BACK TO SCHOOL LUNCH BOX ESSENTIALS

The summer holidays are quickly drawing to a close and as a mama this brings mixed emotions:
BIG YAY for getting back into some semblance of an exercise and meditation routine which went totally out the window, and BIG BOO for early morning rises and gun-to-the-head time pressures. 

I can’t guarantee that the emotional and physical transition back to school this coming week will be an easy one for you either, but I can assure you that with some basic fridge, freezer and pantry staples, you'll be well prepared to tackle the early morning rush hour with less stress and haste, and more ease and grace, as well as ensuring that your little chimps will be well fed with nutrient-dense foods that give them the energy and building blocks to learn, play and concentrate all day without energy dips. 

Here is what I always have on hand at a minimum to make sure I never get caught out:

Lunch boxes:

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 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, 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. 

Protein:

1. Activated nuts: 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. Our organic activated cashews, almonds, black pepitas and macadamias 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: Capocollo – a little spicy, and Little French Ham – my kids fav! Sold at Broth Bar & Larder.
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 all other smoked salmons in Australia are farmed. Read more here. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder. I keep a stash in my freezer to pull out from the night before. 
6. The Canadian Way wild tuna: pre-cooked at low temperatures with extra virgin olive oil and sold in retort packs to conveniently add to lunch boxes or throw into a salad. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder. Shelf stable so I have a stash in my pantry. 
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Preservative-free beef jerky from Kooee made from 100% grass fed meat and spices. 3 varieties sold at Broth Bar & Larder.
10. 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. 
    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.

Vegetables & Fruit:

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, red capsicum, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery and some salad greens. Left over veggies (make more steamed veg from the night before), raw fennel and cooked and cooled potatoes are nice too for variety. Mix things up!
2. Olives:  Jumbo green 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 McLures are sold at Broth Bar & Larder. My kids adore these.
4. Raw fermented vegetables: throw into salads. 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 ingredients – nori- because many brands 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. 

Crap-free nutrient-dense treats:

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 4 different flavours: raw cacao, choc orange, white chocolate and activated nut. The first 3 flavours are completely nut free! Sold at Broth Bar & Larder or via our online store.
2. Gummies: made with 100% grass-fed gut-loving beef gelatin, organic raspberries and pure Canadian maple syrup. Sold at Broth Bar & Larder.
3. Carob bears + mint carob bears: made with 2 or 3 ingredients only, these are completely free of sweeteners and dates = guilt free! Yay! Sold at Broth Bar & Larder 
   [Broth Bar & Larder is open 7 days a week (Monday- Saturday 8am-6pm, and Sundays 11am-4pm). Note that our online store only ships cold items to Sydney and Wollongong.]

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.

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!

Valentines Day 2018

Valentines Day might traditionally be a celebration of romantic love but I’m drawing a broader bow and see it as a celebration of love in all its guises. The unconditional love a mother has for her children, the love for one’s family and close friends and let’s not forget where this outpouring all starts from, the deep well of self-love. Whatever we do, and why we do it, all comes back to love. To either feel loved or gift love. 

I EXPRESS MY LOVE IN MANY WAYS BUT, LIKE MY MOTHER, ONE OF THE WAYS I INSTINCTIVELY EXPRESS MY LOVE IS THROUGH THE CREATION OF BEAUTIFUL NOURISHING FOOD MADE FOR THOSE I CARE ABOUT

To that end, here is our selection of limited edition exquisite hand-made products that we make each year for the International Day of Love for you to share with your loved ones...or perhaps to enjoy yourself!

I hope they make your heart sing as much as I loved crafting and making them for you:

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1.
ROSE PETAL RAW DARK CHOCOLATE —

We liberally sprinkled our signature raw dark chocolate with Ovvio Organics certified organic rose petals to create chocolate that is almost too pretty to eat!

Each piece is individually wrapped in paper, tied with twine and stamped with a little “Love You” card. These sing artisan chocolate hand-made with love at the top of their sweet voices.

Priced according to weight at $14.50/100g. Keep refrigerated as our chocolate is so pure.

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2. RAW LOVE DOUBLE LOVE HEART CHOCOLATES —

Pre-packaged solid double love heart chocolates made with our signature raw dark chocolate sweetened with maple syrup (81% raw cacao content). There are 7 double love heart chocolates in a bag for $14/100g. Keep refrigerated as our chocolate is so pure.

