Taking Chickpeas To The Next Level

Finished roasted chickpeas

I learned to make  Crispy Chickpeas with Garlic & Sage from my friend Michael Chiarello, we eat them all the time. We love the crunch and the chickpeas are a healthy fiber filled snack food for the kids. We love to do a quick version of his recipe by roasting them in the oven with rosemary and salt, they always get eaten up before they get to the table!  My daughter loves to go pick rosemary from the garden wash and cut it up using scissors The kids can season them and stir them, and be proud of their involvement in the dish.  

Tiny sorghum popcorn and chickpeas

Chickpeas can be great in rice, eaten cold or warm, with curry, in salad they go great in just about anything. If your kids are like my daughter they may not like humus but they may like chickpeas in a different form. I always try to serve up ingredients in various forms and sometimes it actually works! My child wont touch hummus but loves the crisp texture of baked chick peas!

I was looking for another way to serve up these power packed legumes. I came across a very cute video of two girls making a very yummy version of our favorite. Human Body Detectives  is an adorable series about body function written by Dr. Heather about her kids adventures in the human body.  Her girls also make videos about their favorite healthy recipes that they cook at home. I came across their recipe for a slightly sweeter version of crunchy chickpeas I really like it, I can use organic ingredients, raw honey and control the sweetness too.  You can use other spices, try adding pumpkin pie or nutmeg or some vanilla. 

Standard popcorn vs. Sorghum popcorn

One thing we came across recently is Sorghum popcorn, it is tiny tiny popped grains, the cutest thing you ever saw! We tossed it in with the cooked sweet chickpeas for a little texture and saltiness, it was a hit. If you can't find plain popped Sorghum just use regular popcorn it works just as well.

The winter holidays are on the way like a wave of sugar and glistening sparkles and you want to be armed with snacky food ideas, don't you?  Skip the chips and dip, instead put bowls of crunchy snacks all around the house. Surprise your kids and guests with these sweet gems, it's time to break out of the hummus rut.  I suggest making a double recipe....

Removing the tough skins

Butter cinnamon mixture

Roasted Honey Cinnamon Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbs of canola oil or 1 1/2 Tbs of melted butter

1 Tbs of raw honey

1 cup tiny Sorghum or regular popcorn

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Place the beans between two paper towels and pat dry, loosening the outer skin of the

beans.

3. Remove the outer skins of the beans, and pat dry to remove any other excess water.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the oil or melted butter and cinnamon. Add the beans and

coat well. Place on a baking sheet.

5. Roast for 40 minutes.

6. Remove the beans from the oven, place in a glass bowl and toss with 1 Tbs of

honey.

7. Place back in the oven and roast for an additional 7 minutes. Cool completely add in popcorn and serve!

* Sorghum popcorn  http://www.minipopsinc.com/

Soda Comes Clean (also win a SodaStream)

Our garnish is a hula girl straw with a strawberry

In our house we don't drink soda but we do like "fizzy water."  One of my favorite gadgets in my kitchen  is my Soda Stream. I can't stand buying bottles of fizzy water just to toss them out a few days after they go flat. Plus with old age approaching schlepping those bottles can be a real back breaker. I became obsessed with "needing" a Soda Stream and once it came I was in love.  One of the best things about it is that if the water doesn't get used up right away you can just add more water and re fizz it instead of  pouring out the water.  Another great thing is that the Soda Stream is self contained, by this I mean it has no plug or cords, and is free standing.  We can take it camping or to a party, it travels well no electricity not problem. I chose the model with the plastic bottle for safety with the kids but the "Penguin" model is very pretty with it's retro looking  glass bottle.

Mashing berries with wooden spoon

I use a dropper for vanilla extract

When I attended the International Housewares Show in Chicago I got lucky enough to be given a Soda Stream to give away on my blog! (I asked really nicely and smiled a lot and it worked!) Details below on entering to win.
I thought I'd give you a fun way to make a healthier soda so when you win the Soda Stream you have a fun activity to do  with the kids for summer. You can use your imagination for whatever fruit you want to add and as always I encourage creativity and using up your leftovers!

Removing stem

I also want to teach you how to de-stem a strawberry using a straw it is a great tip. Taking a sturdy straw push it from the narrow end of the strawberry through the center of the top (green leaves). Voila, a de-stemmed berry! (We like to suck the berry meat out of the straw, waste not in our house.)

