MY 2019 TOP 5 SCHOOL LUNCH BOX HACKS

The party is over. The summer holidays have whizzed by and a new school year is upon us. For this beach bum mum who loves her lazy sleep ins and long, loose, languid, unstructured days frolicking in the ocean with her kiddies, I can assure you that early morning rises, gun-to-the-head time pressures and ferrying kids around like a taxi driver, ain’t a welcome change. 

I can’t guarantee that the emotional and physical transition back to school  will be an easy one for you either, but I can assure you that with some basic fridge, freezer and pantry staples, and my top 5 school lunch box hacks,  you'll be quizzing around the kitchen like a wholefoods ninja, whipping up nutrient-dense lunchboxes that provide your little chimps with all the energy and building blocks they need to learn, play and concentrate all day without energy dips:

HACK 1: Get organised with containers

1. Rectangular and square leak-proof stainless steel lunch boxes with removable dividers. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder. I love the quadrangle ones because I can ensure that ¾ of what goes into my kids’ lunch boxes is vegetables and ¼ is protein. I simply remove the divider when packing a salad. 

2. Nesting trio of 3 round leak-proof stainless steel lunch box containers. Super handy for morning tea. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder

3. Insulated food jars to keep food cold (e.g. yogurt) or hot (soups, broth, bolognaise, minced meat, stews). Sold at Broth Bar & Larder. Hot tip to keep food hot for longer: fill with boiling water to warm the container up, discard the water and add in the hot food. 

4. Stainless steel (not plastic!) water bottles: buy online from Klean Kanteen or selected homeware stores like Kings of Knives and organic stores. Kings of Knives also sell the spouts separately if you loose one and I also recommend replacing all of the spouts periodically as bacteria can harbour in the spouts. Glass water bottles are another option but there’s the breakage factor (Miss M learnt that one the hard way!) and also the issue with extra weight to lug around. 

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Hack 2: have a selection of quality protein on hand

1. Activated nuts and seeds: if permitted at schools, organic activated nuts are not only delicious but high in protein and ranked as the 3rd most-nutrient dense food on the planet according to the Mat Lalonde nutrient-density scale. The older grades are becoming more and more relaxed about nuts so these are making their way into my kids’ school lunch boxes in more recent years. Even if nuts are not permitted, seeds like pepitas and sunflower seeds are permitted  (the ex lawyer in me loves a loop hole!).  Our organic activated black pepitas come in nifty little 30g snack packs perfect for kids’ school lunches. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder or via our online store.

2. Gruyere or Reggio raw milk cheeses: still made with 100% raw milk world-wide. Perfect to team with fruit for morning tea or can be the protein part of lunch. We sell these at Broth Bar & Larder by weight so you can buy as little or as much as you need.

3. All other organic full fat cheese: I always keep a stash of other organic full fat cheeses in my fridge to have on hand. They will each contain different probiotics so ideally rotate between them. Eg gouda (high in vitamin K2), haloumi (pan fry), cheddar, brie, camembert etc. Purchase from organic stores. 

4. Preservative-free cured meats from Bundarra Berkshires: we sell 2 varieties at at Broth Bar & Larder:  Little French Hamv and sliced hamdr.

5. The Canadian Way wild smoked salmon: delicious to throw into a salad to make wild smoked salad or to throw into lunch boxes as is dressed with lemon juice. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder. Beware that pretty much all (if not all) other smoked salmon in Australia is farmed. Read more here. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder. I keep a stash in my freezer to pull out from the night before. 

6. Anchovies: buy from supermarkets or organic stores ensuring that they are marinated in olive oil and not vegetable oil or canola oil. Easy to throw into a salad.

7. Other tinned fish: buy wild tinned fish from supermarkets or organic stores ensuring that they are either in brine or marinated in olive oil and not vegetable oil or canola oil.  BPA-free tinned wild fish sold online from Vital Choice. Easy to throw into a salad or can be eaten straight from the tin.

8. Preservative-free beef jerky from Kooee made from 100% grass fed meat and spices. 3 varieties sold at Broth Bar & Larder.

9. Cleavers paleo sausages and meat balls: I keep a stash of frozen ones in my freezer to pull out when needed and fry up the night before as part of dinner with extra for school lunches. 

10. Full fat unsweetened yogurt made by Bondi Yogurt sold at Broth Bar & Larder. I also like the Meredith sheeps milk yogurt sold at organic /health food stores. For our dairy-free friends, an unsweetened probiotic-rich coconut yogurt made by Bondi Yogurt is also sold at Broth Bar & Larder.

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Hack 3: Have a selection of fresh vegetables & fruit on hand

1. Fresh vegetables: buy from your local farmers market or organic stores. At a minimum I try to have in my crisper drawer at all times some cucumbers, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery and some salad greens. Left over veggies (make more steamed/roasted veg from the night before), thinly sliced radishes, raw fennel and cooked and cooled potatoes are nice too for variety. Mix things up as the human body LOVES variety!

2. Olives:  black olives in brine are sold at Broth Bar & Larder. If you buy marinated olives please read the label or ask if they are marinated in vegetable oils like canola oil – and if so avoid like the plague!

