Eat the Rainbow Punch Cards for Kids

We are a family of healthy conscious eaters.

That being said, the holiday sugar bug has bitten all of us and as a result almost all my kids are sick. 

We already eat a diet high in produce and we try to abstain from sugar, dairy,  most meat, and processed foods but I got to thinking..... I spend almost all my time explaining and reminding my kids why we should try to refrain from those things instead of focusing on what we SHOULD be eating and why! 

Why not focus on the positive instead of the negative right?!

So I tinkered in Photoshop until I came up with a way to encourage my children to eat more fruits and veggies and this is what I came up with:

The punch card is 7 days worth of eating the entire rainbow every day. (I've included a list of suggested produce below)

I combined blue and purple for 2 reasons: 1- There is a fine line between what produce is blue and what produce is purple. And 2- this is the hardest color to shop for (in my experience). Regardless- the Phytonutrients that come from either color are nearly identical regardless.

Brown could also include white produce such as onions and cauliflower OR you could have that be their healthy grains if you eat them such as oats, barley, rye, rice, etc. 

Eating the Rainbow every day is the best way to ensure you are getting all the various vitamins and minerals Mother Nature has to offer as each color has different phytonutrients. - which in turn keeps your body healthy and capable of fighting off all the winter bugs that float around.

What kind of foods make up a rainbow diet?

The punch cards are $3 in my Etsy shop. 4 cards per page- print as many as you like:)

However.....

if you don't want to/can't purchase the punch cards I've included a free printable chart you can laminate and hang on a fridge or wall. (OR put in the Responsibility/Chore Binders I made!)

This chart would be great for adults or older children!

Here's to a healthy new year!

Happy Parenting!

Omelette Menu

I created this printable a long time ago but lost the original file! So I had to start over and make a new one... which turned out to be OK because I LOVE the new one so much better!

This fun family breakfast activity would be a great addition to your Easter morning!

Simply print on cardstock, flip over and print page 2 (so you get a double sided document), then laminate for longevity. If you decide to laminate it, use a WET-DRY erase marker to write on the menu(s) so that it won't  wipe off unless you wipe it off with water.

Here is a close up of the inside of the menu:

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE PRINTABLE

If you like this printable- check out my other ones HERE

Weekday Lunch Menu

Fill-in-the-blank Weekday Lunch Menu.

Perfect for all you Mommies out there that pack your kids lunches everyday! (like myself!)

Thank you Anything But Perfect for this free printable!

Lunch Box Checklist

My kids attend a charter school where hot lunch is not offered. So every morning I was having to pack lunches on top of all my other "morning rush responsibilities" and to say that I HATED it is an understatement!

So what's a lazy mom to do?

Why make a Lunch Packing station where they can pack their OWN darn lunches of course!

Only problem.... my kids are currently 5 and 7. I personally believe that at those ages they are perfectly capable of making a sandwich and assembling some snacks and drinks to go into their lunchboxes. A little "sandwich 101" was necessary for my 5 year old but after a little training, (and a TON of messes) she got the hang of it! However, gentle reminders are necessary as to keep them from filling their lunches with only goodies :) 

So I made a Reminder Chart that is color coded to some Lunch Choice cards. 

Then, if they are stumped as to what Fruit or Veggie they would like in their lunch that day, they can simply open the fridge and take a gander OR view the Choice Cards for a reminder. The choice cards a color coded to the Reminder Chart above. {Blue=Bread, Fruit=Red, etc. That way it's easy for them to remember to grab one of each color if they can't read yet.}

On super organized evenings (so maybe once a week if that) We review the Cards and pick out what they want for lunch the next day in advance. 

It seems so trivial but my kids LOVE the choice cards! They'd much rather look through those then simply open the fridge or cupboards to find something. And in all honesty, it sure keeps my fridge and cabinets A LOT more organized since they aren't constantly rummaging through them.

My camera is currently broken so I can't show you our station but I made a similar one in Photoshop for you to get an idea of how it looks when it's all put together:

I simply printed out the checklist, framed it, and hung it on the backsplash right where we pack our lunches every morning. I made sure to put all the necessary lunch items in one cupboard right above the counter for easy grabbing. (such as a bread basket, snack basket, and PB, honey, and other sandwich items)
Then I printed out the Choice Cards, laminated them, cut them out, and attached a ring in the corner so they hang nice and the kids can flip through them easily.

 

And if you REALLY want to go the extra mile, once a week "stock up" and switch out snacks, pre cut fruits and veggies and bag them for easy grabbing,  and put a basket in your fridge that is designated to Lunchbox items. This way you can pre-bag grapes, diced cucumbers, or other produce into ziplock baggies, and store items that should be refrigerated such as string cheese in one easy to grab place.

Kinda like this {Oh if only my fridge looked like this!}

Source: BHG

Here are the Printables for you to print and enjoy!

Lunch Box Checklist

Veggie Choice Card1

Veggie Choice Card2

Fruit Choice Card1

Fruit Choice Card2
Dips

Bread1

Bread2

Snacks1

Snacks2

*I may add more Choice Cards in the future. If you have suggestions let me know!

Lunch Box Notes

Print, cut, and tie to your child's lunch to for a cute loving touch!

I love how easy they are to cut out if you have a circle punch! They are under $5 at most craft stores. Buy with their 40-50% off coupons and it's a killer deal!

They also have free cards that are easier to cut for those of you who don't have a circle punch

All these cute printables are totally free and can be found HERE at Alphamom

Be sure to check out the other Fun with Lunch ideas including these fun Lunch Choice Cards

Lunch Box Choice Cards

I stumbled across this cute idea a while back and boy oh boy am I in LOVE! My children attend a charter school where no hot lunch is provided so I have to pack them a lunch every day. These free printable cards give your child a chance to pick their own lunch while still ensuring they get a healthy meal!

Simply have your child place their lunch box order by picking out a few cards. The cards are color coded by category so to ensure a healthy meal tell them they must pick at least 1 Blue (Entree), 1 Green (Vegetable), and 1 Yellow (Drink). The cards are color sorted as follows:

Blue-main dish

Green-vegetable
Red-fruit
Purple-side dish
Brown-dip or sauce
Orange-treat
Yellow-drink

UPDATE: This printable is no longer available :( The owner pulled it. HOWEVER..... I made some cards nearly identical to these along with a post about organizing your lunch time. CLICK HERE for the post.