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3. CHOCOLATE-INFUSED ACTIVATED MUESLI —

What happens when you combine the 3rd most nutrient-dense food on the planet (activated nuts and seeds) with the fourth most nutrient-dense food on the planet (raw cacao powder)? Our raw dark chocolate + our activated muesli = taste orgasm in a bowl. Does is get any better? Over the past few weeks we’ve saved all the off cuts of our range of raw dark chocolates and mixed them through our activated muesli, packaged it up in glass jars with beautiful ribbon and a little “Love You” card. Because I think breakfast is the best time of day to eat chocolate! $23.50/350g.

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WHAT MAKES OUR CHOCOLATE UNIQUE?

We think our chocolate is pretty special and one of a kind. Here’s why:

1. We only use certified organic ingredients where these are available.

2. We use raw cacao powder (as opposed to processed/heat treated cocoa) that has been fermented for 3 days. Raw cacao powder is ranked as the 4th most nutrient-dense food on the planet and touted for its numerous health benefits:

a. High in polyphenols (anti-oxidants) particularly flavanols (higher than green tea, red wine, goji berries, acai berries). Anti-oxidants prevent the effects of aging, DNA damage, heart disease and cancer.
b. High in minerals esp. magnesium (healthy heart and brain function; muscle relaxant; bones density; mitigates feelings of stress), chromium (assists pancreatic health and regulates blood sugar) and iron (promotes oxygen transport in the blood).
c. Positive effects on the brain, circulatory and cardiovascular system. Eg lowers Alzheimer’s risk, lowers blood pressure, improves blood lipid profile (lowers oxidised LDL), improves insulin sensitivity, improves exercise endurance, protects against pre-eclampsia in pregnancy.
d. Anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-thrombotic (anti-blood clotting)
e. Anti-depressant/feel-good chemicals (eg dopamine, serotonine, tryptophan)
f. Protects the liver against alcohol (wine and chocolate = winning pair!)
g. Protects against UV damage
h. Its theobromine content (bitter compound) has a stimulating effect producing higher levels of physical energy and mental alertness. It has 1/4 of the stimulating power of caffeine.

3. We only use raw cacao butter as our fat of choice which is what is used in traditional chocolate making (and do not ‘water down’ with coconut oil or other fats and especially no industrial seed oils like vegetable oil found in conventional chocolate). Raw cacao butter is what gives chocolate that melt in your mouth smooth chocolaty taste.

4. We only use pure Canadian maple syrup in our chocolate. It is our natural sweetener of choice due to its high mineral content, delicious flavour, smooth texture and favourable glucose to fructose ratio.  We do not use agave syrup (way too high in fructose which causes metabolic and digestive issues).

5. We do not use soy lecithins, emulsifiers, milk powders, any preservatives, or artificial flavours, colours or additives, and nor to we temper our chocolate. For all these reasons, the purity of our chocolate requires that it be stored in the fridge.

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“IF YOU ARE GOING TO EAT CHOCOLATE, EAT THE BEST QUALITY CHOCOLATE IN THE WORLD. LIFE’S TOO SHORT TO EAT CRAP CHOCOLATE”  

click here to tweet

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WHAT MAKES OUR MUESLI UNIQUE?

I crafted this muesli many years ago as there was, and still is, nothing on the market that comes close in terms of source and processing.

Here’s why:

1. It is important that all nuts and seeds added to a muesli are properly prepared through soaking and long slow dehydrating to make them digestible (it also makes them so much more delicious to!). Many mueslis might claim to be “paleo” or “organic” but proper preparation is all-important to reduce phytates and make the nutrients digestible and accessible.  

2. We only use certified organic ingredients where these are available.

3. Our muesli is grain-free and in particular gluten-free. We use activated buckwheat (not a relative of wheat) as the base. Technically buckwheat is a fruit and not a grain but it behaves like a grain so it is soaked and dehydrated until light and crispy. We do not use puffed grains or any other grains for that matter.

4. We do not add any concentrated sugars or sweeteners. It is naturally sweetened with gojis, coconut flakes and dried figs which are hand-cut to size.

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IN THE WORDS OF SOME OF MY CLIENTS —

“I just wanted to let you know that your  muesli is so delicious …. It has the most amazing combination of flavours &  textures & our family love it ....there is nothing else like it on the market ....”

