Mention the word "school lunches" to many parents and witness an involuntary eye roll as they contemplate their daily dramas. Our home is no exception and both children have entirely different things they will tolerate in their lunch boxes. Sylvie, age 8, is generally a healthy eater but is a little picky about food that has been sitting around for a few hours - don't bother offering her cut apple, sandwiches or carrot sticks, even though she will happily devour these foods at home. This weekend she had the option of making something herself for her lunchbox so she decided she'd like homemade muesli bars - just like her friend Annie!
We made these using all 100% organic ingredients. Here's how we did it:
Ingredients
- 4 cups organic oats
- ¼ cup organic wholemeal flour
- ½ cup organic white flour
- 1 cup chopped organic nuts/seeds of your choice (Sylvie chose only almonds!)
- ½ cup organic baking chocolate chips (optional - available instore)
- ¾ cup organic rice syrup
- 1 cup organic sunflower oil
Method
Preheat oven to 160 C. Line an oven tray (approx. 20 x 30cm) with baking paper.
Mix oats, flour, chocolate chips and your choice of nuts/seeds.
Combine rice syrup and sunflower oil in a pot and heat so they mix together easily.
Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and thoroughly combine.
Press into oven tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.
When ready, leave to cool slightly (10 mins or so) then cut into bars before cooling completely.
You could also add coconut, vanilla essence and even sneak in superfoods/protein powders. Easy enough for an 8-year old and makes enough for both kids for a week, plus some extras for snacking (we made 16 bars).
Recipe by Lucy Kebbell