3. Pickles: sugar-free pickles from Handsome Devils are sold at Broth Bar & Larder. 

4. Raw fermented vegetables:  3 varieties sold at Broth Bar & Larder. Easy to throw into a salad.

5. Nori seaweed: let’s not forget sea vegetables and their richness in nutrients like iodine not found as abundantly in land vegetables. Remember that diversity is key and the human body wants a diversity of (real, whole) foods. My kids LOOOOVE nori. I buy from organic nori from organic/health stores and be sure that it contains only one ingredient – nori- because most brands now coat the nori in vegetable oils. 

6. Fresh fruit: I always have a few pieces of seasonal fresh fruit on hand for morning teas that I team with yogurt, cheese, cream or some other quality protein/fat source (this teaming is important because fruit and veggies contain fat soluable vitamins and minerals meaning that they need to be teamed with quality fats or proteins for those vitamins and minerals to be assimilated /absorbed in the body. Secondly a quality fat/protein source will help slow down the release of blood sugars from the fruit to avoid insulin spikes and crashes).  I also have some fruit berries in my freezer (when I’ve no fresh fruit) to serve on top of yogurt. 

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Hack 4: Have some crap-free nutrient-dense sweets on hand for the occasional treat

1. Bliss Balls: sweetened only with dates and no concentrated sweeteners and loaded with healthy brain-boosting and energy-giving saturated fats, these come in 3 different flavours: raw cacao, choc orange (my kids’ fav!!), and activated nut. The first 2 flavours are completely nut free! Sold at Broth Bar & Larder or via our online store.

2. Gummies: these come in 2 flavours and are made with 100% grass-fed gut-loving beef gelatin made by Gelatin Australia, organic raspberries or mangos and pure Canadian maple syrup. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder.

3. Carob bears: available in the original 2 ingredient flavour or in mint flavour (infused with Young Living food-grade peppermint essential oil) , these are completely free of sweeteners and dates = guilt free! Yay! Sold at Broth Bar & Larder.

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Hack 5: if you can prep it from the night before do it!

1. Fill water bottles (don’t forget to add that pinch of salt) and pop straight into school bags.

2. Chop veggies or add leftover dinner into lunch boxes.

3. Fill insulated containers with yogurt etc etc

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And one last tip…

To become a lunchbox pro, check out my SCHOOL LUNCHBOX INSPIRATION ebook where I will share with you robust nutritional theory, my secret tips and tricks, school lunch and morning tea “formulas” for success, teamed with pictures of nutrient-dense, grain-free, processed food free lunch boxes.

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But wait…where’s the grains?

Despite grains being ubiquitous in society and especially prevalent in kids’ lunchboxes (from sandwiches, bagels, muffins, crackers, and much like sugar sneaks into just about everything in between) the truth of the matter is that no we don’t need grains to survive and in fact thrived for 2.6 million years on this planet as hunter gatherers without the advent of grains. Hence why the above 5 tips don’t include them as a daily staple in my kids’ lunchboxes. That’s not to say that my kids don’t ever eat grains as I do offer them the occasional piece of organic sourdough bread or soaked rice porridge or other grains properly prepared. However this is the exception to the rule and I prefer to fill them up with more nutrient-dense foods rather than empty fillers. Learn all about safe grains (especially gluten), why grains need to be  properly prepared,  who can consume them and in what circumstances, in my upcoming Food as Medicine talk or one on one health coaching session. 

And don't forget to check out my social media posts to see what my monkeys are taking with them to school each day. See social media platforms below.

inspiring parents to raise vibrantly healthy kids one nutrient-dense mouthful at a time!

...but do you know HOW to “JERF?”

I love this quote and it does summarise how we should be eating as a species BUT what causes confusion for many people is the finer (and no less important) detail of the SOURCE, the PROCESSING, the PROPER PREPARATION and the MACRONUTRIENT RATIOS of that real food. 

For example, raw honey is a real food but how much concentrated sweeteners should we be having a day? Spinach is a real food but do you know it shouldn’t be eaten raw? Meat is a real food but how many people consider that its nutritional value is entirely dependent on what the cows ate? Nuts are real food, but conventional nuts are one of the most heavily sprayed food items and moreover nuts need to be prepared in a certain way to make them digestible and absorbed. Fish oil and olive oil are real foods but their processing spans the spectrum to such a degree that they could be either rancid or powerfully medicinal. Ditto chocolate. Getting the balance (macronutrient ratios) of real food can also have a profound effect on your metabolism and health. If don’t get that balance right (e.g. eat too many real-food carbohydrates), optimal health and weight will be out of reach. 

If you’ve switched to a real foods diet but aren’t getting the results you want (looking and feeling your vibrant best!) it’s these finer details that can make a huge impact. 

So “just eating real food” is really only one part of dietary puzzle. I see so many people really struggling with the “HOW do I just eat real food?” This is where I come in and provide you with comprehensive yet concise fact sheets, information and education in my one on one health coaching sessions with exactly the same information being relayed (at a fraction of the price) in my FOOD AS MEDICINE TALKS. 

