Category: Lunch Box
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Sumac Hummus
Hummus is my best friend on a lazy day (and all days). It is delicious, satisfying, healthy and versatile. In a pinch, it makes for the perfect kid lunch, slathered into a pita pocket with some chopped avocado thrown in. A large dollop with oven-roasted potatoes and sautéed greens makes for a very happy dinner and my son and his friends love dipping veggie sticks into it for a snack! I like it best on its own straight from the fridge, it's creaminess deceiving me into thinking I'm enjoying a forbidden treat.
Packed with plant-based protein, good-for-you fats, iron, zinc, potassium, B vitamins like folate and gut-friendly fibre, this creamy classic from the Middle East can be yours to lap up in less than minutes. It's tempting to buy but ridiculously easy to make and even more delicious in its DIY version.
Without further ado, let's get blending.
By 
Old Bay Chicken Tenders
Old Bay is a classic American spice blend that is particularly popular on the East Coast of the US as well as in the South. Created by a German immigrant in the 1930s in Maryland, it contains myriad spices like celery salt, bay leaf, black pepper, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg and more and, to it's many fans, is one of those immediately identifiable flavours you can't get enough of. Usually paired with crab or shrimp, my husband decided to try it to enliven his take on Chicken Milanesa and the results were rather satisfying. If you can't find Old Bay, you can use sweet Spanish paprika, salt and pepper for an equally pleasing effect.
Spiced Granola
I must admit I've usually bought granola, thinking it's too complicated to make on my own, but boy was I wrong! Homemade granola is so easy to whip up and so much more nutritious and delicious when you play around with add ins yourself. Not to mention the irresistible aroma that floods your kitchen when its baking. It also makes for a thoughtful gift for a friend and is ideal for travel. I am sure this will become a breakfast and snack staple in your household just as it has in ours.
Spiced Carrot Muffins
Baking with vegetables is a genius idea for three wonderful reasons - added nutrition, natural sweetness and moisture. Carrots, in particular, are the perfect addition to cakes, muffins and breads. I created these whole grain, omega-3 fatty acid-rich, refined sugar-free, spiced carrot muffins to make my mornings less stressful, more nutritious and delicious.
Chocolate Cinnamon Energy Bites
Magnesium is an incredibly important mineral and most adults and kids today don’t get enough. To help your family get their magnesium in the most delicious way, I created these Energy Bites. One nom and you'll wonder how something that tastes so good can be so good for you! Each ball contains 33 mg of magnesium or 41% of the recommended daily intake for 1-3 year olds! My 4 year old and the rest of the family, for that matter, are absolutely addicted.
Chinese Five Spice Meatballs
Science Corner
The virus-fighting compound shikimic acid from star anise, ginger and fennel and quercetin from red onion and apple makes these delicious meatballs anti-viral bundles of deliciousness. Studies have shown that these two molecules together have potent virus combatting effects - in fact, shikimic acid is the starting point for the production of the world's best known anti-viral drug, Tamiflu! The next time the unwanted viral visitor shows, you know what to make. (Our Spice Spice Baby signature Pho recipe is also a delicious option)!
Spiced Potato Patties
Here I present a nutritious version of my beloved childhood potato cake that is ideal for the lunchbox and the family table. Cooled in the lunchbox, these energising patties provide resistant starch that feed the friendly bugs in our colon, promoting digestive and overall health and vitality. Enjoyed hot or cold, they are brimming with complex carbohydrate for sustained energy as well as B and C vitamins, highly absorbable minerals, complete protein and fibre. Spiced lightly with digestion boosting and iron-rich cumin, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer turmeric and anti-bacterial cilantro, these are 'I can't believe it's good for me' delicious. I hope your kids love them as much as we do.
Potato Salmon Salad
Loosely inspired by the traditional salade nicoise, this cold potato, veggie and salmon salad with a honey sweetened tahini honey or honey mustard vinaigrette was the first salad toddler EVER ate so I had to share it here. This versatile option allows the incorporation of cooked and cooled potatoes into your kid's diet in a healthy and fun way. You can serve it with one of the suggested dressings as a traditional salad or as finger food with a side of our favourite hummus or any veggie dip your family loves.
Curry Egg Salad
Science Corner
Eggs contain choline which is extremely important for brain and memory development. At only 75 calories, an egg has 6 grams of high quality, complete protein (as in, containing all 9 essential amino acids) as well as iron, vitamins like B12, D, riboflavin and folate, minerals and carotenoids that are vital for eye development and vision. The egg is therefore a tiny nutritional powerhouse. But what about all that cholesterol?! While it's true that eggs do contain a meaningful helping of cholesterol, experts agree that it's not cholesterol in food but saturated and trans fats in the diet that causes blood cholesterol to be elevated. So go ahead and enjoy those nutrient-dense eggs - one a day is considered safe for healthy people. I skip the mayo and substitute calcium and protein-rich, creamy Greek yoghurt here for a super nutritious and healthy version of this favorite.
Chocolate Cardamom Energy Balls
This past rainy weekend brought with it an intense chocolate craving and my stash was out. In a moment of desperation, I whipped up these ‘laddoos’ or energy balls with the only chocolate I had on hand - raw cacao . I wasn't expecting fireworks but boy oh boy were these AMAZING. Packed with protein, iron, calcium, fiber, anti-oxidants and a host of other nutrients, these cardamom chocolate energy balls have become toddler's favorite snack.
Meet the spices
