Kids Lunchbox Tips
Kids Lunch Boxes-
Home made Chicken schnitzel & pre packaged coleslaw just add mayonnaise.. I buy chicken tenderloins and cut them so they are thinner, that way they cook quicker or I buy breasts and slice them thinly length ways. To crumb them I put them in flour then into egg then into crumbs. I always put them into the fridge for 10 mins or more so the crumb stays on when I fry them. I use Rice bran oil for frying. I make a big batch we eat some for dinner with salad and then they go into lunches or are in the fridge for when someone says “I’m hungry what can I eat”
Rice paper rolls- Store bought chicken, pre-packaged coleslaw mix, cucumber, glass noodles Vermicelli noodles.
You can make up a lot on Sunday afternoon pop in the fridge in a container separated by baking paper so they don’t stick together. Dipping sauce of sweet chilli or soy sauce.
Savoury Muffins- 2 cups of SR Flour, 2-3 eggs, Parmesan cheese, can of corn kernels, 2 zucchinis grated, finely chopped spinach, 2 rashers bacon finely sliced or ham…. This will make a lot of muffins depending on the size of your muffin tins. So you can either make the muffins and freeze or make up enough for a few days then freeze the rest of the mixture.
Pour pépitas over the top. Why Pepitas? They are full of zinc & magnesium.
Or veggie fritters using regular flour or besan flour (chickpea flour) Grated zucchini corn kernels couple of eggs sliced spinach, parsley. There are a bunch of combinations you could add to these…Lots of different recipes to google. Then add dipping sauce-
Plain yoghurt with mint, Plain yogurt & coriander, Plain yoghurt with a clove of garlic and grated cucumber
Pasta salads- cooked pasta with cherry tomatoes, olives, fetta cheese and a dressing.
Pesto pasta- cooked pasta with pesto. 1 bunch of Basil, half a block of grated parmesan, 1 clove of garlic, squeeze of lemon, olive oil and usually pine nuts but I have also used cashews or macadamia nuts. All in the food processor and add olive oil until you like the consistency. You can also have this on toast or as a dip.
Hummus and crackers or veg sticks.
Cold fried rice- Cold rice is the key to making fried rice.. So cook rice the day before your going to make a fried rice….2 cups of rice… My method is 3 eggs mixed together and I pour this into my wok with a fair amount of very hot oil. This makes the egg cook very quickly and bubble up. Remove egg from wok and leave to the side..(cut into small pieces)
In goes onion & garlic & bacon bits. Cook until onion is cooked.
Or you could use chicken, store bought roast chicken shredded.
Then add whatever you like- diced carrots, eschallots, peas and corn (frozen is fine) cook all of that then add your rice into the wok and your egg mix it all through and then at the very end I add in my Tamari (Tamari is just like soy sauce but doesn’t have gluten in it) But you could use soy sauce.
Potato salad and cold meat- My potato salad- 1kg of potatoes, I use new potatoes that are already washed. Cut them into bite size and boil with salt until cooked but still firm. 3-4 boiled eggs.
Let them cool then cover with dressing.
Dressing- About a cup of mayo, juice of whole a lemon, half a bunch of dill finely chopped, 2 tablespoon’s of capers diced and 2 tablespoons of Cornichons diced (baby cucumbers) a clove of garlic and half a red onion very finely sliced or diced. (Optional)
“My kids were happier to eat salads when they liked the dressing. Its all about the dressing…”
One they like is Olive oil, apple cider vinegar,
1 tsp seeded mustard, clove of garlic and maple syrup.
Any dressing is 3:1 3 parts oil and 1 part acid.
Or half cup of olive oil.
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of Orange juice
1 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of lime juice
The zest of all three fruits.
Murray river salt is my pick for salts.
Stick to the outside of the supermarket for fresh wholefoods
Just walk up the toilet paper and spice isles.
It is recommended that we eat 2 serves of fruit a day and 5-7 serves of vegetables.
A serve is half a cup.
Try to eat one veg for breakfast, two for lunch and 3 for dinner…
That could look like Mushrooms for breakfast tomato and cucumber for lunch and 3 veg for dinner
The 1,2,3 method 1 @ breakfast 2 @ lunch and 3 for dinner.
Eating a rainbow at each meal will contribute to a diverse range of foods being eaten and therefore a diverse micro-biome (Your micro-biome is your gut)
If we eat the same foods week in and out we are missing out on vital Nutrients.
At the very least having at least one fermented food a day is beneficial obviously eating more is better. Fermented foods are Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso. You can buy sauerkraut & kimchi or make your own…
A small amount of protein at each meal, helps to fill you up and stop snacking.
Snacking is fine provided you have healthy snacks on hand. Nuts, boiled eggs, matchbox size of cheese, fruit, carrot, a cucumber with salt & pepper. Hummus and celery sticks. Celery stick with peanut paste in the middle, plain yoghurt and fruit.
Batch cooking saves time and money and makes for less cooking every night.
If I’m going to make a lasagne I make two. If you’re going to make a curry make double to freeze.
Eat one for dinner use leftovers for lunch and then freeze the other one in portions.
