Labour Day weekend signals the end of summer vacation for a lot of people. If you’ve got kids heading back to school on Tuesday, then school lunches are likely on your mind as you buy groceries this week. We’ve got lots of tasty, easy to pack options at the market, to start the school year off right, and keep those lunch bag blues at bay!
Have you had a chance to try the beef jerkey from Russett Farms? It’d be perfect for packed lunches. The taste and texture don’t even compare to store bought jerky. It’s so good! Healey Falls Bison Farms also makes jerky out of their fabulous bison meat. They’ll have it in two flavours this week; regular and hickory. Healey Falls Bison Farms will have some homemade pepperoni sticks too. Kids just love them!
For another easy protein option, be sure to swing by Rainbow Terrace for some Hummus. Amanda uses their home grown garlic in her Hummus and it’s delicious spread on crackers or used as a dip for vegetables. New this year, Rainbow Terrace also has a Gourmet Garlic Dip and Dressing that’s spectacular with raw vegetables. My boys polished off a plate of celery in the blink of an eye the first time I brought the Gourmet Garlic Dip home!
Our produce vendors will have lots of lunch bag friendly veggies this week; cherry tomatoes of all colours, sweet rainbow carrots, cucumbers, cantaloupe, the list goes on! And we’re really excited about the news from Russett Farms that the first of this year’s apples are going to be in this week! How about an apple for the lunch bag and another for the teacher’s desk?
For the sandwich crowd, Wholesome Breads by Erin is a good place to start for healthy organic bread. Each week Erin has several bread varieties to choose from. To put in your sandwich, Glenlea Farm will have mixed sprouts this week. They’re a nice non-soggy alternative to lettuce.
And to top it all off are sweet treats of course! Make sure to stop at A2 Baking Creations for buttertarts, jam jam cookies, and my favourite – chocolate cream cheese muffins. Delicious! The Philosopher’s Scone always has something different to try. Val is a pro at coming up with such interesting scone combinations! But if you’re less adventurous and more of a classic chocolate chip cookie lover – never fear, you’ve got a few to choose from at the market this week. A2 Baking Creations and Melly Rolls will have lunchbox friendly chocolate chip cookies that’ll keep smiles on the faces of even the pickiest eaters!