You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
make sure you have some of both.<br />
• Be wary of added sugar and salt,<br />
which lurk in many so-called healthy<br />
foods. Natural sugars such as those in<br />
fruit are fine.<br />
• Don’t overdo it. Unless your snack is<br />
replacing a meal (in which case it will<br />
be more than a handful of nuts and<br />
an apple), it should be sufficient to<br />
sustain until your next mealtime.<br />
• Steer clear of junk food. It’s high<br />
in calories and low in nutrients,<br />
and once the habit forms it is hard<br />
to break.<br />
Getting started:<br />
Depending on your schedule, you can<br />
make a list of the nutritious snacks<br />
you want to eat for the week, and<br />
prepare them ahead of time, or you<br />
can make them the night before.<br />
Items like muffins (spinach and<br />
feta, sun-dried tomato and olive, for<br />
example) can be frozen and taken out<br />
as needed, while boiled eggs, fruit<br />
or yogurt can be packed ahead of<br />
time, ready to grab and go the next<br />
day. This goes for adults and kids, and<br />
anything that is packed ahead of time<br />
for the little ones can be put on a low<br />
shelf in the fridge or pantry, ready for<br />
them to grab on their way to school<br />
or their extracurricular activities.<br />
Perishables in the lunch box can be<br />
kept cool in a cooler bag.<br />
Types of snacks:<br />
You can either make or buy healthy<br />
snacks, but remember, home-made<br />
is always better, that way you know<br />
exactly which ingredients went into<br />
Roast chickpea recipe:<br />
• Preheat your oven to <strong>22</strong>0°C. • Rinse the contents of a 410g tin of<br />
chickpeas, then lightly pat dry on a paper towel. • Spread the chickpeas<br />
out onto a baking sheet. • Drizzle with a little olive oil, then add sea salt<br />
and a sprinkling of spices. • A delish mix is cumin, smoked paprika and<br />
black pepper, but you can add garam masala, dried rosemary, nutritional<br />
yeast or plain salt. • Roast for around 30 minutes, shaking the baking pan<br />
a few times for even roasting, until golden and crispy. • Leave to cool and<br />
add to a trail mix or eat as is. Enjoy!<br />
your lunch box. Fresh and dried fruit,<br />
yogurt, nuts and biltong can be<br />
purchased and added as extras or<br />
incorporated into your menu.<br />
• Trail and snack mixes • Granola •<br />
Fruit bars • Muffins • Sandwiches •<br />
Smoothies • Salad and breakfast jars •<br />
Hard-boiled eggs • Crunchies and oat<br />
cookies • Popcorn • Soups • Crackers<br />
The above can all be made ahead<br />
of time. Sandwiches must be on<br />
wholegrain bread, and there are any<br />
number of delicious fillings - hummus,<br />
tapenade, cold meat, peanut butter,<br />
cheese, tomato and cucumber. Veggie<br />
fingers with a tzatziki or hummus dip<br />
are tasty and nutritious.<br />
Another delicious, wholesome<br />
and nutritious snack to include in<br />
your lunch box is chickpeas, which<br />
become golden, crunchy and moreish<br />
when roasted. Chickpeas are an<br />
excellent source of protein and fibre,<br />
and are an easy, cost-effective way to<br />
up the nutritional profile of just about<br />
any recipe. You can eat them as is, or<br />
you can add a handful of nuts (of your<br />
choice - almond, cashew, macadamia<br />
or peanut, or a mix of all these, goji<br />
berries, pumpkin, sunflower and<br />
sesame seeds, and a scattering of dark<br />
chocolate chips.