Whether you’re packing the kids up for late-summer adventures or already dreaming up fun back-to-school lunch ideas, you’re going to love this! We’re serving up super-smart hacks and all the tasty new snacks you’ll need to conquer kids’ lunch or snack time anytime, anywhere. And an extra treat: These finds are only at Target—and they’re better-than-ever for those hungry little bellies.

At Target, we make eating well simple, affordable and fun for families. We know that parents are looking for cleaner options, without stuff like artificial colors and flavors—especially when it comes to kids’ meals and snacks. We couldn’t agree more. Today, more than 75% of Target’s owned brand kids’ snacks, from Simply Balanced fruit snacks and granola bars to Market Pantry fruit squeezers, are completely free of artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, colors—and you won’t find any artificial trans fats or high fructose corn syrup, either. And now we’re pledging to do even better. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility commitments, we just announced that by 2018, all of our kids’ owned brand foods will meet these high standards, so you can always feel good about grabbing our Market Pantry or Simply Balanced snacks for your kiddos.

Better-for-you snacks that taste great—and are a great value? You’re on your way to lunch box-hero status. All that’s left? Tackle one (or more!) of these lunch-packing hacks, including some new Target-exclusive snacks…

Pack in the nutrients
Make healthy foods fun with these pointers from the Target Test Kitchen. Transform fresh fruits and veggies into yummy but nutritious snacks, like apple snackers and tick-snack-toe. Or, if you’re short on time, just look for our cool blue Simply Balanced packages—we’ve got 500+ products packed with simple goodness. Simply Balanced Fruit Strips, Organic Fruit Snacks and Organic Fruit Pouches are guest faves, but you’ll also love new finds like these:

• Simply Balanced Almond Butters. Whirl into smoothies, stir into overnight oats or even warm and drizzle over popcorn for a boost of flavor—and protein! New dark chocolate and honey flavors are coming later this month.
• Simply Balanced Oatmeal Cups. These cute little ready-to-eat cups feature whole grains, added protein and less sugar. Starting in August, they’ll be available in maple brown sugar, triple berry, cran apple and apple cinnamon.
• Simply Balanced Granolas. The perfect breakfast snack for kiddos (and adults), these granolas are available in added protein, ancient grains or gluten-free varieties. We’re loving the newest flavors: protein vanilla, protein honey almond, protein peanut butter, ancient grains blueberry with flax, ancient grains cranberry chocolate with flax and gluten-free dark chocolate coconut.

Think outside the (lunch) box
Your kids are sure to LOL with out-of-the-box themes—emoji-inspired eats, anyone? Go from basic brown bag to full-on fun by turning a sandwich into a smiling emoji, and serve with a side of LOL crackers and cheese. Or flex those lunch-packing pipes with a “game on” meal featuring PB&J barbells and cucumber round baseballs. Build some unexpected sandwich spins with ingredient lists from the Target Test Kitchen. (And be sure to protect those carefully crafted lunches with Crush-Proof Lunch Kits with matching backpacks in floral and cactus prints and food-inspired Cat & Jack Ice Packs.)

Stay tuned to A Bullseye View for even more Back to School tips and tricks.

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