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22 Hudson Valley Parent n September 2016 Annie's Friends Bunny Grahams.) Although Zachary's favorite treats are strawberries, raspberries, and Cheez-Its, his mom makes a low-sodium turkey or ham sandwich coupled with spinach the staple of his lunchbox. As more people are buying organ- ic products, they are becoming eas- ier to find on grocery store shelves, which makes them less pricey items with more size and flavor options from which to choose. "Try not to let the word 'organic' scare you," Erica says. To help you keep your food bud- get manageable, make use of all of your resources - including online sites (like Coupons.com, Red Plum. By STACEY LUTZ L ife is busy and kids can be fin- icky, but healthy eats for your child's lunchbox don't need to cost much or take hours to prepare. A little creativity can go a long way and help make both the lunch pack- er and the lunch eater happy. Ahead of the curve Erica Lutz of Accord is the prac- tice administrator at The Institute for Family Health and also goes to school part-time. Because her sched- ule is full, she has learned to keep a strong hold on how to pack her 7-year-old son, Zachary's, lunch. Her motto is "kid-friendly, healthy, well balanced, and simple." She does her grocery shopping on Sundays after gathering and orga- nizing her coupons then heads out with a list of foods that can easily be prepared for Zachary's lunches. Lutz begins by chopping up an ar- ray of colorful, flavorful fruit - like mixed berries, pineapple, apples, and cantaloupe before adding them together to make fruit bowl combos in 4oz. containers which can quickly be grabbed from the fridge and add- ed to her son's lunchbox. She also includes: • Two 6.75 oz. juice boxes along with a bottle of water (or a bottle that can be refilled during the day) • One dairy product (like a YoKids Squeezers or Go-Gurt - which can also help keep the lunchbox contents cold if frozen the night before) • A veggie (like broccoli florets and ranch dressing or baby carrots) • Two snacks (goldfish, cheese crackers, organic chewy granola bars, squeezable apple sauce, and com, or SmartSource.com), grocery store rewards cards, smartphone apps, store fliers and newspaper cou- pons. There are also several Face- book groups and blog pages aimed at helping shoppers coupon and save money. Thinking outside the box When Zachary was becoming picky about his food, Erica says she had to get creative with some healthy foods. Since Zachary was not persuaded by Popeye that spinach was yummy, Erica tried subbing it for the usual iceberg lettuce on his sandwiches without telling him. Before long, he was receiving all the nutritional benefits of spinach, which made for Erica Lutz with her bounty of nutritious goodies for her son's lunchbox. Photo by Stacey Lutz Great back-to-school lunchbox tips