The healthiest way to eat is to remove packaged foods from your diet.  I always tell my son, "If it's in a box, it can't be that healthy for you!"

However, the majority of us in the U.S. buy a large portion of our pantry staples are in cans, boxes, and bags.  This doesn't mean we aren't eating healthy, but it does require some extra sleuthing on our parts, as consumers, to know what we are putting in our bodies.

It is extra important if we are raising children!  I have recently tried to reduce the amount of sugar my family is consuming (and have eliminated it completely from my diet temporarily - YIKES!).  I am constantly scanning pasta sauce labels to see if there is sugar added, and searching for unsweetened applesauce (which is just as sweet as the sugared-up kinds!!!).

But I haven't gotten rid of sugar completely.  In fact, I discovered a tasty cookie that I feel comfortable packing in my son's lunches (in moderation, of course!).  I try to bake from scratch, but time hasn't allowed for much of that the past few weeks, so I grabbed a bag of Barbara's Bakery Snackimals (Chocolate Chip), and fell in love!  Sadly, I ate almost an entire package myself in just two sittings.  The second package, my husband finished off!  (I'm not even sure my son has eaten more than a handful......)

The new edition of Vegan Lunch Box that was supposed to be out in March is being pushed back by the publishers to have a July/August release date. 

I was really looking forward to actually owning a copy of this book, as the self-published edition sold out several months ago before I could purchase it.  Jennifer McCann has such interesting ideas for kids snacks and lunches!  Oh well, if we must wait, we must wait.

In the meantime, if you need a quick and healthy snack for the kids in your life, whip up a fresh batch of guacamole!   Store bought guacamole often doesn't even contain much avocado (Kraft's version, for example), and it can contain gelatin as well (Gross!  Gelatin comes from the bones, skins, hoofs, and tendons of cows, pigs, and fish.).

Organic avocados are a terrific source of fiber, as well as potassium, Vitamin E, and more!

Guacamole

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
2 avocados
2 cloves garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder  (I use a bit more than this for an extra kick!)

* Squeeze juice into bowl.  Add avocado chunks.  Mash with a fork. Stir in the garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder.

How easy was that?!  Serve with chips as a healthy, organic snack, or spread on a tortilla with refried beans and leftover rice for a simple burrito lunch.  

* To answer some questions that were posed to me:  I buy a lot of the more unusual ingredients at the local health food shop or our local food co-op.  Traditional grocery stores often have a small selection of vegetarian foods, but you won't find vegan cheeses or miso there usually. 

In larger cities you can likely find things like SoyBoy ravioli and Vitasoy soy milk at Whole Foods or Trader Joes.  (I wouldn't know for sure, our city doesn't have either of those!) 

And I have no preference between rice cheese or soy cheese.  They are both great on a veggie burger or on a bun beneath sloppy joes!  I have yet to make a grilled cheese sandwich with either one, though.  I suppose that will be the TRUE TEST!  ha ha