The countdown has begun… Just a few more days, right around the corner, it's almost here – The opening of the school year.
Hundreds of excited parents and children will come to the gates of kindergartens, schools, classrooms, playgrounds, sports fields… Some of them will return to a familiar place, which they have been visiting for a year, two or more, and only took a few weeks break, while others – will enter a new place, excited and eager, to examine their surroundings, the teacher, the friends…
And it's also time to get used to making a lunch bag. Some with a sandwich, some with fruit, some with a decorated lunch box with vegetables cut in the shape of cute faces, balloons and hello kitty all prepared with great love, some with a (healthy!) snack (maybe made from dates). The main thing – That it is not returned home.
Which parent is unfamiliar with the dilemma? We want the healthiest, most nutritious, fresh, organic, and they say- "Mom, but everyone in the class brings a pita with chocolate spread, I want too!" Our wish to maintain their health, to provide them with vitamins, to ease their hard-working brains, in the face of the invincible love for sweet…
So what do we do? Sometimes the answer is – try, and let it go sometimes. Understand that for children food is nutrition, but also a social affiliation. We will do our best, and make an effort for it to be not only healthy, but also joyful, fun, and delicious.
The funnest way is to prepare food for tomorrow together, to stand in front of the refrigerator and discuss – this combination, or that one? And maybe it will taste even better with tomato rather than sweet pepper? A parent who prepares himself a meal for the following day and invites his child to participate in the process and even prepare for himself – increases the chances not only of a healthier meal, but also to receive a smile and a hug.
If the sandwich is prepared in advance ans then becomes "mushy" and falls apart in your bag, you can prepare all the ingredients and put them together in the morning. Some of the products kids love and we love less (such as white cheeses with flavorings, or sweet snacks) can be improved and enriched at home – simple and organic white cheese with an addition of seasoning of za'atar, paprika or olive spread results with a spread that is as spicy and interesting no less than the industrial one.
It also depends on how it is served – we probably won't reach the Japanese level who pack and cut with super-attention all kinds of cartoon characters in their children's lunch box, but you can certainly get some ideas.
An "industrial" energy snack can be replaced with a home-made date snack: mix a package of pitted dates (the vacuum packed, you can also use the date-spread used to fill Hamantash, but the result is much softer and the shape of a bar is harder to maintain) with what kids like most: Fresh or roasted nuts and almonds, maybe even lightly salted; Dried fruits – a great opportunity to sneak in some “super-food” like Goji Berry, Golden Berry, dried blueberries, and delicious organic raisins.
Mix everything very well, add some coconut oil to make it easier to mix and to give a particularly tempting aroma – and that's it. Divide into portions (it can be rolled, a rectangle like a "regular" snackbar, rolled balls), roll in minced coconut or cocoa (I think coarsely ground cocoa bits might work too, but I haven't tried. Maybe their crunch will be nice, but maybe not so pleasing to the teeth), put in aluminum foil and store in a jar.
What if the kids still insist on having sweet in their sandwich? It doesn't have to be chocolate spread on a slice of white bread. The chocolate can be substituted with tahini mixed with silan, honey, agave syrup or maple. You can also use nut spreads – Almonds, hazelnut, and even peanut butter spread that kids love, can be bought organic without added sugar or salt.
Bread can also be found in its healthy and nutritious version – No extras, with seeds and nuts, maybe sourdough… You can also make small muffins, made of tahini and silan, or vegetables with additives that your kids love, like cheese. Sometimes small fingers prefer to hold small food.
One last and final tip – Use rubber bands… A cut fruit looks more attractive than the whole fruit, and if after cutting it, the pieces are put together like a puzzle and held with a rubber band, they will both oxidize less and retain a more attractive appearance when meal time arrives…
To health, and have a successful school year!
Yours,
Maggie's Garden team
Forecast:
In the ORGANIC vegetable baskets we expect (draft only):
Tomato
Cucumber
Lettuce Potato
Cabbage
Onion
Parsley
Butternut squash
Kale
The LARGE organic vegetable baskets also include:
Pumpkin
Cilantro
Beets
In the ORGANIC fruit baskets:
Watermelon
Banana
Zahidi dates
The LARGE organic fruit baskets also include:
Melon
Grapes
New! New! The ORGANIC Green Basket:
Swiss chard
Celery root
Basil
Dill
A kind of lettuce
Mint
Sprouts
Green onion
