Seriously – where did the summer go?!  It was SUCH a good one.  I’m sad to turn my calendar over to ‘September’ and say farewell to our summer fun.  I think of all the great things that we did as a family this summer, the Fourth of July race + kids’ race with our friends was my favorite!

Seeing Henry dash forward with such determination and grit will definitely rank high up there in my 2015 memories.

And… now it’s time for back-to-school!  And that means back to packing lots and lots of lunches.  Here are some ideas for mix-and-match meals that Henry loves.  Every now and then, I throw in a special surprise like cinnamon applesauce, trail mix, or chocolate-dipped apricots.  These fun new Del Monte Fruit & Veggie Fusions, which are bits of fruit packed with real vegetable + fruit juice, are also a fun choice.  <—More on those, plus an awesome giveaway, below!

Don’t you love our new stainless steel bento boxes?  It’s so great, and I love using it instead of plastic!

Raspberries, crackers, green beans, white beans, and a cheese wheel.

Crackers, nuts+ cherries, broccoli, Apple, Pear + Watermelon Fruit & Veggie Fusion, edamame with tahini sauce.

Fun flavors, huh?!  These are a huge hit with the kiddo.

Strawberries, tomatoes, edamame, pizza.

Tomatoes, blueberries, cashews, crackers, and cheese.

Blueberries, raspberries, chickpeas, cucumbers, and cereal.

Some thoughts on packed lunches:  I try to pack a variety of stuff because it’s SO hit or miss. That’s one of the reason that I like the bento box – it encourages me to put a little bit of a lot of stuff in there.  One day, he will eat raw broccoli and tomatoes with gusto and the next day, he will eat nothing but crackers.  You know?  But I figure, the more often I put food on his plate and the more he sees it, the more likely he is to eventually eat it.  Also, at his school, nuts are okay in most classrooms, which I’m thankful for because we eat a lot of nuts.  I make his lunches a little small because he has a healthy snack an hour or so before.  And although it’s fun to get creative, we also do a lot of peanut butter sandwiches – a lot! 

To celebrate the Fruit Fusions, Del Monte is giving away some SUPER prizes.  Fellow parents – Tweet or Instagram a picture of your super kid with the hashtag #ShareTheSuper.  You could win weekly prizes, including a grand prize of $2000, a custom backpack, and more!  You can learn more about it at ShareTheSuper.com.

What was the most super part of your kids’ summer?

This post is sponsored by Del Monte.  Thanks, as always, for reading sponsored posts. I appreciate it a lot.