Lunchbox Greens for Kids with Spinach Pie

I bet you all were expecting me to have a Bean and Cheese Burrito in this lunchbox this morning. That is one dinner that we rarely have leftovers. My kids love them. After a dinner that was hard to swallow the night before, both my kiddos actually, sincerely THANKED ME, for making burritos. I think it was mostly a thank you for not trying anything crazy and new (which I am prone to doing).

If any of you have read and followed my Facebook Page, or my other Blog Posts, you'll remember that in the fall I spend a couple weeks making and freezing food. One of the things that I made were Spanakopita - Spinach and Feta Cheese Pies. This is the first one to come out of the freezer. 

I love making and freezing meals, it makes meal prep easier, and helps you save time later on down the road. These spinach pies defrost and toast beautifully, make great lunches for both adults and kids, and are packed with a variety of green vegetables and herbs. You can customize them too. These are actually not spinach, they are Swiss Chard...did you see that coming?

At the time I was making these, last fall, my Chard plants were prolific and a freeze was coming, so I needed to cut them and use them. Some became pies and some were blanched, chopped and frozen (I use it like frozen spinach in recipes). I have made this Spanakopita recipe MANY, MANY times with MANY, MANY different green vegetables. Every time it's delicious.

I actually have this recipe on my Recipe Blog, Click Here.

So, several of you have asked about my Banana Bread Recipe. Your in luck! Today I am giving you not one, but TWO recipes. 
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​A little background on my Banana Bread Recipe...

This recipe began as a modification of a wonderful family recipe I have. It's always been a crowd pleaser, but it's never been, what I would call "healthy." It had a LOT of sugar in it, white flour, and no additional protein sources for balance. Of course, I felt the need to take it upon myself to modify the bejeezus out of it. My goal, was to create a still very moist Banana Bread that had less of an effect on blood sugar, and provided sustainable energy and satiety. My kids love Banana Bread, but I hate giving then sugary, overly sweet foods. This newer version gives me a little bit more piece of mind.

So, what did I do? I cut the granulated sugar by 2/3, and added some Coconut Sugar (but still decreased the overall sugar from the original recipe), used sprouted grain flour, added Walnuts and Chia Seeds, and a good helping of Cinnamon. Why? Follow the link below to my recipe and I'll explain it all.  The Glycemic Index for this recipe came to 51, and the Glycemic Load per serving came to 27-34 depending on the serving size.  That's an improvement on the original GI of 64, and GL of 35-43. Not to mention the added health benefits of using sprouted grain flour, coconut sugar, and nuts/seeds.

Please take a look at it and let me know what you think (I love feedback). Click Here 

Main Lunch:

• Spanakopita: Swiss Chard and Feta Cheese Pie
• 1/2 Grapefruit: I may have the only kid in the world who eats grapefruits like oranges (she even chews the peel!) Did you know that Grapefruit peel is a Chinese Herb? Known as Chen Pi, it is used to strengthen the digestive system, strengthen metabolism, treat nausea and vomiting, transforms dampness, and is used as a treatment for Mastitis. FYI.
  
• Hard Boiled Egg: This was M1's pick today. I think its a good one. Eggs provide all the nutrients to grown a baby, and therefore to help nourish growing children. I love eggs 

Snack Time:

• Banana Walnut Chia Seed Bread: We are just about finished with this loaf of bread, it doesn't last long at our house.
• Celery and Peanut Butter Packet: Nuts are a great, nourishing energy booster for children. Full of healthy fats that give them sustained energy. M1's loves these little packets, I let her pick out a couple when we go shopping. 

I would have to say that in today's lunch the food that M1 is probably not the most excited about is the celery. She'll eat it, but it's not her favorite. I don't blame her, I'm not a fan either. But with peanut butter, it's a different game...drifting off into a childhood memory of ants-on-a-log.