GlamourByLBD Note: GlamourByLBD Note: Julie’s Back with great ideas to get your school year afternoons off to a winning start. Check in with Julie Broczkowski and learn more about the Magic Fridge at www.themagicfridge.com Julie is very positive, stylish, creative and just a joy to be around! And we both believe that food should taste great and make you well, not sick!
When the kids come scrambling through the door, loudly declaring that they are “starving” and can absolutely not wait until supper, here are a few quick ideas to have on hand…
Berry smoothies - buy frozen fruit or freeze your own in single-serving packets, and whiz it up with some milk and yogurt. Add some flax seed oil and protein powder to make a breakfast or occasional meal replacement.
Cream cheese roll-ups - Cream cheese spread on tortillas or thin pitas make a quick snack. Make your own flavoured cream cheese using cinnamon and sugar or a dip mix
Vegetables and fruit - a little dip can go a long way to getting some vegetation into your kids. Use yogurt or low-fat sour cream and low-salt, preservative-free mixes to ease your health-conscience. Make tiny fruit kebabs with toothpicks for a fun change.
Hot pizza dip - on a cool autumn afternoon, make this easy dip. A package of cream cheese spread on a glass pan, top with pizza sauce, your favourite toppings and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 min, and dip with chips or pita bread.
If lunches and after-school eating are a struggle, try some of these techniques to smooth the way…
1. Give kids choices - have several baskets with different lunch components, and let the kids choose one from each basket: for example, one for fruit, others for cereal bars, small treats, sandwich fillings, vegetables. Or have each child make a list of all “acceptable” foods that can be put in lunches. Update the list as tastes change.
2. If your child wants to buy lunch instead of brown-bagging, try putting them in charge of the cost. Give a set weekly amount, and let them either spend it on bought lunches or put it in their pocket if they take lunch from home.
3. A la Mary Poppins, try a “spoonful of sugar”… dips for fruit and veggies, a snack-size treat, compromising on bread or spreads if the sandwich fillings are healthy. Try adding food-processed carrots or zucchini to mayo-based sandwich fillings like tuna - if it’s small enough, they won’t pick it out, or maybe even not notice it!
4. Keep variety in lunches - always try new stuff, even if they haven’t liked it in the past.
5. Designate a cupboard and a fridge shelf as the snack zone and/or lunch zone. Kids will know to go there for after-school parent-approved food, and lunch-packing will be easier with everything in one or two places.
A couple of innovative lunchbox ideas:
Instead of sliced bread… make sandwiches with wraps or crackers, or even frozen waffles and hot dog buns. Frozen breads make for easier spreading and stay fresher.
Easy sliced apple idea that doesn’t go all brown in the lunchbox… Wedge an apple (you can get this extremely useful tool at kitchen stores or from The Pampered Chef). Remove the core but don’t take it all apart into the slices. Place it in a plastic bag or small bin and fill the hole with peanut butter or cream cheese and raisins. The spread and other pieces of apple will keep the cut parts from being exposed and going brown.
Recipe for a protein-filled snack bite to pack…
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup honey
Graham cracker crumbs
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except the graham cracker crumbs. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in the crumbs and refrigerate. Makes 24.
