4 Friday, August 25, 2017brooklintowncrier.com Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Kids' lunch boxes My daughter's current lunch bag has gone through a lot: two school years and two summers of day camps and it's still in good shape! Grades one and two were a lot kinder than the kindergarten years. I used to dread opening her lunch bag. It would come home filled with spilled yogurt, with a rock collection acquired at recess. One day it even contained a pair of wet, muddy socks covered with Alphaghettis. Kids lunch bags work hard and you need them to last. So what should you be looking for? Look for insulated properties If you pack cold items, purchase a lunch box that's insulated to keep everything cool. You don't want your child to eat spoiled yogurt or sweaty cheese. An insulated lunch box or one with a cooler pack is a must-have item. Easy to clean Kids are messy (remember the socks!). Buy a lunch box that's easily wiped clean or can be thrown in the dishwasher or washing machine when it's covered with Alpha-ghettis. Plastic containers and water bottles that can go in the dishwasher are best. When you find one container style your child likes and can open easily, buy multiples. You'll be glad you did. Compartments Make sure you have plenty of room to pack the lunch. For lunches with many different smaller items, a box with multiple compartments helps keep everything separate. Go for a Bento box. Look for one that's leak-proof, has three or more sections, and has lids to keep the food secure in its compartments. With a retail price of about $30, Bentos are more expensive but worth it, especially for younger kids. While it doesn't necessarily need one, kids usually need to carry cutlery, snacks and a water bottle as well, so a bag is helpful. Take the Bento with you when look- ing for a lunch bag to ensure it fits. Water bottles Water bottles add a lot of weight to the backpack so keep the bottle proportionate to the child. Easy to open, flip top and push button ones are most popular with kids, which means your child is likely to drink more water. They get lost often so buy a few when you see them on sale. Stainless steel or plastic? No water bottle is perfect. It's your preference. Ease of opening Food in difficult to open containers returns home uneaten. Take your child with you and have them play with the container before you buy it. If they struggle, look for another kind. Teachers and lunch staff can help, but when you have kids lining up to get access to their sandwiches, your child may not have time to finish their lunch. Designs Your child's opinion will be important here. When choosing a lunch box, pick a favourite colour or design your child likes. Try to avoid character lunch bags as trends are fleeting. Make sure it has a good handle or shoulder strap for ease of carrying. Brands that last Roots, Thermos, Rubbermaid, Bento, Lunchbots, and Yumbox are just a few that make highly rated "green" lunchboxes and containers for kids. It's what you pack in the container that really makes the lunchbox its best. Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Sat., Sept. 9: 1 - 5 pm - G-Moms of Port Perry Present "Birder Murders" Written by Steve Burrows, author of Birder Murder series On Reach Road, Uxbridge - Exact loca- tion will be on purchased tickets Also view film "A Murder of Crows" by Susan Flemming Marketplace for bird and nature-themed purchases. Free refreshments Tickets $20 each from Presents, Pres- ents, Presents in Uxbridge or by calling Judy at (905) 471-4651 Sat., Sept. 16: 9 am - 3:30 pm - Thick- son's Woods Nature Festival Learn about nature from the experts! Guided nature walks, bugs and botany ID, beekeeping demonstration, live wild animals and birds to meet, arts and crafts, silent auction, bake sale, refreshments, Thickson's Woods merchandise, and more! Tickets at the gate: $5 adults, $2 children, $10 fam- ily (cash only).Thickson's Woods is at the foot of Thickson Road, south off Hwy.401 in Whitby. For information, visit thicksonswoods.com or phone 905-433-7875 Fri., Aug. 25: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Mondays: 6:30-7 pm: French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon-Fri CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 Coming in our Sept. 8 issue: Is your child vulnerable to child identity theft? Read Leanne Brown's column and her special feature about this important topic. It's about the dark leafy greens Almost seven years ago, a yoga student of mine gave me an autographed copy of the book "Thrive Diet" by Brendan Brazier, creator of the Vega product line and an endurance athlete who uses a plant-based diet. This book was full of information about nutritional stress. It opened my eyes and ultimately changed my life. A week or so after receiving the book, I got an email from the Forks Over Knives organization marketing a 21- day vegan challenge and I decided to give it a try. After 21 days of eating no animal products and mostly whole foods, I felt like a new woman and knew there was no going back. My takeaway from the book was that, in general, North Americans were eating more food than ever before yet were still not getting the nutrients our bodies craved. The result was that most of us were overeating because our bodies were still craving micronutrients. There's a lot more science behind this than space allows. But the basic fact I discovered was that leafy greens are the key to energy. When I started incorporating more of them into my diet, my energy increased and, because I felt better, I was able to run more and do more things I loved. Even today, seven years later, when I start to feel more tired than normal, I look to my diet, review my food, and invariably find I've cut back on leafy greens. To increase your leafy greens intake, the easiest thing is to throw a handful of kale or baby spinach into a smoothie, as both virtually disappear when blended. I also add put handfuls of them into soups, spaghetti sauces and chilis. I'm in love with wheat grass shots which I first tried at the Copper Branch restaurant in Brooklin where they're made fresh daily. I also add micro sprouts as a topping on veggie burgers or open faced avocado sandwiches. I remember as a child watching the cartoon "Popeye the Sailor." Before he had to do a heroic feat, he would guzzle a can of spinach. Maybe he was on to something. These days, after a run or a hard workout, I make sure I throw a handful of leafy greens into my recovery shake, aiding in my recovery. This great tasting smoothie recipe is a wonderful way to get your greens, even if you don't like greens. Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie with Kale Ingredients 2 leaves kale (remove thick stem, unless you have a Vita Mix). 1/4 cup frozen blueberries 2 tbsp cacao powder 1 banana (a frozen banana will give this smoothie a milkshake like consistency). 1-2 Medjool pitted dates 8 oz. almond or coconut milk (unsweetened as the dates are the sweetener in this recipe). Servings: 4 Instructions Blend until smooth. Sheree's Hack: if you're busy, buy baby kale or spinach so you don't have to spend time chopping. You can also freeze both in small freezer bags.