Top 5 Lunch-Box Treats

Portion-controlled foods that are organic, healthful and locally made, such as yogurts, cereal bars and healthy cheeses, are filling up school kids' lunchboxes.

Stan Robbins, Uncle Dean’s Good Groceries, Waterville, ME

Parents really oversee what goes into their kids’ lunch boxes. They look for controlled portions and items that contain some kind of ‘goodness’. My picks are:

    •    KIND Almond & Apricot Fruit & Nut Bar
    •    Late July Cheddar Cheese Crackers (individual packs)
    •    Late July Dark Chocolate Cookies (individual packs)
    •    Organic Valley Stringles
    •    Stonyfield Organic Probiotic Vanilla/
         Strawberry 4-pack yogurt

Maddie Earnest, Local Harvest Grocery, St. Louis, Mo

Customers look for kids’ snacks that are healthy and locally-made. They are also cognizant of packaging—they buy bigger and repackage themselves for snacks.

    •    Liberte Coconut Yogurt
    •    Mound City Peanut Butter (with apples)
    •    Newman’s Own Chocolate Alphabet cookies
    •    R.W. Knudsen Razzleberry juice
    •    Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Leather (mango, strawberry)

Amra, YES Organic Market, Washington, DC

Nutrition bars are a huge and stable category. Parents look to these items for quick, healthful snacks. My picks:

    •    Barbara’s Multigrain Cereal Bars
    •    Clif Kids z Bar
    •    KASHI Go Lean Chocolate & Pretzel Bar
    •    KASHI Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chewy Bar
    •    KIND Almonds & Apricot Yogurt bar

Greg Smith, Reid’s Fine Foods,
Charlotte, NC

Ice packs don’t really work well so the challenge is to provide shelf stable items that do not need refrigeration.  The only item on our list that needs refrigeration is the hummus. It has a 4-hour shelf life once it is taken out of refrigeration. Popular with parents:

    •    Bananas
    •    Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges
    •    Reid’s Trail Mix or Tropical Nuts “Berry Good” Mix
    •    Reid’s mini muffins – Lemon Poppy
    •    Tribe Grab and Go Hummus with Stacy’s Pita Chips