As kids head back to school, many parents will be scrambling for ideas for easy-bagged lunches. (Below are ideas for you to chew on!) Keep in mind, adequate nutrition is vital to keep your kids' growth and health on track. Children's growing bodies need more nutrients than adults, but their diets shouldn't provide excessive calories and cause them to gain an inappropriate amount of weight.

Overall lunches should consist of, about 50-60% of a child's calories from carbohydrate sources, 25-35% of calories should come from fat, and the rest (10-15% of calories) should come from protein. Just like the diets of all family members, children's diets should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, low fat dairy products, whole grains and healthy fats.

This year, think outside of the box. Lunch can be more than a sandwich. Have a recipe? Post it below, other parents would love to know!

For most budding imaginations, gardens are a magical place. Curious George expanded my childhood imagination by bringing experiences in new ways through play and research of the world. Now, he is jump starting your children's curiosity and creativity through your garden.

George, The Man with the Yellow Hat, and all their friends will investigate the planet through a variety of escapades with the concepts of recycling, composting, solar power and the weather patterns. Children will learn about the planet, its elements, and the environment. I am back into watching Curious George and telling everyone because children get to see how the earth nurtures them, and in turn it inspires them to nurture the earth. Children have to really love something before they can protect it and serve it so begin cultivating that tiny gardener's curiosity and green thumb now!

Obligatory Back to School Post Warning! But I assure you, this is not the same as all the rest. While you can find tons of info on green school supplies and clothing that you can buy, this one is for the kids and it doesn't cost you anything. You just have to point and click (and offer your positive encouragement, of course!) and the rest is up to them.

The Green Squad - a project of the National Resources Defense Council and the Healthy Schools Network - sets out to educate children about the impact that their schools have on the environment and their health.

Makes sense, right?  We adults spend the majority of our time in our office building, but for most of the year kids will predominantly be at their school.  The site offers a slew of tools like this poster of 3 things to do today, a tour of the Green Squad's virtual school highlighting some key hot spots to check for at their own school along with a progress report for keeping track of their findings along with tools for teachers to involve more of their classmates.