My daughter now has to stay in school for an extra hour after closing time so that she can participate in extra-curricular activities. For me, that means giving her an even more substantial meal because that extra hour means that she will be spending lunch time in school and will be starving by the time she gets home.
A good choice for a filling meal is Pasta and rather than just regular pasta, whole wheat pasta is sooooo much better.
That is the inspiration for today's Healthy School Lunch Idea.
Why?
- Pasta is filling.
- Kids love the sauces that come with it.
Why Whole-Wheat and not regular pasta?
[caption id="attachment_5095" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Pasta available at Fig Health Store, Lagos.[/caption]
- Unlike white/regular pasta, it has not been stripped of the bran and germ of the seed so it retains a lot more nutrients and fiber.
- It is more filling than regular pasta.
- It contains fiber. It contains fiber. It contains fiber. Very very important. This keeps you full and also keeps the bowel moving.
- It contains more nutrients – Vitamin E, major B Vitamins, Phosporus, Magnesium and even calcium than regular pasta. In some cases, up to 100% more.
- It is not “enriched” like White Pasta because the nutrients were not stripped away in the first place. “Enriched” meals are by their very definition lacking in certain nutrients.
Bearing all these in mind , I got this pack of Pasta from Fig Health Store (read about them here and visit/follow them on Instagram) and set to making a Pesto.
Why Pesto?
- It stays fresh.
- It is made primarily of vegetables
- It can be made ahead of time.
- Easy to pack.
- I was in the mood for something different from our usual tomato juice.
To see how I made my pesto and to get a printable recipe for it, go to the end of this post. I also have to put in a note saying that I know that this is not a typical Nigerian meal, I will be trying out similar recipes where I swap out the nuts and leaves for those that can be found more easily, locally.
[caption id="attachment_5097" align="aligncenter" width="650"]
Gather your ingredients together[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5099" align="aligncenter" width="650"]
Roast your pine nuts. As you can see, I like them quite brown. Not this brown, I left them in the pan for too long :([/caption] [caption id="attachment_5098" align="aligncenter" width="650"]
Pesto is ready[/caption]
Packing up the meal
I packed her pasta in this small thermos food flask and placed the pesto in a small plastic container that seals tight. I am sorry I have no pictures of this.
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:3]
This post was sponsored by Fig Health Store (Inst