that, we're gonna add some fresh blueberries
which is really great sweet freshness.
And what kid doesn't like blueberries, right?
Some dried cherries for a little bit of texture.
A sprinkle of sunflower seeds
which gives another little crunch and texture.
And then we're gonna load it up on top
with just some rotisserie chicken.
So you'll notice, all of these bowls
will have chicken in it.
And I love this because you an roast a big chicken
on the weekend, pull off the meat,
put it in a glass container and your are good to go.
And I do think that this salad works best
with a little bit of dressing.
So on the weekend, I whip up a big batch
of my classic French vinegarette
and I'll you that recipe in the description.
And then this is why I really like doing it
in the Pyrex pictcher
because then you get these little salad dressing containers
and you can pour the dressing in the container.
It's so cute and little
and it fits right inside the bento bowl
just on top of the salad.
So when they unpack their lunch, their all ready to go.
Then we're gonna put the little compartment
on top of the salad.
And then here's how I pack the snacks.
The nice thing about these bento bowls
is they actually come with a fork and knife.
And it fits right in that circular compartment.
So I like to roll that fork and knife in a napkin.
And then tuck under the edges so that it fits right there.
And then also creates almost like two other compartments
on either side.
So I like to add these little rice bites
that also has some dried fruits and honey inside.
My kids like those.
And a little pot of berry flavored apple sauce
will fit in there as well.
And then you can screw the top on,
pop it in your packet lunch bag,
and you are all ready to go.
Okay, next up, my Italian orzo bowl.
So my kids will always eat pasta.
I find most kids will always eat pasta.
And orzo is such a great pasta to make
because it's really easy to mix it in with other things.
So on the weekend, you're gonna make a big batch
of the orzo pasta.
And you could just store it in your glass container.
And then we're gonna take our little bento bowl
and we're gonna fill it with a few scoops of the orzo.
And this is another reason why I like these bowls
is because you can mix it all together right in the bowl.
So no need to take out another bowl
and have to wash that.
And what we are gonna mix in
is a little drizzle of olive oil,
some lemon zest, and a squeeze of lemon.
And then we're also gonna add some chopped Italian parsley,
and some chopped kale.
So I like to add both together
because they get the flavor of the parsley
but then they also get the nutrition of the kale.
And then I also like to mix in some pine nuts
just for some additional texture and crunch.
And then you're gonna top with your rotisserie chicken.
And then for snacks, you can pack trail mix.
And you can also fit in a little fruit strip
or fruit leather.
And you can pop this in your packet lunch bag.
How cute is this one with the little cats on it?
I love the one that's wearing pearls
and my daughter loves the one wearing the sunglasses.
(laughs)
Okay then our next bowl is going to be
a Moroccan inspired couscous bowl.
So on the weekend you're gonna make a big batch of couscous.
Then on top of the couscous,
we're gonna add some diced apricots,
some unsalted raw pistachios.
I also love to add in these jumbo, yellow raisins
and then some freshly chopped mint.
And you can mix that all together
and then you have a really nice base.
And then on top of that,
I like to add some roasted sweet potatoes
that I've just roasted in the oven
and seasoned with curry powder.
So it has a really wonderful sweet flavor
that is such a great compliment
to the sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
And this is another thing you get done in the weekend.
And then top with your rotisserie chicken.
But any of these can also be vegetarian,
very easily as well.
You might just wanna add some beans
or garbanzo beans for additional protein.
For these snacks, you can add
some of those natural fruit chews.
And then I also like to add in
one of those mini mandarin oranges.
Fits right in there.
Screw on the top, and pop it into your packet lunch bag.
And I love this geometric design.
This is like the one that I got for my older daughter.
I didn't want anything too cutesy.
So I still think it's kinda cute.
So there you have it.
Three of my favorite lunch bowls
to help you conquer back to school.
I hope you guys give them a try.
Let me know if they've worked with your own kids.
I'll certainly keep you posted
on whether they've worked with mine.
(laughs)
Alright you guys, I'll see you back here next week
for another quick and easy recipe
and be sure to subscribe.
Until then, bye.