Try These 4 Interesting Protein-Rich Lunch Ideas For Kids

Back-to-back classes with endless syllabus can turn out to be quite exhausting for school-going kids. In order to brave the entire day in school without experiencing low energy levels, it is important to load up on foods that induce energy. Most school-going kids get influenced and also happen to influence other kids very easily. Packing a protein-rich lunch for them will not only set an example for all their classmates but will also leave your kid feeling energised during back-to-back classes. It's quite common for kids to feel lazy and sleepy after their lunch breaks and getting through the last few periods can become quite challenging for them. To ward off this problem, you can pack in protein-rich and nutritious foods for them in their lunchboxes.

Here are a few protein-rich lunch ideas for kids:

1) Replace Spreads With Nut Butters
If your child is used to gorging on sandwiches for lunch, you can replace the unhealthy processed spreads with nut butters. Almond butter, walnut butter and peanut butter are some of the options that you may consider. As per USDA, two tablespoons of almond butter contain 7 grams of protein.

2)  Add Beans And Chickpeas To Pasta
Once a week, when your child takes pasta for lunch, try adding beans and chickpeas to the pasta. It will not only add protein to the dish but will also make it crunchy and flavourful. Start by adding a very little quantity and eventually increase the quantity as they start developing a taste for it.

3) Egg Salad/Omelette
Try to include eggs in their lunch in some form or the other. Eggs are not only high in protein but are also quite versatile and can be cooked in various ways. You can pack omelettes and egg rolls in their lunch. Egg salad is a good option too as it requires no oil and is easy-to-make as well. You can boil the eggs and pair them with other protein-rich veggies. Don't hesitate in adding certain herbs and spices that will add more flavour to the dish.

4) Veggie Burger
While preparing burger, stuff those buns with protein-rich veggies to increase the nutritional quotient. You can also add those veggies in a sandwich. Basically, instead of using an aloo patty, try to replace it with veggies like peas and asparagus.

Thousands In Fairfax County Don't Have Enough Food

Some 13 million American children aren't just hungry. They're suffering from real hunger. Real hunger is painful and can leave kids lightheaded and lethargic. When their brains aren't fueled, they're not ready to learn. They're kids like the boy who boasted one day to the cooks at his elementary school that his sister is the "best cook ever" because she made ketchup soup for him the night before.

One in six children in America suffers from real hunger. These kids live in every state and every county in the nation. Virginia is home to 249,170 hungry children, including 23,650 in Fairfax County.

School Nutrition Association President Gay Anderson, the child nutrition director for Brandon Valley Schools in South Dakota, said the story of the child who liked his sister's ketchup soup concoction isn't as isolated as some might believe. Similar — or worse — stories are told every day in America, in every city, she said.

"We're talking about really hungry kids — the ones who look forward to getting that backpack of food to take home for the weekend," Anderson said. "I've heard many times, 'Oh my gosh, look what we get,' and seen the excitement in knowing they're going to have some food to eat."

Many schools offer backpack programs to provide students with nutritious, non-perishable and easy-to-prepare meals on weekends and holidays when they can't depend on the school lunch programs. Even with these emergency food supplies, kids often come back with gnawing hunger on Monday, when schools go through more food than on any other day of the week, Anderson said.

"A couple of years ago, the mom of three boys called me on Monday morning and said, 'I don't have money to feed my kids,' " Anderson said, explaining the woman had taken her boys with her to the grocery store and showed them $1.91 and said, "This is all we have. What are we going to eat?"

Anderson said it's not uncommon for food-insecure students in her home district and others across the country to slip apples, bananas and whatever they can into their pockets at lunch so they can help out their families at meal time. Older siblings sometimes skip meals or short-shrift their servings so the little ones can eat. Parents may not eat at all for a day or days so their children have food.

"In households across the country, parents often work to shield their children from the fact there isn't enough food," said Christina Martinez, the child-nutrition manager for Feeding America, which provides food through a nationwide network of food banks. "But kids are really perceptive, and really do pick up on it."

