— A blog post sponsored by HelloFresh —

Earth Month is celebrated in April, with Earth Day being the most important day on April 22nd. Just after Spring, a symbol of renewal, Earth Month is a reminder to take action to protect the planet and reduce our impact on the environment. The ingredients you choose to add to your meals can make a difference: we made a round-up of 10 food ideas to add to your meal plan that can help minimize our impact on the Planet. To make it even easier for you to get started, we partnered with HelloFresh, a meal kit delivery service that provides easy and quick-to-make recipes. With their fresh and pre-portioned ingredients, they will also help you reduce your food waste.

Discover these ten food ideas that will help you take action for the Planet and that are also perfect for our kids’ lunch boxes!

1. Carrots

Carrots are easy to grow and require minimal water, making them an excellent choice for earth-friendly gardening. With their bright orange colors, they are naturally sweet, which appeals to kids. Cut into fun shapes, such as circles or stars, and with their crunchy texture, that many kids enjoy, especially if they are given baby carrots or carrot sticks to snack on, it’s the guarantee there won’t be too much food waste!

2. Tomatoes

Like carrots, the colorful appearance of tomatoes, coming in various colors, including red, yellow, and green, is pretty appealing to children. Depending on the variety, tomatoes can have a sweet and tangy flavor, and as they can be eaten in many different ways, such as sliced, diced, or cooked into sauces, it is a great way to bring variety to their meals and avoid food waste.

3. Broccoli

Broccoli is an earth-friendly veggie because it is a hardy plant that can thrive in many different climates. While broccoli may not be every kid’s favorite vegetable, some children enjoy it because it has a crunchy texture, especially if they are given steamed or roasted broccoli florets, and it can be cut into fun shapes, such as small trees (and what better symbol than a small tree in the lunchbox for celebrating Earth Month?)

4. Spinach

Spinach is a nutrient-dense leafy green that can be grown in small spaces, making it a great choice for earth-friendly gardening (even at home!) Spinach can be eaten raw in salads or cooked into a variety of dishes, such as pasta, quiche, or soup, which may make it more appealing to kids who like variety in their meals (and as with broccoli, children may be more likely to enjoy spinach when exposed to it multiple times).

5. Apple

Apples are a popular fruit that can be grown in many different regions of the world. They’re a good source of fiber and antioxidants. They are naturally sweet, and even though they contain natural sugars, they are still a healthier option compared to other sweet snacks. This, overall, makes apples a great snack when celebrating Earth Month!

6. Blueberries

Like apples, blueberries are naturally sweet, which can be appealing to kids who have a sweet tooth, and this helps, also, in avoiding food waste. And because they are small and easy to eat, this can make them more appealing to kids who don’t like to eat large pieces of fruit. Also, like apples, blueberries are a healthier alternative to sugary snacks. Lastly, on the environmental aspect, these delicious and nutritious fruits can be grown in many regions of the world, and they’re also low-maintenance and require minimal water… so Earth-friendly!

7. Lentils

Lentils are versatile legumes high in protein, fiber, and other nutrients. They are also Earth-friendly because they can be grown in many different regions with minimal water. Lentil soups, lentil tacos, lentils burgers, lentils and rice bowls, lentils and vegetable curry… these are kid-friendly recipes that kids can love – just adjust the seasoning and spices to your child’s taste preferences!

8. Chickpeas

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a popular legume that is used in many different dishes, from hummus to curries, or from salads to vegetable stir fry. As for the lentils, they are very Earth-friendly legumes, and if you adjust the seasoning, chickpeas are a big win for our kids’ lunches!

9. Beans

Black beans, red kidney beans, cannellini beans, Lima beans, pinto beans… all these beans are relatively low environmental impact compared to animal-based protein sources, and there are many recipes that are super kid-friendly. Just to list a few, with beans, you can pack in your kids’ lunch boxes Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, a Bean Salad, a Bean Burrito, or a Bean Minestrone Soup!

10. Peas

Peas are versatile legumes that can be used in many different dishes, from soups to salads. Kids may like them associated with carrots as this combination makes them think about bunnies’ favorite foods! Peas are very tasty with bacon, ham, or steak too. Have a try!

We hope you enjoyed these 10 Earth-friendly food ideas. You can also head to the Teuko Search tool to filter all the lunchbox ideas by the foods your kid would like to have for lunch! And don’t miss the HelloFresh family-friendly dinner ideas made with kids in mind and that makes cooking for your loved ones easy and fun! There is a diverse collection of kid-friendly meals and recipes that aren’t only easy to prepare, but also so tasty that they’ll please even your pickiest eaters! And, last but not least, enjoy 16 FREE HelloFresh meals (+ first box ships free + 3 surprise gifts!).

Oh! One more thing! Don’t forget to rediscover the previous posts we already shared with you when celebrating Earth Month:

• The story of our trip with elementary kids to a recycling center,
• Few simple, actionable tips for packing a planet-friendly (and kid-approved!) plate on the go,
• Smart solutions to reduce plastic waste, one lunchbox at a time.
• And kid-friendly ideas of vegetables and herbs to grow (in your garden, or at home!).

What food will you pack for your kids’ lunches for celebrating Earth Month? Share with us your experience among our Teuko Lunchbox Community!

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