It’s that time of year again! Kids are headed off to school, and parents across the country are trying to figure out what they can pack in lunchboxes (that their kids will actually eat). It can be stressful, especially juggling grocery costs, nutrition and concerns about how food impacts our planet and animals. Sadly, almost all animals raised for food in this country are suffering in cages or crates or are crowded together in pens.

Children learn from an early age that cows, pigs and chickens live outside on farms, but billions of animals on factory farms are warehoused indoors, never touching grass or enjoying the sun on their backs. The good news is you can opt for more humane options — higher-welfare meat and cheese and plant-based alternatives — and it’s a great opportunity to talk to your children about the importance of compassion for animals.

When grocery shopping for lunch ingredients, in addition to fruits and vegetables, look for cheese and meat brands that have a meaningful third-party welfare certification like Animal Welfare Approved, Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.) and Certified Humane, or plant-based alternatives to animal products. We’ve made back-to-school easier than ever with this list of more humane lunch foods:

Cheese

• Truly Family Farms™ grass-fed cheddar cheese is Animal Welfare Approved and comes in wedges or slices that are perfect for sandwiches.
• Babybel^® recently released a plant-based version of their snacking cheese, and GOOD PLANeT^® plant-based cheese cubes are snack-sized, too.
• Daiya™ and Violife both make vegan cheese slices in varieties including American, cheddar and provolone.

Deli slices

• Niman Ranch’s meats are Certified Humane®, including their deli ham, sliced prosciutto and Genoa salami.
• North Country Smokehouse’s organic oven-roasted deli turkey is Certified Humane.
• The Herbivorous Butcher has plant-based deli ham, capicola, roast beef, pastrami and turkey, all available to order online.
• Unreal Deli^® sells plant-based Roasted Turk’y, steak slices and Corn’d Beef online and in-store.

Hot dogs

• Teton Waters Ranch’s™ Teton Taste Buds line for kids includes Certified Humane grass-fed beef hot dogs.
• Fork in the Road’s™ Little Goodies are made with G.A.P. certified pasture-raised beef.
• Applegate^® has a chicken hot dog option: their organic uncured chicken hot dog is certified by G.A.P.

Nuggets

• SmartChicken^® organic Dino Nuggets are Certified Humane and gluten-free.
• NotCo has plant-based dino-shaped chicken nuggets.
• Alpha Foods^® and Jack & Annie’s^® nuggets are made of plant-based chicken.

Yogurt

• Redwood Hill Farm^® goat yogurt is Certified Humane, as are Green Valley Lactose Free’s organic yogurt and kefir.
• Cocojune and Culina yogurts are a plant-based yogurt alternative, both made with coconut.

Meals

• Banza^® gluten-free and vegan mac and cheese and Clo-Clo^® veggie pizzas are two plant-based pizza options.
• Goodles^® Vegan Is Believin’ mac and cheese uses plant-based white cheddar.

For more welfare-certified and plant-based products for your whole household, visit our Shop With Your Heart Grocery List, and be the first to learn about new products and how you can help farm animals by joining our Factory Farming Task Force!