Sustainable back-to-school lunchbox snacks

Making sustainable “nude food” lunchboxes for kids is easy with a bit of help from our friends at KESAB environmental solutions who have a couple of neat ideas that reframe lunch as a way to reduce waste and increase the taste!

• Invest in reusable bento-style lunchboxes. The separate compartments reduce the need for single use plastic, while lots of different things are good for curious minds. Adelaide’s Finest has a range of lunchboxes and eco-friendly cutlery designed to last longer.

• Include affordable snacks from our bulk food sections such as dried fruit, soy crackers, and carob buttons (nature’s candy).

• Involve the kids in making the lunchbox snacks. We have some easy, (no-cooking required) bliss balls made from ripe bananas and leftover cooked-rice crunchy crackers that the kids will love.

Homemade rice crackers 

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked leftover rice

1 tblsp flour (rice/tapioca/plain)

1-2 tblsp water 

Salt and pepper or your choice of spice to taste 

Method:

Hand blend cooked rice with enough water to make it soft yet firm. If it  becomes runny, add flour to thicken. 

Add seasoning and roll into small balls. Flatten balls onto a lined baking tray – 2-3mm thick.

Bake at 180 C for 15-30 mins until firm and golden. They may require flipping half-way through to ensure even cooking. 

Top the chewy, crunchy crackers with anything from Vegemite and peanut butter to dips or cheese, all sourced from Adelaide’s Finest.

Banana Bliss Balls 

Ingredients:

1-2 overripe bananas (the riper, the sweeter)

1 cup rolled/porridge oats

1 cup shredded coconut

1 tblsp cocoa powder

Method:

Mash banana with a fork.

Add dry ingredients and mix well.

If mixture is too dry to roll into balls, add a little water. If too wet, add some more dry ingredients.

Roll into balls.

Refrigerate (will keep for 2-3 days). 

Alternatives:

Swap cocoa for cacao and spices (cinnamon, chai spices) sourced from Spicebar.

Add dried fruit (sultanas, chopped apricot) from our Bulk foods area.

Use stewed apples instead of banana.