Said Anderson: "We can see it in their eyes, wondering, 'What am I going to eat? When am I going to eat?' They have that fearful look."

Children Of Working Parents

Stereotypes abound about these hungry children. Some are homeless, but most of them aren't, said Martinez, adding: "In the majority of cases, they're going home with their brothers and sisters."

And in many cases, these hungry kids are the children of working parents.

While 13 million U.S. children are considered food insecure, even more families are "a $500 car repair or a broken arm away from food insecurity," said Erica Olmstead, a field manager for No Kid Hungry, a project of Share Our Strength, a nonprofit group that works to ease hunger and poverty worldwide.

In a 2017 report, nearly two-thirds of low-income parents said a single, unplanned expense of $1,500 would make it difficult for them to feed their children. Among respondents, 92 percent were working families — that is, at least one adult in the household worked full-time, part-time or multiple jobs. Among other findings:

* 62 percent worried that food would run out faster than money to pay for it came in.
* 59 percent said the food they bought didn't last and there wasn't money for more.
* 23 percent said they had limited the size of a child's meal because there wasn't enough money for food.

"Honestly," Olmstead said, "that's unacceptable."

'Hangry' Is Real

The problem isn't just that these nearly 13 million American kids are hungry.

Published research shows that children in families who don't know where their next meal is coming from are more likely than kids who have enough nutritious food to eat to have lower test scores and overall academic achievement. Hungry kids are more likely to skip school, have to repeat a grade or not finish school at all, limiting their chances of getting a good job. They're also more likely to suffer chronic health conditions such as anemia and asthma, require hospitalization and suffer oral health problems.

Hungry kids also are prone to fighting, hyperactivity, aggression, anxiety, mood swings and bullying.

" 'Hangry' is a real thing. Kids who are food insecure and hungry are more likely to act out, be discipline problems and find it harder to concentrate when a basic need isn't being met," said Annelise Cohon, who leads the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom program for the NEA Foundation, the National Education Association's public charity. "The impact of hunger can be felt throughout the life cycle for a student."

Said Anderson of the School Nutrition Association: "We've got to nip childhood hunger. They're our future. We're feeding the future, and we do need to help them see where their next meal is coming from so they can learn and be prepared and ready to succeed."

How You Can Help Ease Childhood Hunger

Childhood hunger is "a completely solvable and fixable problem," said Feeding America's Martinez. "We don't have to live with this."

The easiest way to help is to donate to local food banks. In Fairfax County, reach out to the Capital Area Food Bank. It's one of 200 food banks across the country that work with 60,000 local agencies, from food pantries to soup kitchens, to make sure everyone has enough healthy food to eat.

Help can be offered in a variety of ways — by giving money or donating time to sort food and snack packs, assemble food boxes or help with distribution. People who work in the food industry can also work with their employers to provide direct donations.

Also, Martinez said, start a conversation in your community to determine if enough resources are being allocated to combat childhood hunger. "If you give food banks resources, they will expand the program," she said.

Some programs are more targeted to specific needs.

One of the big ones is Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom, a national initiative also supported by the Food Research and Action Center, the National Association of Elementary School Principals Foundation and School Nutrition Association. The program aims to make breakfast available to every child, regardless of income level, and serve it in the classroom after the opening bell.

Federally funded school breakfast programs are generally available for low-income children in U.S. schools, but Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom has awarded grants that currently serve more than 100,000 children in about 80 school districts in 27 states. Partner organizations have served breakfast to 14.4 million children, the majority of them from low-income families, since 2010.

Programs like Breakfast in the Classroom, Super Snack and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program are available at certain Fairfax County schools. Here's information on how to start a Breakfast in the Classroom program. Programs like Summer F.E.E.D.S. (Food for Every Child to Eat During Summer) are offered to students throughout Fairfax County.

Bringing breakfast from the cafeteria to the classroom reduces some of the stigma of taking part in government-funded meal programs, particularly among middle or high school students. Currently, only about 56 percent of students who rely on free or reduced-price lunches are participating in school breakfast programs.

