FRUGAL LUNCHES: PART 3 - VEG, FRUIT, DESSERTS & TREATS, DRINKS
VEGETABLES & FRUIT
Raw veg or fruit should be consumed daily, whether at lunchtime or dinner.
It could be as simple as tomato slices/wedges and/or cucumber sticks and/or celery sticks or crisp lettuce leaves. Dress lightly with oil & vinegar or yoghurt-mayo dressing (bottom of page). If you have an artistic child, arrange them nicely as in Fantastic Frugal Salad.
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| Just 4 ingredients, and you can forget the carrot! |
A great way of serving raw veg is to team them with individual bowls of easy home-made hummus - go easy on the garlic - which an older child can make. Or offer individual bowls of Sauces & Dips. They both make a nice change from sandwiches as the main part of lunch.
Soups. Smooth soups are easier for kids to consume than chunky ones. Serve in cups not bowls for a change. Mini-meatballs & cubes of tofu add texture and flavour without bulk; no spoon needed.
FRUGAL HEALTHY DESSERTS
Fruit: Supermarkets & green grocers like Pomona (Belsize Park) offer bags of apples and pears at around £1.50 each. Serve them hot: peel, cut into chunks or slices, cook in a little butter & water in a heavy saucepan until they soften (maybe 10-15 mins?). The fruit will be naturally sweet but can be sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon and/or nutmeg and sugar.Pineapple: ripen at home supermarket pineapples are excellent value when cooked in a little orange juice and sugar. There are also several 67 recipes with pineapple in cakes and cookies/bars in Recipes I: Baking on the Nav Bar.Ripen at Home: Supermarkets offer punnets of plums, nectarines and other fruits at budget friendly prices (M&S are particularly good). Cook them as with apples and pears or turn them into a compote and layer them in glasses with plain, unsweetened yoghurt. The recipe for Creamy Pineapple Pudding will work with any other fruit.
TREATS
Healthy eating does include one indulgence a week. During lockdown, infrequent small servings of sweet treats as a teaching aid, or reward for good behaviour, or - god forbid! - a bribe are permissible. But try to make them healthier by including some wholemeal flour and/or fruit.
Midi-Cakes: 5inch/13cm 'midi' cakes baked in air fryer or oven serves 4 small portions. 67's favourites include Mocha, Raspberry Almond and Pear & Cinnamon. (Also See Recipes I: Baking on Nav Bar)
SNACKS
Roasted Chickpeas: ring the changes with different spices and herbsStovetop Popcorn: For the price of pre-popped supermarket or microwave popcorn, you can get dozens of servings of homemade. Kids love making popcorn (but persuade them not to take the lid off while popping!) in or out of Lockdown. I know, I know. Make-it-yourself popcorn can be hit and miss but not with this recipe. Add your own toppings, savoury or sweet, controlling salt & sugar without nasty preservatives. (below)
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| Left: Smoked Paprika & Salt; Right: Simple Caramel Nut Drizze |
Pitta 'Tortilla Chips' - split pita in half, cut into triangles, sprinkle with a little salt; bake at 180C/350F 10 mins or until crisp and browning at the edges. Serve with Sauces & Dips.Bruschetta: slice a baguette thinly, drizzle over a little olive oil, salt & pepper; lay out on a baking tray, bake at 180C/350F 10 mins, turning once, until golden. Serve with dips or savoury/sweet toppings of choice, using up leftovers where you can.
DRINKS
Making your own low-sugar additive-free drinks for kids is better for them and for the family -- kids are calmer and behave better. Many of 67's kids' drinks are easy but are all tasty. If the kids are used to bottled drinks, gradually wean them off.
Parts: 1 - Bread/Rolls & 2-Carbs/Protein
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