Horizon Organic® Helps Parents Make Smart Back to School Lunch Box Swaps

BROOMFIELD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Horizon Organic® is offering back to school tips and tools to help parents and their kids make healthier lunch box choices.

“Horizon is committed to offering great-tasting and nutritious choices for parents during the back to school season and throughout the year”

Among the resources is a “Lunch Box Swaps” list developed in conjunction with Danielle Omar, a registered dietitian, author and blogger. The recommendations provide parents with five easy and nutritious alternatives to lunch box staples.

“Back to school is the perfect time to rethink what you’re purchasing and packing in your child’s lunch box so that you can start new, healthier eating habits, which can be continued throughout the year,” said Omar. “Making small changes can have a big impact, especially at lunch when kids need good-for-you foods that provide nutrients like fiber and vitamins to properly refuel for the rest of their day.”

Danielle Omar’s Recommended “Lunch Box Swaps”:

1.	Milk Boxes Replace Juice Boxes
	A diet rich in calcium and protein is vital for active and growing children. That’s why I recommend swapping sugar-laden fruit juice drinks for milk, which is more nutritious. Moms can even find milk that comes in single-serve boxes for a convenient lunch box alternative to juice drinks. Horizon Organic offers several single-serve options including low-fat original, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors. Organic milk is also produced without the use of antibiotics, persistent pesticides or added growth hormones.
2.	Whole-Grain Bread Replaces White Bread
	Kids need at least 17 grams of fiber per day, according to the government’s most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That’s why moms should swap white bread, which is heavily refined and lacks many essential nutrients, for whole-grain bread, which will help give kids the fiber they need. I like Sandwich and Bagel Flatz from Rudi’s Organic Bakery because they’re a nutritious, easy-to-pack option with 3-5 grams of fiber and 23-25 grams of whole grains per serving.
3.	Apple Slices Replace Fruit Snacks
	Apples slices are easy to cut up and place in a lunch box, and they help ensure that your child gets closer to their recommended one to two servings of fruit each day, as advised by the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In contrast, fruit snacks are often full of sugar (including high fructose corn syrup) and artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Moms can also consider choosing organic apples over their conventional counterparts since, according to The Organic Center, apples tend to have one of the highest pesticide risks. If you’re strapped for time, Earthbound Farms offers pre-sliced organic apples – a simple lunchtime solution.
4.	Veggies Replace Chips
	Chips are often paired with sandwiches or wraps. A better alternative: veggies. While it can be tricky to get kids to eat their vegetables, there are many options that can get the thumbs-up from even the pickiest children. Consider trying cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, snap peas and cucumbers. A fun and delicious option is ants-on-a-log – which is celery topped with peanut butter and raisins.
5.	Lean Proteins Replace Some Deli Meats
	A well-balanced lunch should include at least one source of protein, which will help give your child the energy they need in and out of the classroom. However, instead of deli meats like ham or salami, which often have higher levels of fat and sodium, consider leaner proteins like turkey or sliced chicken. When selecting meats, consider looking for organic varieties like Applegate Farms, which aren’t exposed to antibiotics or added growth hormones. If you prefer to give your kids protein from non-meat sources, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, or soy products like edamame are great lunch box alternatives.

“Horizon is committed to offering great-tasting and nutritious choices for parents during the back to school season and throughout the year,” said Omar. “By partnering with Horizon, I hope to help educate families and children about making more nutritious food choices, including simple solutions like replacing the juice drink box in your kid’s lunch with a Horizon Organic milk box.”

In addition to sharing the “Lunch Box Swaps” list, Horizon is inviting parents to enter a “Lunch Box of the Week” photo contest on its Facebook page, which will run through September 30, 2012. Through the contest, fans can upload photos of their creative, healthy lunch box ideas featuring Horizon Organic milk boxes and other nutritious foods in exchange for a coupon for $1 off the purchase of Horizon Organic milk boxes. Parents who upload a photo will also have a chance to win weekly Horizon prize packs. Each month, fans will have the opportunity to vote on the weekly winners to select a monthly winner to receive a $1,000 gift card.

Parents can also visit Horizon Organic's website and YouTube pages this back to school season to watch several videos featuring fun “talking food” characters to learn more about the benefits of milk boxes over juice boxes.

For more information about Horizon, visit www.horizondairy.com.

About Horizon Organic

Horizon believes the choice for a healthy family and a healthy planet should be an easy one. Horizon offers a delicious variety of certified organic dairy products to satisfy a broad range of consumer needs. Horizon’s commitment to a healthier planet includes offsetting the energy used to produce its products with clean, renewable wind power. Horizon works with over 600 active and transitioning family farmers across the U.S. Founded in 1991, Horizon remains committed to providing great-tasting dairy products that make it easy for moms to provide nutritious options for their kids. For more information about Horizon’s organic dairy products, visit www.horizondairy.com.