If you want to get a little less healthy and a little more celebratory try adding a scoop of vanilla or strawberry ice cream! With the ice cream try adding blueberries for a great a Fourth of July drink!
Add lemon for another interesting drink or float an orange slice for more color.
Strawberry Sodas
Serves 2


6 medium Strawberries, washed
1 1/2 tsp sugar, honey or sweetener of choice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 ounces unflavored fizzy water from SodaStream
an egg slicer


Have the kids take the tops off the strawberries using the straw technique.
Slice de-stemmed berries in the egg slicer, and place 3 in each cup.
Add sweetener and, have kids mash, mash , mash with the end of a wooden spoon!
Add soda water  to the top and enjoy!


Fan-only SWEEPSTAKES from 'Chef Jen Carden' is now Live!  Check it out on my page here

Batter Up... It's Breakfast Time

Arrowhead Mills Multi-Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix

Pancake batter that is, I know nothing about baseball! With school in full swing, make sure your kids are getting a healthy breakfast.

Recently I was asked by www.mambosprouts.com review a new product from Arrowhead Mills. We love pancakes in our house any kind will do, so we were thrilled to help out. We usually make homemade but having a nice bagged mix on hand is always nice.

This is what the product info said…

Arrowhead Mills Multi-Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix is made with a nutritious blend of organic whole grains including whole wheat, brown rice, yellow corn and rye. The delicious balance of wholesome grains bakes up into scrumptious muffins and more. Easy to prepare – just add water – delicious and nutritious pancakes and waffles are ready in minutes.

This is what we found out…

The product says it is 70% Organic, the main flours are organic. The lesser ingredients such as baking powder and corn starch are not organic but it is a good start for people switching over from completely non organic products.

They are full of multi grain but the prominent taste and texture from our perspective is corn. The texture is very much like a corn meal pancake, which we happen to love.

These are so easy, just follow the directions on the bag, add oil and a liquid, in our case we added water so that we could really taste the grains.

The first batch looked very thick, the batter was stiff and the pancakes came out too dense. My daughter suggested that we add more water to make them lighter. We added 1/4 cup more water to the batter and cooked a second batch.

The second batch turned out so much better. The texture is more like a light cornmeal pancake, but with structure. They are not sweet, this is nice because when you add a bit of syrup or powdered sugar they taste just right.

We went one more step and added frozen blueberries, this hit the spot! The frozen berries kept the batter from turning blue and they cooked up just right. They added a little sweetness to the not so sweet pancakes.

The outcome, we loved the pancakes and we'd eat them for dinner too. I feel fine about serving these for "breakfast for dinner" because they are a little more substantial than an all white flour pancake. We never did make the waffles, they call for an egg, and honey in adition to the oil and liquid. I think the egg will add a little lightness to them. I will try them in the next few weeks.

My seven year old said, "these are the best pancakes, I love them with the berries."

They are easy, and tasty, want to win a package? Leave a comment telling me what you would add to these to make them enticing for your kids? Would you add savory or sweet ingredients? I will choose at random and e mail you when you win.

Contest end date 9/22 8 AM.

Our random WINNER is...Emily...We did take in to account the Facebook comments too.

Emily B. said...

I second the chocolate chips but I'd go for milk chocolate rather than semi-sweet. Blueberries are always a favorite but maybe a bit too predictable.
If I really wanted to knock someone's socks off, I would add applesauce and/or mashed banana (along with a dash of cinnamon) to the batter. mmmm... super yum!
(And my two year old will think I'm God!)

Making Faces

Kidlet turned 7 this week, hard to believe seven years have gone by. Most of it has been spent eating, photographing, growing and playing with our food. Kidlet is a good sport, she likes helping me develop recipes and helping her dad take photos of food. (please excuse my non- professional food pictures here) It was four years ago that we started writing The Toddler Cafe and she was just as much a part of it at age three as she is now.

Her dad picked up a very cool gift having to do with food, of course! Food Faces, is a very inventive brand of plate that kids can use to play with their food.

For dinner I made Pork chops with Cherry Balsamic glaze, sauteed kale, steamed broccoli and homemade creamed corn. I was sure she would reject the sauce but she ended up using it as "hair color" and loved it. We also had some potatoes that kidlet helped harvest so I knew she would eat those.

It was one of those tossed together meals, I was trying to use up what I had in the house.

