WIN! A $75 Fresh Thyme Giveaway – And How I Got My Kids to Eat (Mostly) Healthy Lunches at School!

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This giveaway brought to you by Fresh Thyme.

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This giveaway is closed. Congrats to the winner, Ashley!

Before Fresh Thyme, my Kids Wouldn’t Eat The Lunches I Packed for Them

Packing the lunch. It may be a small thing, but it’s the little things that can add to an already chaotic school morning and feel like the straw that breaks the camel’s (or exhausted parent’s) back.

This year I had resolved to make lunches full of fun and healthy variety. My efforts fell totally flat. I would open the lunch boxes at the end of the day to find most of what I had put in the night before STILL THERE. What in the world was going on?

My 2nd-grader’s answer?

“Mom, it’s not what everyone else eats. They get these little bags of Oreos or Cheetos. I don’t want to take your food out because…it’s kind of embarrassing.”

(I can see peer pressure won’t be a problem with this one, at all.)

How I Got My Kids to Take Charge and Eat their Whole (Mostly Healthy) Lunch

So last week, we found ourselves at Fresh Thyme to try something new. (Spoiler Alert: It worked!!) 

Instead of ME being the one to choose the lunches, I put matters into their hands –  in the form of Fresh Thyme gift cards. Each kid (mine are ages 7 and 9, plus the 4-year-old got to tag along) got $25 to shop for the week, so they could choose what THEY wanted.

To prep, a few days before we sat down and came up with a weekly lunch plan. I had one rule: make sure each lunch includes a fruit, vegetable, and protein. I could already see them enjoying the process as they took ownership of their menu.

Then it was time to shop. We swung over to Fresh Thyme in East Lansing, located in Trowbridge Plaza just off the Trowbridge exit off of 496. (940 Trowbridge Road, East Lansing) They each grabbed a fun kid-sized shopping cart (one of the only stores in the area that has them!) and set out.  

Bonus: Handing over a calculator and notebook to stay on budget makes for an instant math lesson too.

I was surprised to see how quickly they took to their tasks. It was neat to see them rise to a higher level of responsibility to choose well for themselves. 

They even helped each other out when one felt stuck on what they should choose or what would fit in the budget – a little different from other shopping trips where I’ve had to ban them to separate sides of the cart!

I love that Fresh Thyme is Kid-Friendly

Fresh Thyme was the perfect place to shop because there’s a good variety, but the amount of choices aren’t overwhelming and the store size is extremely manageable.

I could send kids to separate sections and still have a view of everyone because of the display design and open floor plan.

Once the main shopping was done, none of us could resist stopping by the colorful section of sweets and treats. 

Tip:

In order to make sure they eat their veggies, I give an incentive – eat all your veggies, get a small treat. Fresh Thyme has a variety of fun candies, like sweet water taffy and individual gummies, that are easy to throw in a bag along with veggies as an incentive (ok, bribe).  

Our Lunches Became a Success

The week after shopping, we put our plan to the test – I packed the items they had chosen and then sent them off into the schoolyard wild. And guess what? When I opened the lunch boxes at the end of the day, they were actually eaten!!

Bringing kids to the store, assigning them a budget, and setting them free to shop for the lunches THEMSELVES! After seeing it in action, I can personally testify that this JUST. MIGHT. WORK.

Next up, getting them to do the food prep and packing too!

7 Reasons Your Kids Will Beg You to Go to Fresh Thyme

My kids LOVE to shop at Fresh Thyme. It could be the: 

01. Free-for-kids fresh fruit and snack stand.

02. Fun kid-sized shopping carts.

03. In-store Story Times offered by the East Lansing Public Library every third Thursday of the month!

04. Tractor hidden around the store for kids to find (free stickers if they do!).

05. Friendly staff that smiles at them and goes out of their way to make sure we are finding everything.

06. The make-your-own peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter machines. 

07. The hope of just one piece of saltwater taffy at the end! 

A Few More Helpful Tips

-Wednesdays are Double Ad days 

-Hours are 7 am-10 pm. Best times to avoid the crowds are earlier mornings or mid to late afternoon. 

-Download the FreshThyme app for instant coupons, to create a shopping list, or redeem rewards. 

See FreshThyme’s website for more info and to download the new mobile app, MyThyme. 

Fresh Thyme is located in the Trowbridge Plaza at 940 Trowbridge Rd, East Lansing. 

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Enter to Win a $75 Gift Card To Fresh Thyme!

An entire menu of lunches (and more) on us!

There are three ways to get entries for a chance to WIN by commenting on THIS article. Facebook comments do not count for entries.