— Heather

“Awww Soulla, the goods arrived, and oh myyyy, they are sooo delicious! The muesli is absolutely yummy (could devour it all day long)”

— Fiona

“Soulla, your muesli is the best part of my day!”

— Kate

“Hi there, I have had many organic/natural chocolates over the last 10 years from all over the world… these ones have to be the best by far! My fav is the fruit and nut and cinnamon crunch… well done! Your macadamia nuts are the best too!”

— Peter

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HOW TO PURCHASE —

These limited edition Valentines Day products can be purchased from Broth Bar & Larder or to pre-order please drop us a line at orders@staraniseorganic.com. We have only made a limited amount and will not be making more when these sell out so please get in fast or pre-order to avoid disappointment.  

I HOPE YOUR VALENTINES DAY IS INFUSED WITH RAW LOVE IN ALL ITS GUISES...

Soulla xX

Halloween Trick or Treat Bags!

Halloween is looming! Argh! As I walked the streets last Halloween with my kids and witnessed the stupendous amounts of junk /artificial crap/ "non-food"/ rubbish /toxic treats  (insert your word of choice) handed out to our little loved ones, the first thought that came into my head was "Dear fellow residents, can you stop poisoning my kids pleeeeeeeeeeease!!!" The next thought that came into my head was "This is not about deprivation! This is about providing a healthy alternative to every piece of junk."

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post on 6 ways I deal with Halloween which you can read here. My sentiments remain exactly the same. One of the recommendations involved taking your own trick or treat bag with you when you and your kids do the rounds of the streets filled with some healthy nutrient-dense treats for kids to munch on instead of the junk that they will be given. Another of my recommendations was to swap every piece of crap with a real food treat of equivalent weight which can be apportioned over the next few days or weeks. 

With the above in mind, last year I decided to take matters into my own hands and provide my community with a healthy Halloween trick or treat bag. Why? Because none exist in the market and it's high time we start a ripple effect that demonstrates:

1. As parents we care what goes into our children's bodies;
2. We are fed up with what passes as treats for our kids - don't they deserve better?? 
3. Healthy treats are just as, or even more delicious, without all the toxic ingredients. 

The bags were a massive hit last year and we could barely keep up with the demand. Parents came out of the woodwork expressing how grateful they were that healthy alternatives to junk food exists and that they no longer have to deal with the learning, behavioural and skin issues that often result when junk food is consumed.

My staff, my kids and I have had so much fun crafting these bags. They contain:

🎃 15g of our beloved raspberry gummies made with raspberries, gelatin powder and the teeniest amount of maple syrup (less than 1/10 teaspoon per gummy). 
🎃 2 of our mint Carob bears made with carob powder, raw cacao butter and food grade Young Living peppermint essential oil .... With NO ADDED SWEETENER!!! 
🎃 a 30g pack of our signature light and crispy activated nuts. Nice to have something savoury in the bag!! Traditionally, trick or treat bags contained nuts. 
🎃 25g of our original power bars smothered in a layer of our signature raw dark chocolate
🎃 30g of our chocolate coated activated macadamias. 
🎃 kid friendly Halloween jokes provided by my son Will 😂

All ingredients are certified organic where possible. 

The above have all been road tested on kids and every single one gave them the big  "I want more please?!" 🙌🙌🏻

These trick or treat bags retail for $19.95 and can be used in 3 ways:

1. Take them with you when going trick or treating and let your kids munch on some of the healthy snacks rather than the crappy confectionary they will be given (which you can accept graciously then turf at home). If you have no alternative with you,  the temptation to eat confectionary is too great for kids.

2. When you get back home use the treats as a healthy swap for all of the crap that they will be given.

3. Use the treats or the jokes when a little ghost or Dracula comes knocking on YOUR door. You'll feel good knowing that you have provided a little soul with something actually good for them.

These bags will be available for collection in the last week of October at my retail store Broth Bar &  Larder in Bronte. Limited quantities available so to avoid disappointment we encourage you to pre-order and pre-pay on 0421 786 009. 

HAPPY TRICK OR TREATING!!!!! 👻👹😈🎃👽💀

I would love to know what you think of these trick or treat bags. Please share your thoughts below!