Great back to school options

Monday is back to school, parents look forward, students may not. Obvious reasons, for parents it brings back the structure and routine, although with that comes more traffic on the roads. For the students it means more regimented days, waking up early on mornings, but on the upside it also means more time spent with friends. There is balance on both ends.

If you are the parent of a kindergarten student, be mindful of what you pack for their lunches, here is where you will set the nutrition stage for your child. Avoid pack snacks and sweetened soft drinks, read the sugar content on those juice boxes, and look for the least sugary products. Pack a fruit every day, bananas, peeled and sliced apples or pears, or pineapple if it’s enjoyed by your child, cut up mango if in season. And for lunch, you can make home-made potato chips and chicken fingers, hamburger sliders, cheese paste sandwiches, or mac and cheese.

Home-made cookies are a great option for a sweet snack, make them ahead of time and freeze them.

Always pack meals they enjoy, if not they will throw it away, trade it for other lunches students bring or they will simply bring it home. Just because your child brings home a clean lunch box, does not mean he or she is eating your lunch, so have the conversation with them, you will be surprised at what they reveal.

Let’s move onto primary and secondary school, early primary can pretty much take the same kindergarten meals, but you can increase the portion sizes and include a pack snack once per week. Again add fruit and water and juice, and a home-baked sweet snack.

Secondary school, your child will have grown accustomed to a healthy lunch and will probably want to continue, you can include cooked food if they prefer, shepherds pie, lasagne, pasta and meat sauce, chicken fingers and fries, chicken fried rice, sandwiches, there are many options. Fruit is also a must, water and juice as well. Cafeteria food is often sold at secondary schools, you can give you child the option of once per week café food. Let them become more independent and through these years teach them about good health.

Don’t forget to encourage extra-curricular sports in their routine to balance their lifestyle.

Oatmeal raisin cookies

¾ cup flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

¾ cup softened, butter

1½ cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 tbs water

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 cups uncooked, oats

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375F.

Line or grease cookie sheets.

In a small bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, water and vanilla.

Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined.

Stir in oats with a spoon.

Add raisins and stir to combine.

Drop by tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Oat bran banana squares

¼ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 large ripe banana, mashed

1 cup milk

1½cups all-purpose flour

1 cup oat bran

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream butter with sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time beating well between additions. Add vanilla, banana and milk.

In another bowl sift together flour with baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture mix just until combined.

Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking tin.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until centre springs back when touched.

Makes one cake.

Popcorn chicken

1 pound boneless chicken breasts

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp dried oregano

Oil for frying

Wash chicken and cut into ½-inch sized cubes.

Season with chili powder, salt and black pepper

Combine flour with dried oregano.

Now dip the chicken pieces into the flour, then the milk and again into the flour.

Heat oil in deep frying pot, and fry until golden. Serve with ketchup, Serves 3

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