1. For a first entry, leave a comment telling us what lunch items your kids would love to pick out from Fresh Thyme!

2. Get a second entry by liking Fresh Thyme on Facebook or Instagram and leave a separate comment telling us you did so. (Note: Only comments on this lansingfamilyfuncom article will be counted for this giveaway.)

3. Get a third entry by sharing this giveaway with friends. Leave a third and final comment below telling us how you shared.

If you’re a WINNER, you will be contacted via email. Watch your inbox to ensure you don’t miss out. Winners will have 24 hours to respond.

Good luck, Lansing!

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FINE PRINT:

This giveaway will close on November 7, 2019, at midnight and the winners will be notified via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond by email accepting the prize. No purchase necessary to enter the contest. Leaving a comment on this blog post is not a requirement of entry. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to lansingfamilyfuncom and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used to enter the contest and notify winners. Entrants will release Facebook from all liability. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and reside in Michigan. Only one entry per household or IP address. Entrants may also enter the contest by sending an email to win at lansingfamilyfun dot com containing their name, address, phone number and email address along with the words: Fresh Thyme Giveaway in the subject line. Lansing Family Fun’s liability is limited to the value of the prize.

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143 thoughts on “WIN! A $75 Fresh Thyme Giveaway – And How I Got My Kids to Eat (Mostly) Healthy Lunches at School!”

  1. Monica

    My daughter would love to pick out any specialty cheese item such as smoked gouda, one of the fresh bakery croissants, easy peel orange and a package of seaweed snacks. She would also go for the plantain chips, salt water taffy, and sparkling water (Fresh Thyme brand)

      1. Christy Kalso

        My kids would love to pick out cheeses, cherry tomatoes, and fruit. The only 3 foods they all like, all of the time.

    3. Sara Ziegler

      Their make-your-own peanut butter is my toddler’s jam! Also, they have some awesome hummus and dip options that she loves to dip her Fresh Thyme veggies in. We love Fresh Thyme!

  11. Shannon

    One child would pick all fruits & veggies. Left to his own choices, the other would pick chips & candy.

    1. Tina

      Granola bars are a favorite. Cheese, meat and crackers (think homestyle lunchables). Mushrooms and olives.

  15. Sara Ziegler

    Shared to our local military spouse private Facebook group. Hopefully a few of my fellow spouses will join me in entering! Thank you for this opportunity!

  19. Holly H

    We love Fresh Thyme! My kids would choose Annie’s bunnies or Late July tortilla chips. Oh, and something from the bulk bins.

  23. Barbara O'Brien

    Just shopped at Fresh Thyme the other day for the first time. My girls loved the fresh fruit and of course the sweets.

  28. Beth Guy

    I have never been, but my kiddos love fruits and vegetables, little salads? Fresh fruit? They’d be up for any of it!!

  32. Rachel Mendez

    My daughter would love to use the kid-size cart at Fresh Thyme to shop for her lunches! She would pick from the fresh fruit, cheeses, bulk nuts, and a freshly squeezed juice from Fresh Thyme’s Juicery section!

  35. Kelsey Padgett

    We love the produce! We let each of our kids pick something out for the week. The kids love the fruit stand and the little carts.

  36. Lesley hartzler

    My kids would love to pick out lots of fresh fruit and veggies as well as some fresh bakery items 🙂

  42. Jennifer Kruger

    We’ve never been there so not sure what my sons favorite thing would be but probably any treat ?

  43. Maxwell etlinger

    We have never been to fresh thyme and would love to go! It has definitely been on my list to do. My oldest daughter just started her first year at elementary and she is a super picky eater and I also find a lot of her food uneaten when she gets home from school. I love your idea! That might just work and I will have to give it a go! Cheeses, lunch meat, and fruits like apples, oranges and bananas are some of my girls’ favorites!

  51. KyLee Dickinson

    Wow- theres a make your own peanut butter station? I’ve never noticed that before. My kiddos would love that for their lunches! The free fruit while you shop sometimes ends up in their lunch the next day if they’re already full when we go shopping!

  56. Jaimee Gillon

    My daughters LOVE fruits and most veggies! They also wouldn’t mind picking out a bread or pastry for fun 🙂

    1. Molly

      My kids would love picking out some fresh fruits. Great idea bringing kiddos to the store to help pick out what they want in lunches each week ?

  92. Jennifer Nobert

    My daughter would love peppers, tomatoes, and frozen peas! Soon would be all about the fresh peanut butter.

  94. Jill

    I like their healthy “lunchables”. My kids also love their premade salads which are so easy to pack!

  99. Barb Hedges

    My kids would love the great fresh fruit they offer in their lunches! I love shopping there on Wednesdays because it makes it all the more affordable!

  109. Mackenzie

    Kiddo would love to try the make your own nut butters. We have nut butter sandwiches way too often and it’d be nice to have some variety

Comments are closed.