Once she started decorating the plate she was hooked! The only thing left on her plate after was a scrap of food, she ate everything! I was thrilled and she was full. I am very proud of my adventurous eater, she tries anything once and that is all I can ask.

If you can't get a plate like this I suggest buying a few cheap clear glass plates, from the second hand store. Use a Sharpie marker on the back and draw an outline of a face. Turn the plate over and your kids can decorate the face just like we did! Make sure if you draw on a plate it is on the underside so no marker comes in contact with the food. To remove the marker wipe with rubbing alcohol.

Have fun and stay creative.

Can Food Save Your Life?

Dave Grotto thinks so, in his new book 101 Optimal Life Foods he discusses the benefits of eating healthy to stay alert and keep your insides and outside shiny and new.

"For the millions of Americans tired of hearing about 'what not to eat,' this book is a refreshing and enlightening guide to improving your health by adding delicious foods to your diet. Dave's simple explanations for why these foods are potential 'life savers' makes the book enjoyable to read, and the recipes bring the science to life on your plate."—Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, Nutrition Director, Prevention Magazine

Dave asked me to submit two recipes to his book and I gladly accepted. One of them is a Cocoa Encrusted Salmon with Blueberries. It was fun trying to pack as many antioxidants into the recipe as I could. Check out the book for more great suggestions. He also has included menus for great skin and alleviating the mid day nap attack.

Here are a few great ideas from this book, who knew?

• Chocolate, tea, and dried plums reduce the signs of aging skin.
• Combining walnuts and cherries can lead to the best sleep of your life.
• Artichoke leaves bring relief from common stomach ailments.
• Oysters can alleviate the effects of crippling migraines.
• Wasabi helps treat bad breath.

So check my recipes and try some out, maybe your kids will like them too.

Tool Talk

As a busy working mom I am always looking for ways to cut my meal preparation down.  Even though I am a chef and I love to cook, after a long day of standing around in the kitchen the last thing I want to do for dinner is chop, mince, and  zest. 

These three kitchen helpers are things I love and use almost everyday and make my life easier.

Narrow Measuring Spoons: I love these because they fit into small spice jars easily.  They stay nice looking after lots of uses and nest well.  Trying to get a round spoon into a small jar is not something I need to be wasting my time on.  before I got these, I seemed as if I tried all of my toddler spoons trying to get the spices freed from their jars, not anymore!

Safety Chopper: When my friend Michelle over at What's Cooking suggested this tool for our kids cooking classes I was sceptical. Well, never say never I love this tool!  I distinctly remember saying, "Oh I have knife skills I will never use this in my kitchen." (eating words) Now I use it all the time, not just with my 5 year old but on my own for nuts, onions and so on. The kids do get a kick out of using it and it gives them confidence.  I tell them to wind up and hit it with all their might, the silliness gets everyone laughing and having a good time.

Micro Grater: I use this for everything!!!  This particular one has a long slender surface with small grater holes. Its ordinary purpose is for things like zest or grating Parmesan cheese but I like to use it for things like apples to make "applesauce," and finely grated carrots.  The thing I  love it for the most is grating frozen ginger. I keep chunks of ginger in the freezer for adding to tea and stir fries, it glides easily along the grater when frozen.  I just take the frozen ginger and grate the desired amount right into the bowl or pot give it a bang and all the ginger I need is deposited!!  

When someone in our house is sick they get ginger tea here is how I make it:

Spicy Feel Better Tea

1 mug hot tea temperature water

A few shaves of ginger root (frozen)

2 T honey

1 good squeeze lemon

1 pinch Cayenne pepper (for the grown ups)

Mix and drink.

"I Can Make Can Cakes, Can You?"

I never thought I would, really I didn't. Should I tell you?  OK, while browsing the isles of Whole Foods as I do (really it is for work I just have to spend long hours wandering around the grocery store.) How do you think I get most of my ideas?  Mostly I just walk around in a daze while my brain and eyes take in the plethora of ingredients.

I saw a new product called Batter Blaster, at first I walked on by ignoring it's draw.  It's shiny yellow label, it's tall canister filled with pre- mixed organic pancake batter. My better half knows this is over packaged and that mixing up pancake batter takes all of about... 3 minutes. But on the other hand we are planning to go camping and a spray batter would be so easy!   See where I am going here I really wanted it, and I bought it, and....the family loves it.

