Need some inspiration with kids school lunches and morning teas?

Are you wanting inspiration as to what to pack for your kids' (big ones too!) lunches and morning teas that are free of grains, sugar and all processed food?

If so, follow me on Twitter or Facebook where I'll be posting frequent captioned photos of what wholefood morning teas and lunches I have packed for my kids on any given day.

Being a time poor mum, I guarantee that these are all super quick and easy to prepare (usually from the day before) and of course nutrient-dense. Due to the strict ban on nuts at both of my kids' schools, all of their mornings teas and lunches are  (somewhat regrettably) sans activated nuts (reserve those for afternoon tea or post dinner snack).

My basic go-to lunch "formula" is:

- assorted raw vegetables plus protein/fat source such as full fat cheese,  pastured deli meats like salami or jamon or ham, left over cook meats like roast chicken or beef strips,  dips such as tzatzki, or hard boiled egg (in nature, animal protein and fats come together in the perfect balance) - left over casseroles or soups (heat in saucepan that morning and throw into kids' thermos containers) - piece of frittata (made in bulk in advance and frozen and thawed out night before on kitchen paper to absorb moisture).

Some morning tea suggestions that are easy for kids to eat are:

- fresh fruit teamed with full fat cheese (avoid fruit by itself and never offer dried fruit which is basically sugar). - full fat yogurt dusted with one or more of cinnamon powder, vanilla powder and/or raw cacao powder - full fat yogurt with added chopped pieces of fresh fruit - hard boiled egg (halved and sprinkled with a little sea salt and paprika) - grated carrots, desiccated coconut, with a squeezed with lemon juice, and dusted with cinnamon powder - goats cheese (eg chevre) drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and Grecian herbs like basil and oregano

I only fill their drink bottles with filtered water with a pinch of sea salt. Never offer juice, energy drinks or soft drinks.

Got a fussy or picker eater? Read my suggestions on how to deal with that in one of my previous posts here.

If you want to know more about the fundamentals of good nutrition and get a better understanding of what foods we are biologically designed and not designed to eat, where to source wholefoods  at affordable prices, and meal planning, consider a one on one personal consultation with me. Find out more here.

If you have any wholefood lunch or morning tea suggestions I'd love to hear them. What are you having for lunch tomorrow?

Greek lamb souvalakia, plus why you should marinate meat

Nourishing casseroles and bone broths might be more than just winter staples for traditional wholefoodies like me, but variety in cooking styles is important for a host of reasons. One of my favourite foods is lamb souvalakia cooked on the BBQ, which harks back to my early childhood. So if you're at a loss as to what to do with diced lamb (or even beef) and want a quick easy meal that is sure to please everyone's palate (especially kids!), try this (and I apologise in advance for not having specific quantities- it's so basic you can't really go wrong- just trust your gut instinct!):

Ingredients:

• Wooden or metal skewers

• Lamb, diced

• Red capsicum

• Green capsicum (optional)

• Yellow capsicum (optional)

• Onions

• Zucchini, cut into 1 cm slices

• Cherry tomatoes

Marinade mixture:

• Red wine

• Coriander seeds

• Cumin

• Unrefined salt

• Pepper

Directions:

Place meat in a large glass container/baking dish. Add marinade ingredients to well coat the meat (the meat does not need to be submersed in the wine- just enough to coat it on all sides). Marinate meat for several hours or overnight.

Cut onions and capsicum into approx 3 cm squares. Thread the meat and vegetables onto the skewers alternating meat and vegetables in whatever combination you prefer. Quantities of vegetables will vary depending on quantity of meat and how many vegetables opposed to meat are placed on the skewers. I prefer the skewers to consist of approx 2/3 meat and 1/3 vegetables, or half meat and half vegetables.

BBQ on one side then turn over to cook the other side. Meat is done when it is still slightly pink in the center.

Serve with tzatziki (Greek yogurt cucumber dip).

Variations:

Souvalakia are typically made with lamb but you could substitute beef or chicken. Add any other vegetables you desire eg mushrooms.

Why marinating meat is important when BBQing or using high heat

When meat is cooked using high heat (eg BBQ or open flame) or dry cooking methods such as frying, grilling or smoking, certain compounds are produced including advanced glycation end products (AGEs), heterocyclic amines (HAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These have been shown to cause inflammation (which is the root cause of all modern disease including cancer and cardiovascular disease). This applies to all meat, not just red meat. So while I love eating BBQ'd meat, I only eat it occasionally and recommend lower-heat cooking methods (eg casseroles, braises, stews, long slow roasts, or even raw meat) as more of the staple method of meat consumption. Research shows, however, that you can significantly reduce the formation of these  inflammation-causing compounds by using an acidic marinade (eg wine, apple cider vinegar, tomato puree). Studies show that marinating beef for 1 hour reduced AGE formation by over half and marinades can cut HA formation in meat by up to 90%. So marinating meat does more than just make meat taste great! For more information refer to this recent article by Chris Kresser.

