Tasty Tips for Back-To-School from Kashi

In an effort to help parents this back-to-school season, Kashi, the premier natural food and lifestyle company, is teaming up with Domenica Catelli, chef/author of Mom-a-licious: Fresh, Fast, Family Food for the Hot Mama in You! , to inspire fellow moms and dads to pack lunches and snacks that not only offer great taste for their children, but also help meet nutrition needs. By offering a variety of kid-friendly foods, and by providing back-to-school tips, helpful articles, and tasty and wholesome recipes from Catelli, Kashi wants people of all ages to recognize that good taste and nutrition can go hand-in-hand.

Catelli offers the following simple suggestions to help prepare wholesome kids’ lunches:

-Freeze sandwiches so you’re ready to go with a week’s worth of lunches. All sandwiches can freeze and re-thaw perfectly (except for those with lettuce and tomato), and they can even double as an ice pack for a bit! Try peanut butter and jelly, almond butter and jelly, natural-roasted turkey and Swiss or brie, and hummus and cheddar cheese—to name a few favorites!

-If kids like to pack the same sandwich every day (and it’s a nutritious choice) that’s okay—just try switching their lunch up with a wholesome side snack (mix in red bell peppers to add variety to their baby carrots, try jicama sticks instead of potato chips, replace a candy bar with a Kashi ® TLC ® Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bar, etc.)

-Thermoses are your friend. You can put last night’s chili or pasta in one, or change things up and give your kids an antioxidant-packed smoothie for breakfast or hot, whole grain oatmeal for lunch on a cool day!

-No squishy fruit—kids might toss the smoosh. Save bananas for breakfast and try oranges, apples and frozen berries (in a solid container) in kids’ lunchboxes

-Read labels and look out for hydrogenated oils, synthetic colors, flavors and unnecessary preservatives. Toss the chips and try Kashi ® TLC ® Pita Crisps.

-Get natural, hormone-free deli meats at the counter instead of processed and pre-packaged lunch meats for kids’ sandwiches

-Always put something fresh in your child’s lunch. A piece of organic fruit or cut-up veggies with natural peanut butter, hummus or dip are all easy and tasty options

Kashi is also encouraging moms to take a 2-bite test with their kids by visiting www.kashi.com/kidfriendlyfoods and obtaining a free sample* of a Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bar or Kashi ® Cinnamon Harvest ® cereal. Just a bite or two of Kashi’s tasty kid-friendly foods can help show kids that eating right can taste great. Beginning in September, www.kashi.com will also feature additional tips, recipes and family-friendly suggestions by Catelli to help parents throughout the back-to-school season.

To learn more about Kashi’s tasty and nutritious foods, delicious recipes and tips, like our list of Kashi’s Kid-Friendly Top 10, please visit www.kashi.com/kidfriendlyfoods.

* Offer valid until 8/28/11 or while supplies last. No product substitutions. Available to US residents only. Limit one sample per family, household, or address. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars CONTAIN WHEAT, PEANUT, SOY, ALMOND AND MILK INGREDIENTS. MAY CONTAIN OTHER TREE NUTS . Kashi Cinnamon Harvest CONTAINS WHEAT INGREDIENTS. Visit Kashi.com to read ingredient listings.