lunch-lady-lou (and nut free treats for the lunch box)
Viper is back to work, I’m back to making lunches. It’s quite a lot of effort, really, as I make it all from scratch. Packing lunches would be quick & easy if you just stuck to packaged snacks and the likes, but we all know that’s not really my style now is it? Anyway, I feel like I’ve been cooking for the masses – pasta salad, Mexican wraps, potato and zuccinni frittata, tea cakes and the following energy-boosting snack bar. He’s a hungry boy, our Viper.
Takes me back to my days at school and what I would have for lunch. My Mum is a pretty awesome baker and made a lot of our snacks herself (which, until you are doing it yourself, you never truly appreciate the effort that goes into it). We (my older sister and I) were never allowed those little packets of chips or anything like that, so I would say our lunch boxes were filled well with REAL food. When I got older, I had to start making my own lunch, which made for some interesting fare. I’m pretty sure I was very lazy back then, and my attempt at creativity would be Marmite and iceberg lettuce on a sandwich (which is actually REALLY good – alfalfa sprouts too). Peanut butter and jam was always a staple sandwich-filler as was cheese and Marmite (again, don’t knock it to you’ve tried it). We always had fruit – apples, pears, bananas – I’ve been a fruit bat for a long time.
What were/are your lunch box staples? Any crazy sandwich combos you are willing to admit to?
Anyway, the following bars are an easy-to-whip-up, tasty alternative to the processed candy bars masquerading as “healthy” snack bars on the supermarket shelves…. plus they are a lot cheaper which is always a bonus. Good for energy without the refined sugar crash.
Nut Free Oatie-Chocolate Energy Bars
(Vegan, wheat/soy/nut/corn/refined sugar free – gluten free* option below)
- 1/2C dark raisins
- 1/2C + 2T quick oats – *(if you want to make this gluten free you can sub in 3/4C dessicated coconut instead).
- 10 pitted soft dates
- 1t vanilla extract (optional)
- 3T coconut butter
- 1/4t sea salt
- 100g chocolate, roughly chopped or same amount in chocolate chips (I used an organic milk chocolate)
- Pulse all ingredients together except chocolate in the food processor until it all comes together in a very soft dough.
- You can either throw chocolate pieces into the food processor and pulse a few times, or remove dough and fold through yourself.
- To make bars, simple press into a baking tray or similar lined with baking paper.
- Pop in the fridge until set.
- Slice into bars, and store in the fridge.
These are great rolled into balls for little hands (and mouths) too – Misty always needs to grant approval, being my second in command in the kitchen of course.
26 Responses to “lunch-lady-lou (and nut free treats for the lunch box)”
Leave a Reply
Vegan. Stay at home Mum of Misty. Yoga teacher in training. Passionate about REAL food - creating it, eating it, sharing it. I can never stick to a recipe.
My lunch box was full of homemade baking too Lou. And I just stuck to plain marmite – being the fuss pot I am. Bring back the marmite – oh man I cannot WAIT for it to ht the shelves again!
Those bars sound and look delicious. Will give it a go. Even if the fussy munchkin wont eat it I sure would!
It’s funny, since I’ve been in Aus (and started eating Vegemite) I find Marmite so SWEET…. but it’s still good… I like to dip carrots in it (yeah, I’m a salt-junkie).
Misty has only just discovered that he likes chocolate… but little doses like this are good I think – he doesn’t seem to get too hyped up by it! (phew) The organic milk/dark stuff from Aldi is pretty darn good for $1.99!
These look great – I’m struggling a bit for ‘at the beach’ snacks beyond the old piece of fruit…
I used to have a vegemite sandwich, a vegemite salada, an apple and a prima (juice box) almost every day for lunch until I took over lunch making duties and would make everyone salad sandwiches – I still remember draining the beetroot on paper towel!
Vegemite/Marmite is the theme indeed for “Lunch Boxes Down Under” (!) Oh yes, nothing worse than a soggy pink beetroot sammie – I hope your family appreciated your efforts
james would love all those. oh and the alfalfa sprouts!
can we hire you? Will pay in healthy bites and free rent!
Sounds like a good deal, yummo
!
Yummmm! These sound perfect!
I remember thinking I was making “healthy” lunches in high school by packing Dannon Yogurt, a sandwich bag full of Granola-brand cereal (full of sugar, so processed), a piece of fruit (fruit’s always been a staple for me too), and Snackwell cookies. I cringe thinking of how little whole food I used to eat!
Yeah it’s amazing what I used to think was “healthy” and what I eat now – WORLDS apart! Goes to show how powerful marketing is, right?
My Mum always made us lunches from scratch too, though perhaps not as “scratchy” as your scratch.
Scratch is a weird word.
It IS a strange word, especially if you repeat it really fast about 20 times.
This brings back many memories – mom standing in her nightie/robe at the counter each morning preparing lunches for 4 kids (even then I knew it was a pain in the arse) – and then me making lunches for myself before heading off to work. I would’ve loved to have a few of these bars tucked away
.
Wow, 4 kids – seriously I don’t know hope Mama’s cope with more than one!! That’s a lot of lunches to make!
these bars look delish! I am ALWAYS struggling to find ideas for my husbands lunch box! Love this
Hope you give them a try!
I never had any crazy sandwich combos, I was a boring child. I was never a fan of marmite thought. My dad went to Aus for a few years and sent care packages with that stuff and I did NOT like it haha. These energy bars look so good.
Most people think Marmite/Vegemite is weird if they haven’t grown up with it…. it’s definitely an acquired taste!
Hey Lou – these look great. I know you say coconut butter is really easy to make…but just say I was soooo busy and just couldnt possibly find the time to make it, is copha the same thing?
Do you have coconut oil? Coconut oil would work just as well I’m sure, but you may have to add a little more of the rolled oats as plain coconut oil will make the bars a little greasier if you know what I mean. I’ve never actually cooked with Copha, but if it sets hard at room temperature (or when chilled) it will work
Yes, have coconut oil – just made a maple syrup banana bread with it this morning and it turned out ok! I too am experimenting with lunch box snacks…my attempts have not been as successful as yours! Just about ready to pack it in and give up!
Oh no – never give up! I have my fair share of fails believe me
I would love these
And I never had crisp packets or anything either – commercial muesli bars were a HUGE treat!
Misty LOVES these, Kari – he asks for “More Cake!”
My Grandma has always had full biscuit and cake tins. She’s been doing it for at least 60 years, never has an empty one. I never thought much of it until it was my turn to give it a go…
.. respect.
Definite respect!
My Nana always had a freezer full of mince pies, ha! As a kid, I loved it
Hey Lou, I have been trying to work out exactly what copha is – what I have seen on the web it is saying it is just coconut oil in the solid form. I had a look at the supermarket, ingredients were hydrogenated coconut oil and soya lecithin. I don’t what ‘hydrogenation’ does to it, or exactly what soy lecithin does? What do you think of it as a cheaper alternative to the expensive organic coconut oil you get in the healthfood aisle? I am sure the organic pure stuff would be way better…..Went to make coconut butter but didnt have enough coconut – damn, another day!
Hmmmm, the fact that it is hydrogenated doesn’t sound too good – plus the additions of soya lecithin (albeit “natural”) can cause reactions in some people. I think the soy lecithin would help to emulsify the oil and keep it solid when it gets above room temp. I get 1 litre of coconut oil for $13 (it’s not “organic” but unrefined and delicious) and I use it for everything – from cooking to skincare!