Next cities in the Australian Food As Medicine tour: 

Adelaide 16 Feb
Sydney 2 & 3 Mar
Byron Bay 13 Apr
Gold Coast 14 Apr

Make 2019 the year to really demystify any confusion you might have around what is real food and how to eat it to really optimise your health and well-being. After all, sourcing, preparing, and eating real food should be an enjoyable, easy and nourishing experience for our species on every level. 

How healthy is your relationship with food?

There’s nothing like travelling to test your relationship with food. 

Many many years ago when I learnt about the dangers of refined sugar, refined gluten and industrial seed oils and the importance of proper food sourcing and preparation (all of which I discuss at length in my health coaching sessions) I found myself becoming quite stressed and anxious about eating out or the kids being given food with questionable ingredients by well meaning family, friends and teachers. I could feel the cortisol rise in my body at the prospect of me or my kids ingesting something that was scientifically proven to be harmful. This really hit home after I had kids because the nurturer in me just wanted to protect my bubbas from toxins and anything that could harm their little systems, and there was nothing like stepping into motherhood that increased my desire to be the healthiest version of myself so I could best care for my children who are so dependent upon me. 

But the irony is that stress is more toxic than the most toxic food. And stressing over food is just as bad if not worse than any physiological effect that the food in question can have on your body. In extreme cases stressing over food can develop into orthorexia- where the thought of food and it’s effect on your body becomes all consuming and your relationship with food degenerates to a constant stress. Obviously this ain’t healthy and many of us experience it - myself included to a degree- when you start out on your health and wellness journey and realise that the diet you’ve been eating up to that point in your life (as promoted as healthy to us by mainstream dietetics) may in fact have been the contributing cause of your health crises.

Here’s where I got to: yes we need to educate ourselves on the source and processing of our food and to be conscious about the effects of processed foods on our body. Yes we need to make good food choices where we can and healthy swap all the crap with nutrient dense versions. But unless you want to live in a bubble, there are inevitably going to be certain times (such as travelling or visiting well meaning friends and family) when you or your kids are going to eat - either consciously or unwittingly - ingredients that you wouldn’t usually eat by choice in your own home. And here’s the kicker: you need to make peace with that. You need to take the stress out of that situation and surrender to what is and accept the fact that sometimes there are greater powers at play - like the emotional nourishment of sharing a meal with friends and family in a beautiful place, or the joy that a child experiences when they eat yeasted bread or pasta that they made with their own hands in a cooking class.

I’ve always believed that food should be a source of not only energy and nourishment but also a source of PLEASURE. It shouldn’t be stressful. Yes I’ve eaten things on my recent Cretian adventure and other trips that I wouldn’t normally eat. Have I stressed about it? Hell no. Did I enjoy it? Hell yes. That’s when you know when you’ve got a healthy relationship with food. Do I throw complete caution to the wind and eat everything and anything on a menu or at a buffet? No, because I make choices to avoid what I know is obviously unhealthy primarily because as I no longer see that as real food and secondly because I don’t want to feel and look crap later. I want to look and feel vibrantly alive and robust. 

I appreciate that the extent to which you can relax into what you are eating is largely dosage and constitution related. Someone with gluten sensitivity or coeliac disease may have a zero tolerance threshold to gluten which must be adhered to always else the consequences are not worth it. As my kids and I have robust digestion and no health issues it comes down to me setting some healthy boundaries which are inevitably more relaxed when we are eating outside of my house. A small amount of refined gluten and refined sugar here and there which inevitably comes across our plates without us seeking it out, isn’t going to noticeably effect me and my kids so having a piece of hand made spanakopita with filo pastry in Crete is something that I fully relished in and don’t in the slightest feel stressed about. 

I think having  a healthy relationship with our food is also a very important lesson for parents  to role model to children. If our kids see us stressing about food choices even when we are visiting yiayia or travelling to different countries I fear the effect this might have on them when they are older. If our kids resent us for holding on to our strict “no gluten, no seed oil, no refined sugar” ethos at all expense with white knuckle grip and gnashing of teeth in the absence of health issues, then will they rebel when they are older? If they see us relaxing a little in certain situations and laughing and thoroughly enjoying our meal with gusto, won’t that create a more positive association with food? 

If we can adhere to our wholefoods philosophy when travelling or eating out by asking simple questions and steering away from obvious examples of processed foods, then awesome - do it!! And if we can’t, aim to get to place of acceptance where you can thoroughly enjoy what you’re eating and not get stressed about it. And if you learnt later that the fish you ate was in fact farmed, or the eggs were cooked in canola oil or the meat did contain breadcrumbs, then simply accept it, surrender to it and just let it go without a second thought. It’s done. I sometimes imagine a protective healthy barrier around me where nothing untoward will happen from ingesting what I normally wouldn’t dream of eatingwhen I’m at home. 

If you feel your relationship with food needs improving, I highly recommend working with wholefoods dietician Marieke Rodenstein (in person or via Skype saying I referred you) who has had much personal and clinical experience in this area and whom I’ll be presenting with in Melbourne in my upcoming Food is Medicine and the Fundamentals of Robust Nutrition talk on Saturday 4 August. 

I hope you found this post helpful and I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience on this issue.