You’ve got this in the (brown) bag!
Sure, the fall season is on its way—bearing down on us like a pumpkin-spice-latte-bedecked freight train. But, you got this. You’re good to go. This isn’t your first back-to-school rodeo. Parents everywhere are already clocking every little thing that needs to be bought up, thought up, and prepped to create the almighty sack lunch. And we have no doubt that you, and they, are ready for action.
We’re understandably a bit biased in terms of what foods we think should feature heavily in any on-point school lunch (they’re pink and red and rhyme with “smawlarry” and “blasderry”). But, luckily, you don’t have to take our word for it. Food trends for 2021 (both specific to school lunches and in general) prioritize fresh, functional foods with the following qualities:
- Mood-boosting properties
- Immunity-boosting properties
- Plant-based
Guess what two beautiful, tiny foods fit the bill in all three categories? That’s right, smawlarries and blasderries…er, strawberries and raspberries! You can read all about the science of berry nutrition in our blog post on that very topic but, suffice to say, these little morsels are top-notch when it comes to keeping both mind and body in tip-top shape. And, it goes without saying that berries are a natural addition to any plant-based meal. Check out a few of our berry-filled brown-bag favorites below and visit the Well•Pict recipe page for even more deliciousness.
Well•Pict Strawberry Wraps with Creamy Peanut Butter Dip
Well•Pict Baked Strawberry Chips
Well•Pict Raspberry Energy Bars
Well•Pict Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
IMAGE: Well•Pict Strawberry Wraps with Creamy Peanut Butter Dip
Sources for this article include the following: NutriStudents K–12; Kalsec; FoodService Director