Oscar and I have been busy trying out new snacks this month. His favourite was the Pear and Vegetable Bread (cake of course! – adapted from a recipe on Cooks.com. ), but he was also pretty impressed at having peeled apples in his snack box. When he asked for apple to be included in his lunch box for lunch box week, I had to explain that the apples would go brown if I peeled them and that he couldn’t use the peeler well enough to do it himself (no teacher help allowed with the food). Finding a way to include them was a priority, and luckily for me Nicole from Planning with Kids had already done it. I tested the fruit over an 8 eight hour period and it lasted pretty well – see for yourself in the photos. The pears were very ripe and getting a bit fluffy on the outside, but they still held up well. Only a small change in colour in both the apples and pears, but not brown and yucky looking.
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- 9am
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- 1pm
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- 4.45pm
The third thing we tried were chewy gluten-free crackers. These were not a hit with Oscar (although I intend to keep trying them on him) but I loved them. I took them to work for my morning snack for the week, but they do need to be kept in the fridge if not eaten within a couple of days. The ones I kept in a container on the bench were mouldy by day 3. The chewy crackers are based on a recipe from Oh She Glows.
Previous Lunch Box Wednesday Posts:
Lunch Box Wednesday #1 – Rice Balls, Egg Rolls, Carrot and Zucchini Muesli Bars
Preserving Fresh Fruit for Lunch Boxes
Print recipe
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Allergy / Intolerance | Amines, Artificial Addititives, Artificial Colours, Dairy, Egg, Glutamates, Preservatives, Salicylates, Wheat |
| Suitable for | Dairy / Lactose Free, Gluten Free, RPAH Elimination Diet - Low Chemical / Failsafe, RPAH Elimination Diet - Moderate Chemical, Salicylate Challenge |
| Meal type | Lunch Box |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
| Occasion | Picnic |
| Website | Planning with Kids |
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Fresh pears or Red/Golden Delicious apples
Directions
| 1. | In a large bowl combine the water and salt. |
| 2. | Peel and cut the fruit and place into the salty water to soak for 5 minutes. |
| 3. | Remove the fruit and rinse under cold water then pat dry with paper towel. |
| 4. | Place into an airtight container until ready to eat. |
Note
Low Chemical / Failsafe, Moderate Salicylates
Use pears for low chemical fruit, or Red/Golden delicious apples if moderate salicylates are tolerated.
Pear and Vegetable Bread
| Serves | 16-20 |
| Prep time | 45 minutes |
| Cook time | 45 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hours, 30 minutes |
| Allergy / Intolerance | Amines, Artificial Addititives, Artificial Colours, Dairy, Glutamates, Preservatives, Salicylates |
| Suitable for | RPAH Elimination Diet - Moderate Chemical, Salicylate Challenge |
| Meal type | Lunch Box, Sweet Things |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
Ingredients
- 2 Medium pears (peeled and chopped)
- 1 Small zucchini (peeled and chopped)
- 1 Small carrot (chopped)
- 1 1/2 cup plain white flour
- 1 1/2 cup plain wholemeal flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of sida
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vanilla sugar (Refer to recipe)
- 1 cup sunflower oil
Optional
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
| 1. | Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare two loaf tins or 16 mini loaf molds. |
| 2. | Place the pears, carrot and zucchini in a food processor and process until pureed. Drain out the excess liquid and set aside. |
| 3. | Sift together the dry ingredients, adding the husks back in. Set aside. |
| 4. | Beat the eggs together, then slowly beat in the oil. |
| 5. | Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the pear mixture. |
| 6. | Divide into the loaf tins or molds and let stand for five minutes. |
| 7. | Bake for approximatley 45 minutes for large loaves and 20 minutes for the mini ones. |
| 8. | Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. |
Note
Moderate Salicylates, Low Glutamates, Low Amines
Cinnamon is very high in salicylates but we can tolerate small amounts in baking. If in doubt, it can be left out.
This recipe makes two large loaves or 16 mini loaves.
Refer here for the Vanilla Sugar recipe.
Chewy Gluten-free Crackers
| Serves | 20 |
| Prep time | 40 minutes |
| Cook time | 1 hour |
| Total time | 1 hour, 40 minutes |
| Allergy / Intolerance | Amines, Artificial Addititives, Artificial Colours, Dairy, Egg, Glutamates, Preservatives, Salicylates, Wheat |
| Suitable for | Dairy / Lactose Free, Gluten Free, RPAH Elimination Diet - Low Chemical / Failsafe |
| Meal type | Lunch Box, Savoury Snack |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chives (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Optional
- 1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
Directions
| 1. | Cook the rice and quinoa as per the directions on the packet, then set aside for each one to cool. |
| 2. | Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. |
| 3. | In a food processor or blender combine the rice quinoa, oil, water, chives, parsley, garlic and salt. Stir in the poppy seeds. |
| 4. | Scoop the mixture onto the lined baking tray and, using wet hands, press into the tray. Place another sheet of baking paper on top and roll to an even 4mm thick. |
| 5. | Using a knife or pizza cutter slice the dough into the desired shapes. |
| 6. | Bake in the oven for 55 - 60 mins until golden, turning half way through. Watch carefully after turning to make sure it doesn't burn. |
| 7. | Allow the crackers to cool on the baking tray, they will also harden a bit. Once cool, carefully pull apart. |
| 8. | Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Store in the fridge for longer. |
Note
Low Chemical / Failsafe, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Parsley can only be used in small amounts, such as a garnish, on the Elimination/Failsafe diet. If unsure whether it can be tolerated, leave it out.
Does the salt water soak change the flavor of the pears/apples at all?
No, it doesn’t change the flavour at all.
Hi Reegan,
I used quinoa grains for that recipe, black ones for the crackers in the photo but red or white or a combination are fine as well. 🙂
Hello,
Thanks for the great cracker recipe – looking forward to trying it.
Quick question> Did you use quinoa flakes?
Cheers!