Simple Brain-Healthy Lunch Idea for Back to School: Cucumber, Avocado & Tomato Salad
This tomato, cucumber, avocado salad is crunchy, fresh and simple to make. Perfect for back to school!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Abbott.
We are just a few short weeks away from back to school,and I am a little torn.. We’ve had a great summer so far and I’ve truly enjoyed every minute of it. I really don’t want it to end. But I also know my kids are craving the routine and structure that school brings.
We have been slowly getting ourselves back into our school routine. Buying school supplies, being mindful of bedtimes, and trying testing out some new options for our school lunches.
Any parent knows, packing school lunches can tricky. And I have reached the point where I am done with the overly complicated lunches. So I am trying to have my boys lead the way in packing school lunches – using some of their favorite things.
Surprisingly, my boys would sit and eat cucumber slices as if they were chips. I decided to use that to my advantage when making them this Cucumber, Avocado, and Tomato Salad. I also had them help me put it all together. I have found when I involve them in the process, they are more likely to actually eat it!
And the best part of this salad? It’s rich in lutein! not only benefits eye health, but, emerging research shows it may also enhance learning and memory. Which makes it perfect for back to school! A recent study by Abbott and the University of Illinois at the Center for Nutrition Learning & Memory showed children with higher levels of lutein did better on academic exams.
Where can you find lutein? In leafy vegetables, egg yolks, avocados and more! Lutein doesn’t just help kids, mom and dad need it too! In fact, Matthew Kuchan, a discovery scientist studying nutrition and brain health at Abbott says “”We are finding that lutein is beneficial for brain health at every age,” says Kuchan. “And, through our research we can say — consuming more lutein when you’re younger may help you stay sharp later in life.”. This salad is a great way to give a healthy dose of lutein to the whole family!
Cucumber, Avocado & Tomato Salad
Simple Lunch Idea for Back to School: Cucumber, Avocado & Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of chopped tomatoes
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Chop tomatoes and cucumber into a medium dice. Add to a bowl.
- Remove pit, dice avocado and using a spoon scoop out the avocado from the peel. Add to bowl.
- Cube mozzarella and add to bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar..
- Lightly toss so mozzarella and avocado don’t break up.
If you are looking for fun and easy ways to integrate lutein-rich foods, check out Abbott’s Brain-Healthy Foods List! You’ll find everything you need to help you with everyday meal planning with your kids in mind.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Abbott.
