5-Minute Lunch Box #4: Donut Holes-No Cooking Required

>>> Click to Get 5 Kid-Friendly Snacks Your Family Will Love <<<

These donut holes are not only good for lunch boxes but my chipmunks enjoy them as an afternoon snack and breakfast treat.  This snack is made from fruit and almonds, so it's a great alternative to snack cakes and candy.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup raw almonds

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 vanilla bean, scraped (I used a tablespoon of vanilla extract instead)

2 cups dried pineapple, chopped

2 cups pitted dates

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

In food processor, place almonds, salt, and vanilla. Process into a fine powder first.  Slowly add chopped pineapple and dates, mix well.  

Place in a large bowl and mix with shredded coconut. The donut holes will last a week in the fridge but never more than a day in my house. :-)

Recipe adapted from

Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes

Other Lunch Box Tips

5-Minute Lunch Box #3: Sunflower Seed & Oat Bars

Even though this recipe takes about 5 minutes to make, you will have to bake or refrigerate the bars to make them firm.

My chipmunks love these so much that I usually freeze a few batches to last the whole week.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled or quick oats

1 cup sunflower seeds (raw or toasted)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup carob chips (or cacao nibs) OPTIONAL

2/3 cup nut or seed butter of choice (I used almond butter)

1/2 – 2/3 cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup (adjust based on how well things stick together)

Instructions:

1) Mix oats, sunflower seeds, raisins, and carob chips in a large bowl.

2) Whisk together nut butter and agave. Pour into oat mixture, and mix well, till everything is sticky and combined. If it’s too dry, add a bit more agave.

3) Press mixture into a shallow baking dish that you’ve lined with foil or saran wrap. Cover with more foil/saran, press well into the baking dish, and refrigerate for 4 hours. Cut into bar shapes, wrap, and keep refridgerated till ready to use. They ought to last two weeks at least.

OR:

4) After mixing wet ingredients with dry, crumble mixture into bite sized pieces and bake at 375 degrees for about forty minutes, or until crispy and brown.

OR

5) Follow step 4 until you get to baking, and dehydrate for 10 hours at 115 degrees instead for a more-raw option.

Recipe from Choosing Raw

I went shopping in my closet (my favorite type of shopping) and found his handy basket to store all the bento-style containers. 

Previous lunch box tips

Tuna Sandwich

What if I told you there's a way to eat tuna without the possible mercury contamination and the taste is the same as conventional tuna? Well, thanks to tempeh there is a way to enjoy a tuna sandwich, vegan style.

Tempeh is a soy product and an excellent meat alternative.  Like tofu, it takes on the flavor of whatever you marinate it in. It's available in several varieties and the price is comparable to canned tuna.  Tempeh is found in the natural, refrigerated section of most grocery stores and is a great source of protein.

Don't I need omega-3 fatty acids from conventional tuna fish?

Skip the fish-You can obtain your omega-3 fatty acids from walnuts, flaxseeds, broccoli, and cabbage.

Let's get to the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 8 oz pack of tempeh

1 small red onion, diced

1/2 cup of Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo)

4 cups of vegetable broth (make your own here)

1 tablespoon seaweed flakes (typically found in the international aisle)

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 tablespoon of all purpose seasoning

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup dill pickles, chopped

The great thing about this recipe is, once you prepare the tempeh, you can add in the ingredients you typically use when making your own tuna recipe.

Instructions:

Boil the vegetable broth and add the tempeh. Cook the tempeh covered on medium heat for about 40 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain the broth and let tempeh chill for at least 15 minutes. Crumble the tempeh in a large bowl and mix in all ingredients; adding the mayo last. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour and serve on bread, lettuce, or crackers.

Homemade Applesauce: No Cooking Required

Apple season is here! I usually make the chipmunks stove top applesauce but decided to try a faster option this year.

Raw Applesauce

by Brown Vegan

document.write('<ifr'+'ame s'+'rc="ht'+'tp://www.recipage.com/new_pageCreator/media_bar.php?recipe_id=6020532" width="100%" height="50px" fr'+'ameborder="0" scrolling="no"></ifr'+'ame>');

Ingredients (Serves 3)

• 6 apples, any variety
• 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 20 minutes
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• cinnamon, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Take the skin off of 3 apples and chop. Chop the 3 remaining apples with their skin.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor (more chunky consistency) or blender (for a smoother consistency) and mix well. If needed, add additional water.

Serve cold