"They don't want to be seen as that kid who is different," Cohon said. "No one feels singled out or different."

Another great way to help is to start a school backpack program in your local school district. Here's how.

"We all need to look deep in our hearts: What can I do as a volunteer to pack backpacks, or time or a donation?" Anderson of the School Nutrition Association said. "We in America have always believed we want to help each other out and be successful.

"You and I may say we're hungry, but we know where our next meal is coming from. Not all of our kids do. And we don't know what those hunger pains feel like from the eyes of a child."

Make granola in small batches - without an oven

If you have even the slightest granola habit – heck, if you even like granola – making it yourself is almost a no-brainer. In terms of taste, healthfulness, cost and customization, homemade usually wins over store-bought on all counts.

Homemade granola’s one drawback is that despite its straightforward preparation, it is not typically done quickly. From start to finish, a batch baked in the oven can take upward of an hour, plus a couple of large bowls and baking sheets to wash up. If you are an eater with sometimes-impulsive breakfast habits, this kind of production is not a selling point.

My solution: Use the stove top instead. Some of the advantages to this approach are obvious, as in making granola this way takes just one large skillet and considerably less time than the oven method.

But there’s also a less obvious, and maybe even more compelling reason: The opportunity to play around with the trimmings of baking without actually baking. You get to combine the earthy grains, sweeteners and fragrant spices we often associate with baked goods while applying them in a way that, for someone who identifies as a cook first and a baker second, can feel more intuitive.

In full disclosure, my Stove-Top Granola won’t give you the big clusters you can get from sheet-pan granola, and because this approach is most efficient to work with in small batches, it’s not the right method to use when you’re looking to fill several Mason jars.

The plus of working with smaller amounts is that it’s easy to experiment with ingredient combinations – different grains, an offbeat blend of spices and herbs – without committing a week’s worth of breakfast to your curiosity.

The recipe here offers one example, combining rolled oats with honey and olive oil, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, chopped dates and fragrant cinnamon, cardamom and fresh thyme. It is wonderfully aromatic and only subtly sweet, although the amount of honey you use, depending on your sweet tooth, could be negotiable. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, and while it requires some intermittent stirring, the active cooking time is only about 15 minutes.

You’ll move quickly at first, heating the oil together with the honey, adding the spices and thyme, letting them warm just long enough for their fragrance to bloom, then stirring in the oats until they’re coated and slick. While the oats toast, you stir here and there. You can break up the walnuts and gather them together with the pumpkin seeds (you’ll add them halfway through), chop the dates and possibly clean up dishes from dinner the night before.

Once the oats are golden, the seeds have puffed and the walnuts have begun to glow, you’ll pour everything out onto a wide plate to cool for about 10 minutes before stirring in the dates and raisins. After about 10 minutes, the granola is ready to serve. Bring out thick yogurt and fresh fruit if you have it, or a small glass of cashew milk, or just eat it by handfuls, fingers for a spoon.

Be sure to use a heavy pan that is wide enough (10 to 12 inches) to toast the oats evenly, and you may need to adjust the heat to the right shade of medium-low to take the mixture to a golden brown without scorching.

Use my recipe as a starting point to get the method down, varying the grains, fat, sweetener, spices and add-ins that suit you best. Other variations:

Add rye or barley flakes or a little whole millet to the oats.

Use coconut oil or ghee in place of the olive oil.

Replace the honey with brown rice syrup or sorghum (but avoid granulated sugars, which have a tendency to clump and burn).

Swap the walnuts and pumpkin seeds for pecans and sesame seeds.

Replace the dates with dried apricots or prunes (yes, really), or the thyme, lemon and cardamom for rosemary, orange and fennel.

If you like your granola richer or sweeter, increase the proportions of oil and sugar.