I don't think I'd buy it all the time, but for once in a while convince food, I can see it. I do love the idea that kidlet wants to make her own breakfast and with this and some supervision she can. She has named them Can Cakes, I can't decide if that is cute or scary, as long as she knows where the ingredients came from I am OK!

It really is the perfect camping breakfast, you only need a pan, some butter and a spatula to make them.  It would be so great if they could come out with a Gluten Free version so mommy can enjoy them too.

Pros:

These are very easy to make

The batter tastes really good, not overly sweet

The cap and bottle are recyclable

The ingredients are all organic

You can draw cute shapes with it

It makes waffles too

The price is right @ 3.99 for 28 pancakes

Cons:

A bit over packaged

Cakes are pretty light, very airy and less hearty than other cakes.

I have to go to Whole Foods or Costco to get them.

Go Crackers with Mary!!

This was originally posted on The Celiac Kid.

 

I love Mary’s Crackers, they are seedy and not in a bad way in a delicious crispy way.

If you are gluten free and have a hankering for a cracker these may satisfy you and your kids. They are a great company they even donated a crackers for my book release party and we were so happy to have an alternative snack!

“Mary's Gone Crackers, Inc. is committed to manufacturing the best tasting wheat-free and gluten-free baked goods using the highest quality, organically grown ingredients. Mary developed the recipes for her delicious gluten-free products beginning in 1994 when both she and her son were discovered to have a gluten intolerance.”

Her crackers are made with organic brown rice, organic quinoa, organic flax seeds and organic sesame seeds. They come in 5 flavors: Original, Caraway, Herb, Black Pepper, and Onion. For kids the original flavor seem to be the hit, it is mild enough for kids but just flavorful enough for grownups.

Mary’s just came out with some new shapes and flavors called Sticks and Twigs. They have the same ingredients as the original crackers but new flavors have arrived.

The new flavors are Chipotle Tomato, Sea Salt, and Curry. Soon to be released is Cinnamon for the sweet tooth. The crackers are packed with Omega-3s, and healthy, seeds and grains. These are a great alternative to chips or bland GF crackers.

We kid tested the new Sticks and Twigs her was our result:

Sea Salt: has a nice salty flavor without being overly salty.

Kid comment: “Yum!”

Curry: great curry flavor, a bit spicy for little mouths. I have to say the curry flavor dose not resemble a stick or a twig, we will just leave it at that. You can see for yourselves…

Kid Comment: “Yum! I need some water…these are too spicy mama!”

Chipotle Tomato: Really flavorful, nice spice smoky, a bit different. Nice with Hummus.

Kid comment: I did not have my daughter try these they are much too spicy for little kids.

I’d love to see BBQ, or Pizza flavors next.


When your diet is restricted, options can be tough but these crackers come in handy to go packs so you can have something on hand. All in all we love them!


Marys Gone Crackers

Bird Seed and World Music - CD Giveaway!

Thanks to all my entries...we randomly chose a winner, big congrats to BarefootGypsyGirl.

Putumayo music has been around for a long time and so has Sesame Street now they have combined to create Sesame Street Playground, songs and videos from around the world. This cd is really fun for the kids the music is great. It is world music but with familiar voices and characters. The music still retains the tunes from the show so your little on can recognize it.
The mission on the cd case says:
Sesame Street Playground represents a shared mission of Putumayo Kid and Sesame Workshop: to help children around the world gain an understanding of and respect for other cultures.
I love this statement because it is so important for is to expose our kids to other peoples and cultures of the world. It promotes understanding and compassion in them.
One of my favorite songs on the cd is #5 La Chanson De l’Amitié (the song of friendship)
There are songs in Hebrew, African languages, Spanish, French, Dutch….

If you would like to listen to samples of the songs go here.

For more info go to:
Sesame Workshop
or
Putumayo Kids

If you want to win this cd just comment on how you think your kids would love it and I will choose a winner using random.org
On Sat 2/14 I will notify them by email so make sure when you comment you leave a link to your blog or some way for me to find you.

And now for the recipe....

Bird Seed (something Big Bird would eat)
A mixture of seeds (as of hemp, millet, and sunflowers) used for feeding caged and wild birds (or kids.)

I was thinking about recipe that could go with this post and I remembered that when we were kids mom used to make “Bird Seed” we’d take a huge bowl to the basement and hangout playing music and spin the bottle!!
I have memories of finding the birdseed in the infamous black couch (yes, only my middle and high school friends will get that reference) I remember a food fight with handfuls of it being tossed all over...lets hope your kids are a bit more behaved than we were!
Anyway our birdseed recipe was kind of unhealthy so I have revised it here for little ones. Enjoy!

