LUNCHBOX INSPIRATION

After a lovely winter break our children are back at school and once again we are faced with the challenge of packing tempting and nourishing snacks for a busy day! I thought I would share some ideas that might help and inspire! Bearing in mind that playtime at school is limited and children want to spend this time playing with their friends, I pack small portions of a variety of snacks that are easy to “eat on the run”.

Remember that your child’s stomach is only as big as their fist and they therefore don’t need huge amounts of food. A rule of thumb is to only have a maximum of 3 fists worth of food per meal. I try to avoid things that will go soggy and also things that are messy and difficult to eat. Individually packed dry snacks are the answer!

I like to dehydrate my own fruit as this is the best way to get the full nutritional value. Although bought versions are available, they usually contain added chemicals. I have a wonderful recipe for dried apple chips, which my daughter adores. Sending apples to school is not always a good idea as they take too long to eat and often come home with a few bites out of them and have turned brown.

I hope these suggestions will help you with your lunchbox planning:

- Dried fruit pieces

- Dip ‘n Seed crackers and almond butter from Woollies

- Ancient Grain Original Crackers from Woollies

- Multigrain rice cakes with a little marmite

- Nakd Bars

- Organic Goji berries from Super Foods

- Kale chips (packed in an airtight container as they can go soggy)

- Raw tree nuts (FACT: peanuts are NOT nuts, they are legumes that grow on a

perennial plant along the ground)

- Organic raisins that do not have vegetable oil on them to make them shiny! Best,

nutritionally, would be raisins with seeds in them.

- Trail mix

- Fresh SEEDED grapes (don’t cut them up – you will lose nutritional value)

- Unpeeled bananas (make sure they have spots on them for better digestion and

nutrition)

- Dehydrated flax crackers

- Popcorn (use organic kernels and organic coconut oil)

We would love to hear from you if you have any questions or if you have some new ideas

for lunch box snacks that will keep our children nourished during their busy school days.

Planning for a camping Safari

Planning, Prepping and Packing for a CAMPING SAFARI EXTRORDINAIRE to the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Part 1 - Planning

We’re so excited to be taking our German friends (and old friends) on an epic Botswanan adventure – camping in the stunning beauty of the Okavango Swamps, Savuti and Chobe.

Over the years I’ve honed my skills of the 3 P’s – Planning Prepping and Packing for Safari experiences using ‘Qualitarian’ and ‘Nutritarian’ foods, ensuring that we continue to nourish ourselves with THE BEST FOODS EVER whilst enjoying THE BEST HOLIDAY EVER!  

When planning a trip like this, it is very important to keep two key things in mind, the available space in the caravan or trailer, and the fridge or freezer space. As they say, practice makes perfect -  this definitely gets easier the more often we do it.

On our trip, there are no shopping opportunities to replenish supplies for the first 2 weeks. Here are some of the things we do to make sure our planning goes smoothly:-  

·         Quantify the number of meals required for the period.

·         Distinguish the type of meals required, such as en route in the car, complete meals (for late    arrivals), breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, treats, and also hot and cold drinks.

·         Choose recipes to make for the freezer or to store in airtight containers.

·         Draw up shopping lists to purchase the relevant ingredients.

·         Plan to systematically make the meals over the two weeks leading up to departure - starting with the frozen meals.  This food must be frozen solid before packing into the camping freezer.

·         Plan the big pack ahead of time - preferably over the weekend prior to departure.

·         Non-perishable foods should be packed into “ammo” boxes.  Heavy duty plastic, stackable boxes with firm clips are a must as monkeys and baboons can’t open them!

·         Perishable goods must be purchased as close to departure date as possible to ensure freshness.

My thinking is to make sure that there is sufficient choice, and flexibility in the menu for the whole trip, which in this case is 3 weeks.

Maximum preparation beforehand ensures that I maximize my relaxation time when I’m away.  Most of the work is done and I can enjoy the holiday!

I have peace of mind that the food quality is excellent, that the foods that I’ve chosen will deeply nourish us, that it will offer us a wide spread of rainbow colours, and most of all that each meal will be delicious.

The secret is in the planning!