Breakfast is personal. It’s worth getting your granola just right.
Stove-Top Granola

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Pinch salt

1/4 cup walnut halves, broken up

2 tablespoons hulled, unsalted pumpkin seeds

2 large pitted dates, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sultanas or golden raisins (optional)

Warm the oil and honey in a wide, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring just until fluid and well incorporated.

Stir in the thyme, cinnamon and cardamom; cook for about a minute, just until fragrant. Add the oats and a pinch of salt, stirring to coat evenly. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats begin to take on some color. Reduce the heat to low and/or stir more frequently if the oats begin to burn.

Stir in the walnuts and pumpkin seeds; cook for another 7 or 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are golden and well toasted and the pumpkin seeds have plumped a bit. Transfer the granola to a rimmed baking sheet to cool for at least 10 minutes, then fold in the dates and the sultanas or raisins, if using. (The granola will continue to crisp as it cools.)

Serve, or cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Jean Le Boeuf reviews each of the food trucks at Celebration Park

Celebration Park's only downfall is that it's just too dang good.

Since the food truck park opened in November off Bayshore Drive in East Naples, the place has been absolutely and ridiculously packed most days, especially on weekend nights.

Seating is limited. Lines get long. The wait for a drink at the bar can seem endless.

And I'm absolutely and ridiculously in love with it all.

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Clearly foodies in Naples have been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for something like this to open. And so have I.

Celebration Park is the culmination of years of work for local entrepreneur Rebecca Maddox, who sparked a wave of revitalization along Bayshore Drive when she opened Three60 Market in 2012. The waterside cafe, market and wine shop brought new life to the East Naples street, which will soon see the opening of a new brewhouse and condominium community.

Her dream is to turn Bayshore into a destination as well as just another stop along the way. So she rounded up eight independently owned food trucks — serving everything from curry to pizza, seafood to beignets  — and lined them up along a sidewalk that leads to a full-service bar.

It's a beautiful sight.

There's live music. Yard games. A smattering of picnic tables. Parking across the street. (I haven't been able to nail down when parking is free and when it costs $3; better bring $3 just in case.)

I've been eating my way around the place, taste-testing as many meals as I can possibly stomach (and afford). Here are my takes on each of the trucks, in no particular order other than alphabetical:

Dilly's Seafood

A commercial Naples fisherman brings seafood straight from the Gulf waters to the food truck at Celebration Park and to Three60 Market right across the canal, where Dilly's Seafood also does dinner service from 4-9 p.m. each night. And then a Jamaican chef does wondrous things with those catches. Beer-battered sheepshead smothered in a creamy mustard tartar sauce. Limey-bright shrimp ceviche. Lobster Benedict with a crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside hashbrown cake. The menu is always changing, but it's always reliable, always so, so good.

Dutchkinz

No matter which food truck you decide to order from, each meal at Celebration Park should finish with banana poffers sticky with a caramel-rum glaze. Dutchkinz has served its traditional Dutch desserts at markets and events throughout the region for years. It has a menu of deep-fried beignets dusted with powdered sugar (the apple ones are an absolute treat) and poffers, which are miniature pancake puffs studded with gooey bits of berries, marshmallows or, for the more savory bites, Gouda cheese or olive tapenade. But if those banana poffers with a bracing glaze are on special, they're a must-try.

Gigi Gourmet

I think I've found one of my new favorite burgers. Wisconsin cheddar cascades down its sides — gooey, golden, gorgeous. Applewood bacon and sauteed mushrooms dot its top. An Angus patty is grilled until juicy and tender. And the best part: a fig and goat cheese spread that sets off a fruity-sweet flavor under all that savory. It's hard to believe food like this comes from a food truck. Lollipop lamb chops. Spicy grilled shrimp tacos. Tender octopus over a bed of greens. Maybe it's not "gourmet" in the Naples sense of the word. But it's certainly food truck gourmet, if there is such a thing.

