Opera Singer in the Kitchen

Artistry in Food, Music, and Life

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • instagram
  • rss
  • Home
  • About
  • Watch and Listen
  • Recipes
  • Travel + Attractions
  • Reviews
  • Contact / Privacy

Mini Taco Turkey Sliders for Healthy Kids Bento Box

August 28, 2017 by Noelle Leave a Comment

I am excited to get into a different routine and leave summer behind. I am excited to change things up in the kitchen, giving my family more variety on their plates. Thanks to incentives from organizations like Produce for Kids, who encourage families nationwide. From August 7 through September 22, families can check PowerYourLunchbox.com and pledge to eat healthier lunches. The digital program has raised nearly $60,000 for Feeding America® programs that benefit families and children.

This is a sponsored post with Produce for Kids. We love partnering with them because we know we are helping with programs like Feeding America. Please consider taking a pledge!

bento box

Finding inspiration for every meal or snack

When I plan for my meals, I try to stay with seasonal produce and then I add the rest of the ingredients to create a complete meal. I find inspiration on with recipes provided at grocery stores, cookbooks, Pinterest, and even other friend’s recommendations. The majority of my recipes are usually ideas I have created on a whim based on ingredients I have at home.

One common thread I find many expressing is making sure kids have healthy lunches and snacks. Kids are not eating their meals and mainly eating more processed or sugar-ladened snacks. Two things that I have seen that gets kids eating is having them try different foods and to get them in the kitchen helping. Here are different themes you can have at home.

  • Try a different cuisine and learn about their culture.
    • Italian night: Make your own veggie or meat lasagna. Make your own thin Neapolitan pizzas.
  • If you have older kids, let them choose the meal and have them make it for everyone.
  • Go the grocery store together as a family and pick out a new vegetable, fruit, and protein to make a new meal.
  • Have friends over. Hospitality is not dead but needs to be enlivened. It inspires to prepare something different.

Helping Needy Families Across America

Did you know that you can make a difference by just pledging to eat healthier? For every online pledge, lunchbox-friendly companies supporting Power Your Lunchbox Pledge will make a collective $1 donation to Feeding America® children’s programs such as Kids Café, Backpack program and Child Hunger Corps. During the 2016-2017 school year, 43,068 families and classrooms pledged to eat a healthier lunch, helping raise 473,748 meals for families in need through Feeding America!

If you are a teacher, then there’s a new and fun incentive this year. Produce for Kids has partnered with Eric Carle and his collection of children’s books as an added element to encourage classroom pledges. Elementary and preschool classrooms who take the pledge will be entered to win a Very Hungry Caterpillar reading nook for their classroom. Teachers can access Eric Carle and Produce for Kids themed activities and lesson plans at PowerYourLunchbox.com. In addition to the classroom element, every day between August 7 and September 22, Produce for Kids will give away a popular Eric Carle book to an individual who has taken the pledge. How fun is that?

bento box

Mini Turkey Sliders for Bento Box

My kids absolutely love it when I pack their lunches in a bento box. I do not have kids going to school full day, but we are on-the-go during the week. I like prepping their lunches in the bento box because it helps me be a lot more creative. I know I have a protein to give them, a veggie, fruit, a healthy fat and a nice treat.  Sometimes I do a themed boxes like these:

  • Asian Chicken Cabbage Salad
  • Grilled Chicken Skewers
  • Mexican Fiesta Quesadillas
  • Chicken Kale Artichoke Roll-ups
  • Mini Bento Boxes for Snacks
  • Turkey and Zucchini Roll-ups

bento box

My kids enjoy what I give them because I have varied their menu since they could start eating real food. I do not consider my children picky eaters but decisive eaters because once they try something once or twice, they decided whether they liked it or not. I was fine with no serving it as often.

I decided to make these mini taco turkey sliders because anything small is fun in their small hands. It personalizes their meal and they feel extra special. Thanks to the sponsors for helping me inspire my bento box!

