Kashi Company Offers Tasty Tips for Back-to-School

All Natural Foods Leader Teams Up with Chef and Author Domenica Catelli to Help Parents Prepare Wholesome AND Great-Tasting Lunches

News provided by

Kashi Company

Aug 16, 2011, 11:03 ET

LA JOLLA, Calif., Aug. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Getting kids to develop healthy eating habits can be a challenge, especially when it comes to school lunches. In an effort to help parents this back-to-school season, Kashi, the premier natural food and lifestyle company, is teaming up with Domenica Catelli, chef/author of Mom-a-licious: Fresh, Fast, Family Food for the Hot Mama in You!, to inspire fellow moms and dads to pack lunches and snacks that not only offer great taste for their children, but also help meet nutrition needs. By offering a variety of kid-friendly foods, and by providing back-to-school tips, helpful articles, and tasty and wholesome recipes from Catelli, Kashi wants people of all ages to recognize that good taste and nutrition can go hand-in-hand.

“The foods that kids eat when they’re younger may affect their taste preferences as they grow up; so by introducing them to healthful yet deliciously prepared foods at an early age, parents have an opportunity to help shape their choices,” says Catelli. “As a mom myself, I support parents’ efforts to give their kids the nutrition they need and want to show them that these foods can taste just as good, if not better, than the junk foods children might prefer.”

Catelli offers the following simple suggestions to help prepare wholesome kids' lunches:

Freeze sandwiches so you're ready to go with a week's worth of lunches. All sandwiches can freeze and re-thaw perfectly (except for those with lettuce and tomato), and they can even double as an ice pack for a bit! Try peanut butter and jelly, almond butter and jelly, natural-roasted turkey and Swiss or brie, and hummus and cheddar cheese—to name a few favorites!
If kids like to pack the same sandwich every day (and it's a nutritious choice) that's okay—just try switching their lunch up with a wholesome side snack (mix in red bell peppers to add variety to their baby carrots, try jicama sticks instead of potato chips, replace a candy bar with a Kashi® TLC® Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bar, etc.)
Thermoses are your friend. You can put last night's chili or pasta in one, or change things up and give your kids an antioxidant-packed smoothie for breakfast or hot, whole grain oatmeal for lunch on a cool day!
No squishy fruit—kids might toss the smoosh. Save bananas for breakfast and try oranges, apples and frozen berries (in a solid container) in kids' lunchboxes
Read labels and look out for hydrogenated oils, synthetic colors, flavors and unnecessary preservatives. Toss the chips and try Kashi^®TLC^® Pita Crisps.
Get natural, hormone-free deli meats at the counter instead of processed and pre-packaged lunch meats for kids' sandwiches
Always put something fresh in your child's lunch. A piece of organic fruit or cut-up veggies with natural peanut butter, hummus or dip are all easy and tasty options

Kashi is also encouraging moms to take a 2-bite test with their kids by visiting www.kashi.com/kidfriendlyfoods and obtaining a free sample* of a Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bar or Kashi® Cinnamon Harvest® cereal. Just a bite or two of Kashi's tasty kid-friendly foods can help show kids that eating right can taste great. Beginning in September, www.kashi.com will also feature additional tips, recipes and family-friendly suggestions by Catelli to help parents throughout the back-to-school season.

“At Kashi, we understand that it’s important to make smart, healthful choices when it comes to kids’ snacks and meals; but we also know it’s equally important that the food tastes great—or else it won’t be eaten,” adds Keegan Sheridan, mom and natural food and lifestyle expert at Kashi. “We want to remind parents, especially during the busy back-to-school season, that Kashi offers a pantry full of cereals and snacks that are as tasty as they are nutritious—foods we think kids will love.”

To learn more about Kashi's tasty and nutritious foods, delicious recipes and tips, like our list of Kashi's Kid-Friendly Top 10, please visit www.kashi.com/kidfriendlyfoods.

* Offer valid until 8/28/11 or while supplies last. No product substitutions. Available to US residents only. Limit one sample per family, household, or address. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars CONTAIN WHEAT, PEANUT, SOY, ALMOND AND MILK INGREDIENTS. MAY CONTAIN OTHER TREE NUTS. Kashi Cinnamon Harvest CONTAINS WHEAT INGREDIENTS. Visit Kashi.com to read ingredient listings.

About Kashi Company

Founded in 1984, Kashi dreams of a world where everyone embraces natural health. As a natural lifestyle pioneer, Kashi is passionate about and committed to improving the health of people and our planet. By providing great tasting, healthy and innovative foods, Kashi enables people to achieve optimal health and wellness, while also leading them on a path toward embracing a natural lifestyle. Kashi encourages people to live their best lives through its interactive online community at Kashi.com and the Kashi REAL Tour, a lifestyle immersion program and national grassroots tour that visits 16 cities around the country, educating people about the importance of natural foods and healthy living. The company also engages with people through Wellness Hub, educational events that inspire the local Kashi community to embrace natural healthy lifestyle. To learn more about 25 years of Kashi's mission, sustainable efforts, values and roots, get inspired by the Yearbook on Kashi.com.

Kashi's products are natural, minimally processed and free of highly refined sugars, artificial additives and preservatives. Kashi® brands and foods include: GOLEAN® cereals and bars; Kashi® Heart to Heart® cereal, instant oatmeal and whole grain crackers; Kashi® 7 Whole Grain Puffs, Honey Puffs, Nuggets and Flakes cereals; Kashi® Good Friends® cereals; Kashi® Autumn Wheat®, Cinnamon Harvest®, Island Vanilla® and Strawberry Fields® (organic) cereals; Kashi® Honey Sunshine®, Berry Blossoms® and Golden Goodness™ cereals; Kashi U™ cereal; Cocoa Beach™, Mountain Medley® and Summer Berry™ granola; Kashi® TLC® chewy and crunchy granola bars, fruit & grain bars, soft-baked cereal bars; Kashi® TLC® snack crackers and Kashi® TLC® cookies; Kashi® all natural frozen waffles, entrees and pizzas; and Kashi® 7 Whole Grain Pilaf.