Gyro2Go

Follow the smells of lamb roasting on a slow-spinning spit and you'll find yourself standing in line for a gyro at Gryos2Go. It's like instinct. An animalistic one, which ends in a tzatziki-covered, hummus-smeared stupor. It happens every time. The truck is operated by Greek native Andreas Visilias. The menu is classically simple: gyros with roasted lamb or chicken, falafel, spinach pies and Greek salads. The baklava is always excellent. The lamb always tender and well-seasoned. The falafel always crumbly and fragrant. Just follow the smells...

Spoil Your Loved Ones With These Unique Foodie Gifts And Gift Hampers

Diwali is just around the corner and Hindu families around the world are getting ready to celebrate the biggest festival of the year. Deepawali is a great time for togetherness and is also a celebration of the good things in life - relationships, food and revelry. A big part of Diwali celebrations is the exchange of gifts between friends and relatives. Usually, people prefer giving gifts that include something sweet and decadent, which are usually ladoos, mithais or nuts and dried fruits. However, Diwali gifts have now evolved to include more mindful and thoughtful eatables, which are not just delicious but also nutritious. A number of hospitality brands have started promoting gift hampers, which are customised to the needs of a whole family as well.

Your options for choosing Diwali 2018 gifts are a dime a dozen and come festive season, you may be spoilt for choice.

Here's a list of 5 Diwali gift hampers with foodie gift options that you are sure to love:

1. Luxurious Gift Hampers by Pullman, New Delhi Aerocity

If you wish to pamper your loved ones with a truly royal Diwali, Pullman's luxury gift hampers are available at Cafe Pluck at New Delhi Aerocity. The hampers contain tea deli, homemade cookies, cake loaves and chocolate bars, assorted nuts, flavoured honey, as well as novel food items like wasabi coated peas. Moreover, there are decorative items like candles and torans to choose from. The hampers start from Rs. 1500 (plus taxes) and go up to Rs. 10,500 (plus taxes).

2. Diwali Hampers by Sheraton Hyderabad

Hotel Sheraton Hyderabad is offering Diwali hampers and goodies, which are available at Cafe Link of the hotel. They have an extensive range of food, wine and gift hampers that are ideal for corporate and personal gifting. They also have a range of bespoke hampers, which can be customised according to your personal preference of champagne and wines, paired with sweet and savoury delicacies.

3. Sattviko Diwali Hampers (Multiple Locations)

If you've been looking for unique and budget options to gift your friends and families on Diwali, then Sattviko's range of Diwali hampers is just what you need. Currently available in eight cities across India - Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Udaipur, Kolkata and Indore - Sattviko's gift hampers contain quirky and nourishing eatables, which your family is sure to love. Items in Sattviko's Diwali hampers include ajwaini flaxseed jar, pan raisins jar, gur chana jar, pudina makhana, pizza khakra chips, etc. The hampers can be ordered from Sattviko's website online.

4. Madbatter Gift Packs And Goodies, Delhi NCR

Rashmi Prasad is a home baker, who is delivering home-baked lucky cookies across Delhi and NCR during Diwali. The gift packs start from Rs. 499, while she is also delivering a range of other delicious desserts, including brownies and Diwali cakes.

5. Festive Hampers From Tasha's Artisan Foods, Delhi NCR

Natasha Minocha of Tasha's Artisan Foods in Gurgaon has curated a number of healthful and delightful Diwali gift hampers containing goodies that range from granola bars and nut bars to cakes and cookies. Orders for the hampers can be placed from their official website, for anywhere across Delhi and NCR.

6. Diwali Hamper From Mother's Kitchen, Delhi

Shivani Malik is a food entrepreneur and the owner of Mother's Kitchen, which specialises in gluten free and vegan goodies. Her special Diwali hamper contains delicious gluten-free products, including protein power balls, coconut and almond cookies, and rose and dry fruits health bars.

7. Diwali Hampers By Confection Connection, Delhi NCR

Confection Connection in Dwarka specialises in handmade chocolates and truffles and they have a range of gifting options for corporate or personal gifts. The hampers start from Rs. 319 onwards and contain delicious sweet delicacies like flavoured chocolates, biscuits, rose bars, chocolate coated nuts, etc.