Bird Seed Recipe
Really you can add what ever you like, I use whatever I have on hand. You can make it as sweet or as healthy as you want, no rules here.
I like to have the proportions equal but you can quarter the recipe easily.
Mainly it is just fun to tell the little ones that they are eating bird seed! They can pretend to be Big Bird and sit in a nest of blankets eating their bird seed and listening to the music!

1 cup dried currents
1 cup corn flakes or Chex style cereal
1 cup chow mein noodles
1 cup cheerios
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup crisp rice cereal or nutty rice cereal
1 c crushed nuts
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Ice cream cones (optional)

Mix together. Serve in a plain ice cream cone just like at the Zoo!!

Taste Testing Peanut Butters - Not Just for Kids!

I love peanut butter, maybe it’s that nostalgic icon the pb&j that brings back the memories. Although I was never a fan of the jelly part, I just preferred the sticky nutty spread all alone. A tasting comparison is a great way to get your kids eating foods they may not think about.  Any ingredient can work, whole wheat pasta, jelly, juice, cheese, tortilla chips, anything you can think of. Give each of them a plate with samples of one type of food item, have them taste it, smell it, and look at the color. Discuss or write down the findings and decide by voting which food they like the best.

This particular Peanut Butter tasting was all grown ups from the SFPFS. Our panel ranged from master taster to recipe developers to home cooks. We each had a plate with 11 samples of “oil on the top, natural peanut butter." I can’t say we were very scientific about the tasting, just that we tasted, and then yelled out our opinion across the room. It was a lot of fun, and I’d do it again, even with jelly!


Here’s our sticky conclusion:

8 votes – Trader Joes Organic $2.99
7 votes– Santa Cruz Dark Roast 3.99
6 votes – O Organics (Safeway) 2.50
5 votes - Laura Scudders 3.89
4 votes– Santa Cruz Light Roast 3.99
2 votes– Trader Joes regular 1.79
0 votes - MaraNatha Organic 3.15
0 votes - Adams 3.89
0 votes – 365 (whole foods) 1.69
The no-stir Skippy and MaraNatha products received no votes.


The overall winner was Trader Joe’s Organic at $2.99. The group agreed it had a focused peanut taste with mild salt and a bit of sweetness.

The second choice was Santa Cruz Dark Roast at $3.99, it was the most expensive. We all agreed that the deep peanut color and roasty flavor set it at second place.

The third choice was O Organics 2.50 (Safeway brand) it was considered to have mild flavor and a smooth texture a typical peanut butter.

Sunflower Butter is a great alternative for peanut butter.
There is also a new almond product called Barney Butter go to What's Cooking to read about it.

"Mom, can I have a snack?"

If you have kids you could hear that phrase a few times a day, or more. You probably reach for the cheese and crackers, pretzels or yogurt. Fruit is always a good choice but if you are fresh out you could try some

Funky Monkey Fruit that Crunches.

If you have never had dehydrated fruit it's crisp and packs a punch in the flavor area. Dehydrated fruit has a crunch kids love and is a good alternative to chips and junk. 

Funky Monkey dehydrated fruit comes in 4 flavors: Bananamon, Jivealime, Purple Funk and Carnaval Mix.

The difference I find with this product compared to other dehydrated fruits we eat is the flavorings. The Bananamon, Jivealime and Purple Funk are are sprayed with a  thin coat of cinnamon, lime or acai berry. The Purple Funk is banana coated with acai, many people have never heard of acai, it is a very high in anti-oxidants. The acai berry is a drupe and comes from the same family as the coconut.

The pineapple was a bit tart for our 5 year old, I'd love to see a coconut pineapple flavor something a bit more mellow. Our favorite flavoring was the Bananamon, dried bananas coated with cinnamon.

Our favorite overall was the Carnaval Mix with raisins, apple, papaya, banana and pineapple, because the true fruit flavors came through so well.

I'd say these would not be great for very small children because the pieces are a bit sharp, but perfect in an a school lunch. Over all we liked them a lot and they are a great snack and a healthy one! Each 1 oz. pack contains 3 of the four daily servings of fruit required for a healthy diet.

