The search for decent lunchbox fillers is on, something yummy, wholesome and kid approved. Can't have a stack of preservatives, colours, flavours or weird frakenfood oils. Not too much on the shelves that fits the bill, if it you find something it often costs a bomb (whilst sometimes the prices are ridiculous often it is because real food costs more than cheaper products made with cheap inferior ingredients). Here is a biscuit that I reckon is fab, so many wonderful fats, vitamins, minerals and very little in the way of sugar.
Argghh Sugar!!!! I could write pages on it's pitfalls, people have made movies (That sugar movie, really really worth watching) to distill it all down…added sugar is no good, too many natural sugars are no good, no good, as in NOTHING good will come out of eating them apart from the joy of eating aspect, of course.
I’m lucky in that the school my kids attend is populated by fairly like minded people when it comes to food. The school policy is nude food and vegan (Daylesford Dharma School). Even so there is a growing expectation from my kids, for something that I consider a treat....everyday! and gone are the days when a dried fig would suffice. I’m in a quandary I’m happy to bake something but it’s still sweet even if it is organic and baked with love. I don’t want them to fall into the trap of a sugar fix every few hours to deal with the first sugar intake low that comes after the high. Home made, reduced sugar, whole foods with good quality fats are a fabulous option, the fat content will reduce the the sugar spike to a degree and help us feel satisfied hopefully stopping us from reaching for more sugar but the question is do we really need a treat everyday? How do we educate our kids palates?
This biccy will at least provide nutrition along with a subtle sweetness and my kids don’t have to be the kids with the weirdo Mum that doesn’t give them “anything”!!! yummy AKA sugary crap
Makes approx 15
200g/1.5 cups toasted pecans
140g/1.5 cups rolled oats (find gluten free oats and this could be a gluten free recipe)
35g/.25 cup brown rice flour
.5 teaspoon aluminium free baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
60ml/.25 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted extra version coconut oil
3 tablespoons brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
.25 teaspoon sea salt
80g/.5 cup unsweetened dried cherries, I've used blueberries and sultanas in the past
Preheat oven to 160 Degrees and line a baking tray
Roughly chop or break up 140g/1 cup of the pecans into large pieces pop to the side
Place remaining 60g/.5 cup pecans and 45g/.5 cup of the oats in a food processor (I use my spice grinder) and blend till finely ground
Transfer to a medium bowl and add remaining oats, brown rice flour, baking powder and cinnamon, stir to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together oil, rice syrup, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Pour into oat/nut mixture and stir to combine. Mix in chopped nuts and cherries.
Shape biscuits into approx 3 tablespoon mounds and pop 1cm apart on tray, you can flatten a little if you like. Bake for 15 mins, or untill you see the edges lightly browning. These biscuits are crumbly until they cool, so leave it a while before you transfer them to a cooling rack.
another fabulous recipe by Amy Chaplin
What are your healthy lunch box favourites?