Mini Taco Turkey Sliders + Bento Box

by Noelle Kelly

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

 

Ingredients (12 mini patties)

    Meat:

    • 1 pound 93% ground turkey
    • 1 cup shredded zucchini
    • 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced

    Assembly:

    • 12 sprouted bread slices (ie: Ezekiel bread)
    • 2 inch biscuit cutter
    • 3/4 cup guacamole, store-bought
    • lemon juice (to preserve)
    • 3 tomatoes, sliced (optional)

    Bento Box options: (per box)

    • sliced carrots
    • sliced cucumbers
    • 6 small black olives per box
    • Kiwis, chopped (1 per box)
    • dark chocolate – sugar free ( Lily’s Chocolate)

    Instructions

    Meat

    Mix the ground turkey in a bowl and add the grated zucchini and spices and mix well. Let sit for 30 min so flavors come together. Form into 12 2-inch patties. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to form patties for right size. If you do not have a cutter, then measure into 1-ounce patties. Cook on medium heat on a non-stick skillet. Spray with olive spray and cook patties 4 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 165 F.

    Meanwhile, cut out bread circles from the sprouted bread using biscuit cutter. Reserve bread for egg in a hole for breakfasts.

    Assemble dinner by adding each patty in 2 slices of bread, ad 1 tbsp. guacamole and one slice tomato and place a skewer. 3 sliders per adult, 1-2 sliders for kids.

    For bento boxes, send kids with 2 patties, and 4 bread slices. Place in one of the larger compartments. In the smaller compartment, add 4 Tbsp guacamole ( slider and for veggie dipping), in the second smaller compartment add chopped kiwi. Add sliced carrots and cucumbers to the other large compartment. The smallest compartment is reserved to small squares of chocolate.

    Powered by Recipage

    Thanks for checking out the recipe! I hope you find inspiration and when you do, tag your photos and ideas on social media with #poweryourlunchbox. Produce for Kids will notice and comment!

    Related Posts

    • Baked Turkey and Cheese Empanadas – Power Your LunchboxBaked Turkey and Cheese Empanadas – Power Your Lunchbox
    • Asian Chicken Cabbage Salad + Bento BoxAsian Chicken Cabbage Salad + Bento Box
    • Turkey and Zucchini Roll-ups Bento Box
    • Two Balanced Bento Lunches with Power Your Lunchbox Promise®Two Balanced Bento Lunches with Power Your Lunchbox Promise®

    Sharing is Caring!

    • Print
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Telegram
    • Reddit

    Like this:

    Like Loading...

    Related

    «
    »

    Filed Under: community service, recipe Tagged With: back to school, Bento box, Feeding america, good cause, healthy, healthy lunches, lunchbox ideas, meal ideas, meal planning, Power Your Lunchbox Pledge™, produce for kids

    About Noelle

    I’m an opera singer, full-time mom, pharmacy technician, food and mom blogger, recipe developer, and wife to a super talented choral director living in the awesome outskirts of Philly.

    Stay Connected

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    profile pic

    Subscribe via Email

    Noelle Kelly on Dealspotr
    Noelle Kelly
    @singerinkitchen
    Let's collaborate
    Powered by Dealspotr

    Archives

    Featured Recipes

    my tastybev gallery
    my foodgawker gallery

    My Network

    See my Recipes at Feastie
    Double Duty Divas  photo LatinaBloggersConnect-160px_zpsbcac1dfb.png
    POPSUGAR Select Food
     photo 10622754_10203300852976060_1718495991903284631_n_zps3nvpgfwu.jpg  photo 35455c7b-0110-48f6-9316-5a2a7545ead7_zpsivnxx7iq.png

    My Network

    FitFluential Is Fitness Found Coupons and voucher codes
    Return To Top
    • About Opera Singer in the Kitchen
    • Blog
    • Contact / Privacy
    • Disclosure
    • PR Friendly
    • Recipes
    • Travel + Attractions
    • Watch and Listen
    2025 Opera Singer in the Kitchen
    Tweet
    GetSocial
    %d
      We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok