Adorable Valentine’s Day Lunchboxes

There’s no doubt about it: I love Valentine’s Day! The little girl in me still can’t get enough of heart-shaped things and red and pink sprinkles. Now that I’m a mom, I appreciate how Valentine's Day gives me an excuse to go nuts with all things lovey-dovey for my kids’ lunchboxes. Here are some easy ideas for lunches that say "I love you.” 

Topping a salad with heart-shaped veggies is unexpected and sweet. Using a small cookie cutter, I cut heart shapes out of cheese and cucumber slices. To make the carrot hearts, cut a carrot diagonally through the middle, and then flip a piece over to form a heart. Secure the two pieces together with a food pick. Along with this yummy salad, I packed up some trail mix, fruit and a homemade Gluten Free Chex® Cereal Treat Bar for dessert. To add some February-14th flair to the recipe, I added a couple tablespoons of pink and red food sprinkles into the marshmallow mix.

Did you know you can use a toothpick to write notes on the skin of bananas? By the time lunchtime rolls around, the words you wrote will become visible. Next to the hugs-and-kisses banana, I packed up some heart-shaped cheese pieces, topped with a Fruit Roll-Up® XO, crackers, a mini LÄRABAR, fresh veggies and a little container of dip.

My kids love having pancakes for lunch. To create a heart-shaped sandwich, I used a cookie cutter to cut some leftover pancakes into heart shapes. (Inside the sandwich is strawberry cream cheese and fresh slices of strawberries.) In the side compartments of my Sistema's Lunch Cube to Go are fresh veggies, a Cascadian Farm granola bar and some fresh melon hearts.

To make this love-letter lunch, I started by making an open-faced sandwich. To make the cheese look like an envelope, simply cut two pieces of cheese, one into a rectangle and the other into a triangle. Lay the triangle piece on top of the rectangle and use a small Fruit Roll-Up® heart to "seal" the letter. On the side, I packed some carrot coins and a serving of yogurt. To add a little Valentine's Day touch to the yogurt, I topped it with some red and pink sprinkles. So easy!

Turn a boring PB&J into a lunch-break Valentine! I used a large heart-shaped cookie cutter to make the sandwich. Then, using a smaller cookie cutter, I removed a small portion of the top slice of bread. Fill the open space with some festive sprinkles, shaking off any excess. Packed alongside the sandwich are some fresh raspberries, tomatoes and a handful of Gluten-Free Valentine Chex® Mix.

Are you planning anything special for this week’s lunchboxes? If so, I’d love to hear what you’re doing!