Category: Snack
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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.
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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.
Cinnamon Maple Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are what the moniker implies - oats soaked in a liquid of choice overnight until they are softened into a pudding-like consistency, presenting themselves as the perfect canvas for additions and toppings like fruits, nuts, sweeteners and spices! The most fun aspect of this dish is getting your kid to make breakfast with you the night before. Talk about serious skin in the game.
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.
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.
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.
Coconut Chia Pudding
Nutrition
Chia means 'strength' and chia seeds are a superfood for good reason. They are high in calcium - 2 tablespoons contain 180 mg of calcium, the same as 4oz of milk! They also have plant-based omega-3 fats, quality protein, fiber and anti-oxidants. They are a great addition to smoothies, salads, breakfast bars and puddings. Here, they marry beautifully with coconut milk and fiber, protein and calcium-rich rolled oats for a decadent pudding that takes seconds to prepare.
Spiced Banana Oat Chia Muffins
I woke up from a nap yesterday with an intense muffin craving. It's been a week of clean eating so I didn't want to sabotage myself and toddler with added sugar nastiness. I decided to create 'healthy' muffins with oats, bananas, spices, and NO WHITE SUGAR. These are definitely gently versus cloyingly sweet but they absolutely hit the spot. I made them again for breakfast today and given toddler and papa's reaction, I'll be adding them to the 'healthy family favorite' list.
Spiced Spelt Pancakes
Nutrition
These pancakes are real nutritious powerhouses you can feel good about devouring.
Containing spelt, also known as 'The Grandfather of Wheat', is an ancient grain and wheat's healthier distant cousin. Spelt has more nutrients per calorie than wheat and because it still has gluten, albeit a more easily digestible form, it can be swapped into any recipe calling for wheat without really compromising texture. Spelt is rich in niacin (vitamin B3) which is important for energy metabolism, among other functions. It is a good source of minerals like copper, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus as well as the trace mineral manganese which helps regulate blood sugar, thyroid function and bones. Spelt has loads of soluble fiber and is easier to digest than wheat. The complex carbohydrates in spelt are of the good kind -- known as mucopolysaccharides, they can boost immune function! Chia seeds are a true superfood filled with fiber, protein and omega-3 fats which are anti-inflammatory and have a plethora of beneficial effects including aiding neuronal and eye development as well as lowering triglycerides in the blood and boosting heart health. Kids don't mind them for they are teeny tiny and undetected in most recipes.
Meet the spices
