Make the morning rush a little easier with healthy lunchbox recipes that you and the kids will love. Plums, peaches and nectarines, known collectively as stone fruit, pack a nutritious punch offering generous helpings of vitamins and other essential nutrients to keep budding learners sharp throughout the day.
Make sure you and the family get get your share of nature’s juicy summer bounty by including stone fruit as a snack lunchboxes or by turning them into delicious, nourishing meals and treats.
Here are some nifty ideas to get nutritious stone fruit into lunchboxes:
Celebrity chef, Jenny Morris, has created two moreish lunchbox salads that tick all the right boxes. Her peach and bulgar wheat salad is a super easy and satisfying meal that can be prepared the night before.
A nectarine and smoked chicken salad is another substantial lunchbox meal that’s far from boring. Bursting with colour and flavour, it is quick and easy to whip up.
For something sweet when energy stores start running low, plum jelly treats are the perfect lunchbox filler. These homemade treats are great for on the go snacking.
Karen Hart’s peachy whole wheat muffins are a super nutritious lunch box filler, too. They are easy to make ahead of time and are sure to stay fresh and go the distance.
Plums, peaches and nectarines are naturally sweet super fruit with a low glycaemic index (GI). They are high in fibre and abound in health-giving potassium and vitamins A, C and E, all-powerful antioxidants that protect against disease and help to build healthy minds and bodies.
Peach and Bulgar Wheat Salad
By Jenny Morris
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked bulgar wheat
1/2 red onion finely diced
2 spring onions with tops finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped mint
2 large cling peaches washed, stoned and finely diced
1/2 medium cucumber finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
2 red chillies chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Toss all the ingredients together and add the dressing 30 minutes before serving.
Dressing:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
3/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
2 cloves finely grated garlic
1 tsp mustard of your choice
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
Method:
Stir together all the ingredients except the oil, taste and adjust the seasoning, then whisk in the oil.
Nectarine and Smoked Chicken Lunch Box
By Jenny Morris
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked bulgar wheat
Zest of 1 yellow lemon
2 Tbsp chopped mint
1 cup cucumber, chopped or thinly sliced
2 large firm nectarines stone removed and chopped
300g chopped smoked chicken breast
30g toasted almonds chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Stir together and season to taste.
Method:
Place all the ingredients together in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and lightly toss together, add the dressing and stir together gently.
Divide into 4 portions and pack into lunch boxes.
Plum Jelly Treats
By Jenny Morris
Makes: 24 – 30 (depending on the size of the mould)
Ingredients:
15 plums, halved and stoned
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup caster sugar
6 Tbsp gelatin powder
Silicone mould of your choice
Non-stick cooking spray
Method:
Place the plums in a small saucepan with the water and simmer until soft.
Place in a blender and process until smooth.
Strain the liquid through a sieve and return to the pot (alternatively, if you have a juicer, simply juice the fruit and place in the saucepan).
Add the caster sugar and dissolve over low heat.
Sponge the gelatin in a little water, according to the package instructions.
Once, sponged, place the gelatin in the warm plum liquid and stir to dissolve.
Lightly spray your mould with the non-stick spray and place on a baking tray.
Carefully pour the liquid into the mould – using a jug – and place in the fridge for an hour and a half, or until set. Pop out and enjoy!
Whole Wheat Peach Muffins
By Karen Hart
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cake flour
11/2 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
11/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
11/2 cups peeled and diced fresh peaches or nectarines (2 peaches/nectarines)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup sunflower or canola oil
1 egg
Extra oats to sprinkle on top (optional)
Method:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir in the peaches. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, vanilla, honey, oil and egg. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until it is just mixed. Spoon the batter into a 12-hole muffin tin, lined with paper liners. Sprinkle a little oats over each muffin (optional). Bake in a preheated oven of 180ºC for 18 – 20 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Rad also:
Pictures: Supplied
