Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and students love to celebrate. They get so excited picking the perfect Valentine cards to share with classmates, pawing through candy conversation hearts to find just the right messages for their friends, and making what seems like hundreds of construction paper hearts and taping them up all over the house.

With all of the excitement for Valentine’s Day being centered around the long-awaited class party, we decided to gather some fun and healthy Valentine’s Day themed school lunch ideas to keep the celebration going. Imagine how surprised your little one will be when they open their lunchbox to find these incredible edible delights.

Hearts Galore

You can turn just about any food item into a love-filled, heart-shaped morsel in about 2 seconds with a simple cookie cutter. You can purchase various size heart-shaped cookie cutters at dollar stores and have fun with this project without having to break the bank. Cut your child’s sandwiches, fruit, or even pizza into heart shapes and send them to school in your child’s lunchbox. They will have so much fun noshing on their Valentine cuisine and who knows, they just might share the love with a friend.

Say I Love You With A Special Note

We found these free school lunch printable notes that are just super adorable. These are better than your regular store-bought Valentine cards because there is space to write a personal note to your child. Imagine how special your students will feel when they open their lunchboxes to find a unique, hand-written note from mom or dad. Just print out the cards, cut them apart, add your message and place in your child’s luchbox. And hey, who said you can’t use the extras on ordinary days throughout the year?

Candy For Lunch?

This is one of our favorite ideas. Take a large plastic heart-shaped candy box and remove the chocolates. (You may want to hide these in a safe place for when those chocolate cravings strike.) Fill each of the holes in the box with a nutritious food such as whole wheat cereal, banana slices, apple chunks, raisins, cheese crackers, or grapes. students love having choices and when you load the candy box with all of their favorite foods, lunch is sure to be a Valentine’s Day hit.

Heart-Shaped Hard Boiled Eggs

We loved the creativity that went into this next one. You’re students are not going to believe how you were able to create heart-shaped hard boiled eggs. They will be completely amazed and you will be the hit of the lunchroom.  Not to worry, no chickens were harmed in the making of these hard boiled eggs. Just follow these simple instructions we found on annathered.com and you are on your way.

Mini Muffins

Every kid loves mini muffins, so why not create some special muffins for Valentine’s Day? These would be great as an afternoon snack or in addition to a healthy lunch. Make a few extras and stash them away for later. Who says you can’t cash in on the Valentine’s Day fun too? The easiest way to create these muffins is to line your mini muffin tins with papers as usual, fill with muffin batter, and then place a marble between the tin and the paper to create the heart indention on the top of the muffin. Bake according to the instructions and voila, you have some crazy-cute muffins to share with your little ones.

As always, we would love to know what you think about this post. Feel free to leave a message in the comments section below and tell us which Valentine’s Day lunch idea was a hit in your home.

students are known for having a sweet tooth and tend to reach for any candy and sugar in sight. Unfortunately, these candies that children love so much are high in refined sugars. These sugary treats can have a very negative impact on the oral health of children as they tend to consume them like their life depends on it. There are a variety of tasty, colorful, and healthy food options that can strengthen their teeth and improve their oral health. eMom provides a convenient Orange County school lunch program option, cost effective meal delivery service that specializes in a provision of healthy, tasty foods, and ingredients that are packed with important nutrients and elements necessary for healthy growth and development of children.

HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS

1. Citrus Fruits

The spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry, Melvin Pierson, DDS states that different types of bacteria present in a child’s mouth can cause gingivitis, which is the first stage of gum disease. Citrus fruits which are high in Vitamin C such as Oranges, Lemons, Papaya and Strawberries annihilate these bacteria, while supplying needed collagen to the gums. While citrus fruits are essential for the child’s teeth, the fruits citric acid can temporarily deface the tooth’s enamel. This loss of enamel leaves the teeth susceptible to erosion caused by brushing. Dentists recommend that students wait for at least half an hour before brushing their teeth after they have filled their stomachs with citrus foods or meals. eMom, a Orange County school lunch program provider, specializes in only the best, carefully selected farm fresh fruits that are guaranteed to boost kid’s oral hygiene.

2. Dairy Products

Cavities are caused by acidity brought about by certain starchy foods and carbohydrates like potatoes, breads, and pastas. These foods, once ingested, break down into sugars that feed oral bacteria in students mouths that aid bacteria. Calcium, Phosphate, and Vitamin D, which are found in dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, or milk work themselves in with plaque and stick to the teeth. This in turn allows the nutrients to increase the Phosphate levels. The end result is the reduction of acidity, repair of damaged enamel, bone rejuvenation and reduction of tooth decay.

3. Healthy Vegetables

Family Dentist, Jimmy Wuu, DDS of Santiago advises that vegetables are good for naturally scraping away the remains and remnants of plaque from the corners and hard to reach places of students mouths. He also elaborates how these crunchy foods should be encouraged by parents because of how they mechanically cleanse the mouth when chewing. eMom, the top Orange County school lunch program provider, takes care of the ordering, cooking, billing, delivery of these healthy meals effortlessly from a certified commercial kitchen. The meals are carefully wrapped with all the hygienic standards implemented and delivered in warm and fresh conditions. All their meals come with a beverage choice, fresh fruit, or vegetable a snack.

4. Nuts and Seeds

Oils found in nuts and seeds primarily strengthen the teeth enamel making them more resistant to cavities. Pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds contain the necessary active ingredients and also contain calcium which aids in the protection of bones.

5. Sugar Free Gum

Saliva naturally loosens plaque while increasing the number of natural antibodies in the mouth. American Dental Association states that chewing on a piece of sugarless gum for more than 20 minutes after meals can help prevent tooth decay.

Unhealthy “Foods” to Avoid

Sugary and sticky foods only enhance damage to enamel and they can be controlled if not avoided. Some of these foods are

1. Fruit drinks with high fructose syrup
2. Bubble gum
3. Raisins
4. Sweets and hard candy
5. Carbonated drinks and sodas
6. Caramel and chocolate
7. Potato chips
8. Honey
9. Taffy

If you are searching for a Orange County school lunch program, eMom has over 60 unique scrumptious entrees of fresh salads, vegetarian dishes, and tantalizing fruits and health snacks. They offer a wide range of foods that cater for every taste bud and strive to always introduce new delicacies. Their meals contain no preservatives and are all handled by their well-trained team.