This weekend I had the pleasure of hosting Kid’s Club Lunchbox Kabob making at our local Whole Foods Market.  With the help of two incredible 9 year old assistants, we tackled the job of introducing kids to new, fresh foods by way of the Sandwich Kabob.  Empowered with a skewer, and trays upon trays of fresh, real ingredients, kids assembled and ate their creations – tasting, learning, enjoying.

There was one rule…

Try at least one new vegetable.

Not only did every child there try something new, but we were amazed to witness several Real Food accomplishments.  One child, who a year ago would not even taste a fruit or vegetable, learned that by simply putting spinach next to cheese on her kabob, she actually liked spinach!  Another child invented an incredible “Palm Tree” kabob (see photo) which because it looked so fun…was gobbled up from trunk to spinach “fronds”.   And after a blind pepper-tasting experiment between four colorful varieties of peppers, half a dozen children learned that they liked a new vegetable they previously thought they despised (which I can personally attest to since two of them were my own).

We had red, orange, yellow and green peppers, yellow and red cherry tomatoes, baby spinach leaves, cubes of cheese, wheat bread, roasted chicken…even bison sausage.  The kids had a great time, and the parents relished in their children’s newly found empowerment eat healthy.

Kids really do eat Real Food.

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Lunchbox Sandwich Kabobs

These fun and easy Lunchbox Sandwich Kabob’s can be made using a variety of ingredients including leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, fresh vegetables, cubes of bread, and cheeses.  In addition to being a delicious lunchbox alternative, they are also a fun, hands-on activity to get kids involved in the kitchen and empowered to choose real, fresh food.

Special Equipment: kabob sticks (skewers, coffee stirrers, straws, etc)

Ingredient ideas:

• whole wheat bread, cubed
• assorted cheese, cubed
• roasted/rotisserie turkey or chicken
• cherry tomatoes
• all-Natural ham, cubed
• sausages, cooked and cubed
• all-natural salami, cubed
• leftover steak, chicken or pork, cubed
• basil leaves
• baby spinach leaves
• red, yellow, orange and green bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions:

• Thread meats, veggies and cheese onto skewers.
• Serve.

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It’s amazing what having a little fun with our food will do.  Until next time…