2 home-made supercharged drinks: Watermelon Gelatin Drink & Sauerkraut Spritzer

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My brain ticks over thinking of more ways to get bone broth and sauerkraut juice into my kids. Bone broths and lacto-fermenrted foods and beverages are particularly beneficial for infants and children, athletes, pregnant and nursing mothers, or anyone who has a compromised immune or digestive system. Traditional societies the world over consumed these foods on a regular if not daily basis but they seem to have fallen by the wayside in our modern, convenience-oriented, diets. I've written previously about the numerous health benefits of bone broths here and how to incorporate them into your diet (including smoothies!) here . I've also written about the numerous benefits of probiotic-rich lacto-fermented foods here and here.

So now I share 2 simple, delicious and refreshing drink recipes incorporating these nutrient-rich ingredients. My kids and friends have been thoroughly enjoying these drinks over these warm months to cool down (completely ignorant of the nutrient-dense/ probiotic-rich ingredients they are consuming!). If its a struggle to get your kids consuming bone broth or sauerkraut, these ideas might be just the ticket for getting these nourishing foods into them. They might sound strange, but trust me- they are delicious!

Watermelon Gelatin Drink

The addition of cold gelatinous beef broth to a drink gives it a more sweet caramel-like flavour with a moussey texture. Who would have thought? No one will even know that it contains beef broth!

Ingredients:

• 700ml of seedless watermelon juice (blend the flesh AND the juice. If your watermelon has seeds you will need to remove them first)

• 300ml of cold gelatinous beef broth (fat removed from the surface - store in freezer and use to fry meat)

• Wedges of lime, lemon or lemonades (the latter is a fruit that is a hybrid cross of lemons and oranges) (optional)

• Ice cubes (preferably form filtered water) (optional)

• Stick of celery or fennel (optional)

Directions:

Combine watermelon and beef stock in a large jug and blend with hand help blender. Pour into glasses. Add other ingredients if desired and enjoy! Makes 4 glasses.

This drink can be consumed daily assuming you do not have any adverse reactions to fruit sugars. While my family and I consume bone broths daily (in morning smoothies and as part of the evening meal), I prefer to limit fruit intake due to the fructose content of fruit (fruit sugar is still sugar!). If I was offering this to my children I would not offer them any other fruit for that day as the volume of watermelon is more than enough. I sometimes offer a bottle of this drink to my children for afternoon tea (with a chunk of raw cheese). This is also a great non-alcoholic option for guests.

Note that everything other than the beef broth and watermelon is optional and added mostly for aesthetics which often entices children. I am amazed at how much more volume my children will drink if I simply throw in some icecubes, a fennel stick, a lemon wedge and a straw (I know appreciate why those little drink umbrellas were invented!). If your children will drink straight watermelon and beef broth without the extra “bells and whistles” then that’s an easier option!

Instead of watermelon, experiment with other seasonal fruit (eg mango, pineapple). Be sure to blend the flesh AND the juice of the fruit so you are eating wholefoods (the way nature intended) – consuming fruit juice alone without the flesh will result in a huge fructose hit (followed by insulin release) resulting in undesirable fluctuations in blood sugar and fat gain. The protein in the beef gelatin will aid in slowing down the release of the fruit sugars.

Sauerkraut Spritzer

This drink was invented as a means of using up surplus juice after making sauerkraut. Using it as a vinegar substitute in salad dressing is one option. Here's another:

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Ingredients:

• Sauerkraut juice (strained off from making sauerkraut) (allow 1/2 cup juice per person)

• Wedges of lime, lemon or lemonades (the latter is a fruit that is a hybrid cross of lemons and oranges) (optional)

• Ice cubes (preferably form filtered water) (optional)

• Stick of celery or fennel (optional)

• Sparkling mineral water (1/4 cup per person) (optional)

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a glass and enjoy!

The natural active yeasts in the sauerkraut juice produced from the fermentation process give the juice a naturally fizzy/effervescent taste. This drink can be consumed daily assuming you do not have any adverse reactions to lacto-fermented foods. This is also a great non-alcoholic option for guests.

Note that everything other than the sauerkraut juice is optional and added mostly for aesthetics. My children love all the extra "trimmings". I add  sparkling mineral water only if having guests over and usually wouldn't offer it to children.

Instead of or in addition to mineral water you could add watermelon juice or some other seasonal fruit (eg mango, pineapple). Be sure to blend the flesh AND the juice of the fruit for the reasons I outlined above in the Watermelon Jelly Drink.

If you try these drinks out I'd love to hear how you and your family enjoy them.

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As an aside, and to remind me of nature's divinity- I found this perfectly heart-shaped delicate leaf in Centennial Park last week when frolicking in the grass with my kids. "That's what Mother Nature's dress is made out of" my 5 year old daughter said when she saw it. And her comment reminded us of our own divinity...