it’s that time again👨🏾‍🎓👨🏿‍🎓! things are a little different this semester with our boys surviving and thriving via 100% virtual learning, but one thing’s for sure- lunch is still their favorite subject😝. our boys’ school schedules keep them busy and engaged from morning to late afternoon, just like a real school day. lunch, recess, and ‘brain-breaks’ are extremely important so they don’t get drained being in front of electronic devices all day.

that said, i’m back to my favorite subject- packing their school lunches🍱! i’m elated to be using The Ello “Lunch Bunch” Line which not only contains highly innovative products, but they are adorably designed, safe, clean & green! that’s right up my alley😉.

one of the features of the line, the Ello “Sammie”, are these 2-compartment, bento-style lunch containers with a colorful sleeve and color-matching locking lid.

the over-molded soft base not only adds protection (just like a phone case would), but also an attention grabbing pop of color! all parts are dishwasher safe and BPA free and my kids immediately gravitated to their color of choice.

the Lunch Bunch line also includes reusable snack bags, silicone straws (super excited about those), and durable water bottles with more super fun designs and colors made for kids on-the-go.

i packed their first day of school lunches with lots of love and…. Yummy Turkey Meatballs! i’m sharing two fun, healthy kid’s lunch recipes below including this one, so keep scrolling!

the reusable snack bags are genius because in the past i’ve gone through hundreds of plastic baggies for my boy’s snacks. guys, one reusable bag displaces up to 300 plastic bags!! they come in two sizes; one for finger food entrees (or just more snacks!), and a smaller bag for snacks like crackers, cookies, or popcorn.

our 3 year old, Kosi, is obsessed with the bright colors and design of her Ello water bottle(s)! they have leak-proof lids with FDA food grade silicone soft straws designed for rapid intake, and the silicone grip bands are crazy useful for easy transport.

she loves that she can lock/unlock the clear plastic cap to get a drink, and i love that the cap helps keep foreign germs away from where she has to put her lips! that FDA silicone spout at the top of the bottle has Guardian Anti-Microbial Technology that inhibits bacterial growth on the drink surface. as a mom who often worries about hidden bacterias i either or miss or can’t see while cleaning, this totally eases my fears.

finally, y’all know how much i loathe plastic straws!! especially when it comes to drinking hot liquids. i mean, i just can’t trust them and end up swallowing disintegrated paper more often than not! ugh. the Ello Kids Reusable Silicone Straws not only come in the cutest colors, they are made of FDA grade silicone which possess that same Guardian Technology prohibiting yucky bacterial growth. it also comes with a small pipe-cleaner type gadget to really get the inside of the straw clean! from juice to chocolate milk, the straws make sipping simple for youngsters.

sorry kids, mama and papa called dibs on these beautiful, Ello Ride Stainless Steel Water Bottles! they are the perfect size for us as active as we are! i take mine with me when i go out on my neighborhood walks, and Hubs brings his along for his long bike rides.

here are those 2 back to school recipes for you to pack in your Ello Kids Lunch gear!

Yummy Turkey Meatballs

Yield: makes 25 meatballs

Author: Leah K. Egwuatu

Prep time: 5 MCook time: 25 MTotal time: 30 M

a hearty, savory, kid friendly, back-to-school lunch or family dinner🍝

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 cup whole wheat Italian breadcrumbs
1 whole egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a large pan with no-stick cooking spray
combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl by hand. mix until it all just comes together and be careful not to over mix.
add a little water to your hands (to help the meat not stick as you work) and roll out approx. 25 meatballs.
place each one on the baking pan and make sure they aren't touching.
bake for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for 10 more minutes.
coat these meatballs in your favorite marinara or tomato sauce (heat a skillet and dump them both in there to combine) and enjoy over pasta or all by themselves!

Notes:

nutritional stats are for 1 meatball.

Calories

Fat (grams)

Carbs (grams)

Protein (grams)

Created using The Recipes Generator

CHEESY PIZZA ROLL UPS

do your kids love pizza🍕🍕🍕?! of course they do! Pizza Roll Ups are crazy easy to make.

THE STUFF:

low carb, high protein tortillas
a jar of your favorite pizza sauce or marinara
shredded cheese of choice
turkey pepperoni

DO THIS:

take your tortilla and lay it flat
add 2 tbsp of pizza sauce to the top and with the back of your spoon, spread it out evenly across your tortilla
sprinkle about 1/3 cup of shredded cheese (i use almond milk mozzarella) onto the top of the tortilla
finally, top with a few pepperonis! nuke the whole thing in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds or until the cheese is melted
from one corner of the tortilla, tuck and roll it over onto itself to make a tight burrito
cut into thirds or eat the whole thing as is while hot!