The other thing I was curious about was the life span. Products with water extracted tend to rehydrate and become chewy or sticky over time. Surprisingly these didn't, we left them open for a few hours and then sealed the bags with a bag clip. The next day they were just as crisp!

The best part is that they are organic,
all natural, no sugar or fat added. No colors or preservatives are added and they are gluten free, dairy free, wheat-free and certified Kosher.
We made a cone out of a paper bag and filled it with cereal and Funky Monkey and coconut. It is a great way to do a craft with your child and eat healthy mixes too!



Here is a recipe from my book The Toddler Café

Happy Trails Mix
Tell the children it’s time to be important explorers who need some healthy snacks to bring with them on the trek. This is a great way to use up all those half-empty packages in your pantry. Dehydrated foods are healthy and easy for small hands to pick up and eat. Portion out small amounts into reusable containers and store for a grab-and-go snack. Get adventurous—look around and buy different kinds of dried fruit for this recipe.

Use dried fruit such as
Large flake coconut
Dried kiwi
Pineapple
Cherries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Cashew pieces
Any leftover cereal
Dehydrated fruit of any kind

Mix and store in an airtight container.
Keep some in the car for hunger emergencies.

To make paper cone
1. Help your child cut out a circle from a paper bag using an upside down bowl about 6 inches across as the circle template.


2. Have your child draw and decorate paper circle.

3. Create a cone shape and seal with tape.

4. Have your child scoop whichever ingredients they choose into the “cone.”

Letter Ice, it's Cool

We have been working on numbers and letters in our house these days, brushing up before Kindergarten starts next week. (yikes)

The stars must have been aligned, because recently I was asked to review a cool new product called Letter Ice, gladly I accepted. The website says you can bake them freeze them and basically make anything in them. I thought this would be a perfect way to get her to practice without making it all academic, you know the creative way. Since our whole world revolves around creative thinking and eating, and well, both at the same time this product was perfect for us.

Last week was a bit busy so I decided rather than wait I would start freezing whatever we had around. First we took a banana pudding we had and put it in the numbers mold. I put the pudding in a Ziploc and cut off the tip and squeezed it into the molds. I tapped them down and tossed them in the freezer, taking care to lay it flat.
When we took them out they easily popped out of the molds but looked bland and pale, that needed fixing. I figured that this was kind of a treat, although not quite ice cream, so I added a pool of chocolate sauce to stand the numbers up in. They still needed something and my daughter suggested sprinkles, how could I refuse. We put about 6 numbers standing up on a long narrow plate and it was adorable. Everyone took one or two and the plate was cleaned in minutes.




Now for experiment number two. My husband and I had been shooting Mojitos for a client that day and had lots of mint leftover. I tore up the mint and added them to plain water to make minty ice. I also had some rapidly aging blueberries so we tossed in the frozen minty letters and as they melted Claire ate her letter fruit, and loved it!

The molds are tough and durable, dishwasher friendly and all around great. They are a nice addition to any kitchen and a great way to use up leftover ingredients.
The verdict, we love them, from ice to cake to chalk or crayons, these molds rock!

For more information go to Sillycone inc.
Letters retail for 19.95$
Numbers retail for 9.95$

Munchlers - Lunch Bags

I just have to tell you about these adorable lunch bags called Munchlers. I saw them while shopping yesterday and thought they were cute but I really want a bento box for daughter so I didn't stop to look at them. Tonight I was bouncing around on line and there they were again. I saw that they unfold to make a place mat, I love that. I don't know about your kids but mine ends up putting her food on the not so clean tables. With this lunch mat she would have a destination for that half eaten sandwich free of creepy crawleys. Most lunch bags have dark corners for crumbs and goop to collect in but because these flaten out cleaning them is a snap.
At around 10 dollars a pop you can't beat the design or functionality.

From Built
In our quest for a lunchbox that would captivate every kid, or kid at heart, we developed a concept that incorporates whimsical fun with practicality. We collaborated with the award-winning children’s book illustrator, Stephen Savage, to take on the project of creating zoo animals for the design of the lunchboxes. After all, what good is a lunchbox that doesn't look good?

MADE FROM POLYPROPYLENE
TESTED LEAD AND FOOD SAFE
INSULATES FOOD AND BEVERAGE
SMALL HANDLES FOR SMALL HANDS
SAVES HUNDREDS OF BAGS OVER THE
COURSE OF A YEAR
UNZIP TO A PLACE MAT (STORES FLAT)