Healthy lunch box

Packing lunch boxes can be a huge stress for parents and many of us are at loss what to make. I usually start thinking about lunches the day before but never get around to do these until the morning, when I only have about 15min to make them. 

Sandwich has been a staple school lunch for my daughter for some time as for many here in Holland.  I try to keep it healthy and done variation of the fillings; tuna, boiled egg, hummus, avocado etc.  Recently however she has gotten bored with bread and asked for alternatives (yay!). 

Bread, especially refined wheat (where that bran is removed), has little nutritional value as the processing removes fibre, minerals and vitamins.  Eating white bread does little to support your child's energy levels and mood.  Wheat can also cause digestive issues. If making a sandwich, choose  wholegrain or spelt bread.  

This morning I made really easy and simple egg muffins.

Yummy Egg Muffins (makes 6. 5min to prepare)

5 organic eggs

Splash of almond milk

Handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped

Half a red pepper, chopped

Whisk the eggs and milk together. Add the chopped vegetables and mix. Pour into muffin tray and bake in 200C for about 15-20min until golden on top.  

Chocolaty Energy Balls

I made these little bites for a client who recently had a baby.  These are packed with protein and good fats to keep  energy levels up and raw cacao (high in magnesium and antioxidants) to give extra nutrient boost.  

A perfect little snack when tiredness hits or when out & about with the little one.

Pure deliciousness!  

Make 12.

1 cup of mixed nuts (I used raw cashews and macadamias)

8 Medjool dates, pitted

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp hemp seeds

1 tbsp raw cacao

Blend all ingredients in food processor until well combined.  Roll balls with your hands and pop in a freezer to firm up.  You can also roll the balls in a shredded coconut.  

Chocolaty Energy Balls

Gluten-Free Gingerbreads!

I took my grandmother's old gingerbread recipe and changed it to gluten-free and less sugary.  The kids love cutting out the shapes (if you don't mind bit of mess!).  The smell is so Christmassy!  

Makes around 25-30

100g of organic butter (or use coconut oil for dairy-free)

100ml of organic maple syrup

500g of gluten-free flour – I used about 200g of buckwheat, 300g almond flour. 

1 tsp of baking soda

Pinch of ground black pepper

Spices: I used 1 tablespoon of koek & speculaas mix (Albert Heijn).  You can also make your own mix: 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground clove, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cardamom

1. Put butter / coconut oil, spices and maple syrup in a pan.  Stir and bring to boil only for a few seconds. Take off heat and let it cool.
2. Mix baking soda and flour.  Add this in with butter mix and mix until the dough is solid.  If you need, add little more flour.    
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
4. Take a piece at a time and soften it with your hands on a floured surface.  Roll dough out around 5mm thickness and cut out shapes.  Use more flour on the surface or rolling pin if dough’s getting sticky. 
5. Bake gingerbreads at 200C for about 8-10min, until slightly browned.  
6. Let gingerbreads cool down.
7. For icing: I used 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of almond flour and 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter and blended all together. Decorate with raisins and cranberries. 

Christmas baking 

Energize Your Morning!

A healthy morning shapes up your entire day. Not only it will give you plenty nutrients to keep going all day but also lifts your mood!  Here are my 5 tips how to create a healthier morning:

1. Give yourself a head start.  Night before make the kids lunch boxes, choose clothing for next day and set the table for breakfast. This saves you time and less stress!
2. Wake up 15 minutes earlier. Slowly wake up, take a moment to think what you would like to achieve that day.  Avoid checking your emails the first thing as these can cause rise in stress levels. 
3. Do gentle stretching in bed before getting up.  This gives your body a nice gently wake-up call.
4. Make yourself a cup of warm water, slice of ginger and lemon.  This warming and energizing drink wakes up your digestives system and gives your immune system a boost. 
5. Eat breakfast!  Your body needs refuelling after a sleep so make it nutritious.  Have a a protein-based breakfast; oatmeal with seeds and berries, scrambled eggs with spinach or a green smoothie with chia seeds.  

Super Simple Cookies

I saw this super simple cookie recipe at http://www.vanelja.com/ which has fantastic healthy recipes (although all in Finnish!) and wanted to try them out.  I added a few extras -  vanilla extract and raw cacao nibs.  

My kids loved doing these and although they don't look very much, they are delicious!

Makes 8.

• 1 ripe banana
• 200g of shredded coconut
• half a teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Half handful of raw cacao nibs on top

1. Line baking tray with baking paper. Preheat oven to 175 degrees.
2. Mash or blend bananas till mushy and add all the other ingredients (except cacao nibs). Blend until smooth dough.
3. Take a tablespoon and roll the dough into ball.  Put it on baking paper and flatten.  Sprinkle cacao nibs on top. 
4. Bake for 15-20min until golden.  

Back to school - Healthy Breakfast & Lunch Ideas

Summer holidays are coming to end and school is about to start.  You may be feeling anxious about preparing quick and healthy breakfast and packed school lunches. Below I have put some easy tips that don't take much time to prepare and provide plenty nutrients. 

Breakfast: 

Healthy breakfast 

1. Apple & cinnamon porridge.  Soak oats in little apple juice over night in the fridge and next morning cook it in little water in a pan for a few minutes. Add little cinnamon and top with almond milk and berries.  Sprinkle with little ground flaxseeds or chopped nuts if kids are okay with that!  

2. Boiled egg on wholewheat / spelt toast

3. Breakfast super-smoothie: 1 banana, small handful of spinach,  sprinkle of chia seeds (1tsp) with 1-2 cups of almond milk.  

Packed lunch

1. Wholewheat sandwich with boiled egg / grated cheese and apple / smoked salmon & avocado

2. Wholewheat pasta or brown rice salad: steamed broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, tuna. Use leftover pasta or rice to make this salad to minimise preparation time. 

3. Frittata with peas, red pepper and little cheese. 

4. Sushi.  You can make your own although this can be quite time consuming.  Best to buy from delis or proper sushi places as the sushi in the shops can be full of additives. 

I also put some chopped vegetables with the packed lunch.  You can use carrots, cucumber, peppers or cherry tomatoes.