With the school holidays drawing to a close and school about to start, parents are faced again with the dilemma of making school lunches. With the many school regulations in place that dictate what can go into your child's lunch box as well as ever fussy children the most important thing to ensure is that your children are getting a balanced diet throughout the day.
It is very easy to substitute healthy homemade lunch options with convenient pre-packaged lunch snacks especially when your children are not fussed on much of the standard lunch fare. However, it is really important to remember that as parents we are responsible for what our kids eat. Back to school time can therefore be a timely reminder of what Nutritionists say should be included in a healthy lunch box. A lunch box should always include the following:
- At least 2 pieces of fruit (fresh, dried or tinned)
- At least 1 serve of dairy food such as yoghurt, milk or cheese.
- At least 3 -4 serves of carbohydrate rich foods such as bread, crispbread, rice crackers / wafers, grain and fruit based bars, past etc.
- A Drink - It is really important to ensure that your child remains hydrated throughout the day. Water is the best option not cordial or sugar based drinks.
My child is a fussy eater that will not eat sandwiches for lunch. I have tried but have had to come up with alternatives to bread. The recipes below are those which I have tried and enjoyed and hopefully your children will too. Yummy.
Vietnamese rice paper rolls recipe
These rice-paper rolls can be made a few hours in advance. Simply cover with damp paper towels, the plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Ingredients:
- 12 x 22cm round rice papers
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into short thin strips
- 1 small red capsicum, cut into short, thin strips
- 1 large carrot, cut into short thin strips
- 1 small avocado, cut into short thin slices
- 50 grams snow pea sprouts, ends trimmed
- 3/4 cup coriander leaves
- 3/4 cup mint leaves
- 55 grams unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons Maggi Sweet Chilli Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Method: These rice-paper rolls can be made a few hours in advance. Simply cover with damp paper towels, the plastic wrap, and refrigerate. To make the dipping sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Place all the ingredients for the rice paper rolls on a bench. Half-fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper in the water for 20 seconds, or until it is just soft. Drain off excess water and place on a clean surface. Place a few pieces of each of the remaining ingredients on the wrapper, about 3cm (1¼ in) from the base. Fold up the bottom of the wrapper. Fold in the sides and roll up to enclose filling. Place on a tray and cover with damp paper towels. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling ingredients. Serve rice-paper rolls with the dipping sauce
Cheese and vegemite scrolls recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups self-raising flour
- ½ cup wholemeal flour
- 80g butter
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon vegemite, heaped
- 1 tablespoon milk
Method: Preheat oven to 200°C. In a medium bowl, combine both flours and butter.
Using your fingertips, rub the butter through the flours until you have a breadcrumb consistency, then add ¾ of the cheese combination and milk and work into a dough ball with your hands.
When these ingredients are combined, lightly flour your kitchen bench and gently push the dough out into a rectangle, approx 1 cm in depth.
Spread vegemite evenly over the top of the dough and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Roll the dough into a long rope shape, rolling it away from you. When you have a rope of dough cut it into eight equal rounds and place them on a lined baking tray. Brush with milk.
Bake for 20 minutes then remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
Smart Slice
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon golden syrup
4 1/2 tablespoons reduced-fat spread
1/3 cup castor sugar
5 Weet-Bix or similar biscuit-type cereal, crumbled
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups coconut
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup boiling water
Icing:
juice 1 lemon
1/2 cup icing sugar
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt syrup, spread and sugar in a saucepan. Add crumbled cereal biscuits and flour. Combine. Add remaining ingredients, except water. Stir till combined then add hot water and mix well. If needed, add extra hot water.
Step 2
Using wet hands, press mixture into a greased sponge-roll tin and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 3
To make icing, mix lemon juice into icing sugar. Add a few drops of water if necessary and drizzle icing over top of golden biscuit base. Slice into bars.
Variations
Try different combinations of fruits and nuts, other spices such as ginger, or add chocolate chips and ice with chocolate icing.
