I’m pretty lucky my kids are all good eaters and good eaters of pretty much everything.  I would however like to make packed lunches a bit more appetising and healthier and with so much “SuperFoods” information around it makes sense to me to try and incorporate these foods into easy shoveable lunches for my kids.

Shoveable?  (it’s a word but please don’t try to look it up)  My children are not “Bento” style children.  I love Bento, love Bento lunchboxes but my children are quick shove it in, finished sitting still, need to go play kinds of kids not ones to sit and eat appreciating the art skills taken in preparation of their lunchbox.  I’m hoping my daughter when she starts school in four years will let me to create some magic in her lunch box.

Superfoods.  These have got so much media of late but I wasn’t sure exactly what foods they were and what was so good about them then this article appeared here on Mouth of Mums the other day from Amanda at Blue Sky Fitness and it covered it all Superfoods Everything You Need to Know. I assume the best way to have these is in its closest to natural form which probably isn’t going to be possible but I’m going to go with the hope that some benefit is better than none and see over the school term what they will and won’t eat.

Last week I started with just broccoli in a little tub.  My four year old does like his sliced cucumber and celery in a little tub with his lunch so i snuck in some part steamed broccoli hoping he’d just gulp it up.  Nope – fail.  He picked the broccoli out and ate the rest.  He eats broccoli as a snack all the time so i asked him what the difference was and he said he can’t eat it at school.  I have assumed peer pressure in the pre-school. ewww broccoli.

I need a Superfood disguise!

I had a winner over the weekend. These make about 40 small balls which is great I’ve divided them up into snack bags and little containers popped them in the freezer and they’re ready for lunch boxes.

Chicken and Broccoli Balls

• 500g Chicken Mince
• 1 Egg
• 2 teaspoons Tomato Paste. (you can use tomato sauce)
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic (I just used the jar stuff)
• 1 Tablespoons Almond Meal
• 2 crushed Weetbix
• 2 cups Broccoli stalks
• 2 cups raw grated zucchini (about two medium zucchinis)
• Flour for coating ½ cup should be more than enough.
• Oil or Cooking spray for frying.

Method.

Grate your zucchini and leave to drain for twenty minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

Partially cook your broccoli. You just want to soften it a little. I put mine in the microwave with about 1/4cup water for four minutes. Leave to cool.

Using your mixer chop up your broccoli and zucchini. Leave it in there for now.

In a large bowl put your chicken mince, egg, tomato paste, garlic and almond meal give it a good stir.

Then add your crushed weet-bix, and half your vegie mixture.

Blend up the other half of your vegies till they form a rough paste and add them to your bowl.

Use your hands now and give it a really good mix.  If your mixture feels too wet (this depends on your vegies) then you can add a little flour, more almond meal or more crushed weet-bix.

Wash your hands and leaving them damp take small amounts of the mixture and roll into little balls. Coat in flour and lay out ready to cook.

Cook in frypan in batches or tray lined with baking paper in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Make sure they have cooled completely before sealing to freeze.