LiVewell Healthy Lunches GIVEAWAY!

Last night I was invited to a free school lunch as part of Intermountain Health Care’s LiVewell #HealthyLunches campaign. They invited some local Utah bloggers to a lunch-for-dinner event discussing sending kids to school with good food. Even for those out of state, this Healthy Lunches campaign is something worth checking out – the resources are great and there’s a GIVEAWAY!

The event was great, with a presentation by Dietitian Mindy Probst on the government’s ChooseMyPlate guidelines and how to incorporate that into lunches for kids. It was news to me that The Food Guide Pyramid no longer exists, and I was glad to see an emphasis on including a variety of foods in each meal.

For years I worked at Center For Change, an eating disorder clinic that emphasized intuitive eating practices. Through working closely with patients, dietitians and therapists there, I developed strong opinions that all food can be part of a healthy lifestyle. The traditional concept of dieting – excessive limiting of foods in an effort to lose weight – is not only offensive and ineffective it is damaging to a person’s body image. I was glad to see that the Intermountain Healthcare LiVewell #HealthyLunches campaign fits with the tenants of intuitive eating and encourages kids to be part of their food decisions.

The best part of the evening was putting together our own lunches-for-dinner. As part of the campaign we bloggers were each given Rubbermaid Lunchblox food containers, the same ones that you could win as part of the giveaway. Eight of the Bento Box style Lunch kits will be given away in the month of September – two each week – click here for more info.

I got to try out these well designed containers, fitting my sandwich, fruit, veggies and dip in the convenient sized containers. The design is impressive. Everything clicks together nicely including the ice block, keeping your food organized and cool at the same time. Thank you Intermountain Healthcare!

Check out this website for free printables on tips for Healthy Lunches, a weekly food planner and sample menues for kids.