Inspired Back-To-School Meals and Snacks

It is getting very close to the Back-to-School time of year! For many, this means getting back into the routine of the daily practice of making packable lunches for your entire family.

We asked a few Bryson team members to share their favourite healthy back-to-school recipes with you. Which will be your favourite? Leave us your answer and your favourite recipe ideas in the comments.

The recipes include two quick-to-make snacks and two hearty salads.

Recipes included are Vicky’s 1+1 Cookie Dough Bites, Donna’s No-Bake All Gym Class Bars, Tammy’s Arugula Arithmetic Salad, and Linda’s Tex(t)-Guacamole Salad.

First, the very easy-to-make and super healthy snacks:

Donna Murphy’s No-Bake All Gym Class Bars

Do you know that 3 pm wall? Breakthrough it with Donna’s “No-Bake All Gym Class Bars.” These bars are packed with delicious energy-boosting foods.

Ingredients

• ½ cup Raisins
• 2 cups Rolled Oats
• ½ cup Coconut milk
• ½ Protein Powder
• ¼ cup Honey
• 1 cup natural Peanut butter
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• ½ cup chia seeds or ground flax seeds

Directions: In a blender, pulse 1 ½ cups of the oats until flour-like consistency. In a large bowl, toss to combine oat flour, remaining ½ cup oats, protein powder, chocolate chips, chia or flax seeds, and raisins. Stir together in a medium bowl the coconut milk, peanut butter, and honey. Pour the Peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread mixture into a 9×9 inch square pan or an 11×7 inch pan. Press mixture down and cover with a lid or foil and refrigerate overnight, or until they harden some. Slice into 12 bars and keep stored in the refrigerator.

Tammy McCarthy’s Arugula Arithmetic Salad

Most of Tammy’s recipe is grown in her own backyard garden. When not engaged in her passion for gardening, Tammy is creating great meals like this one.

Ingredients

• ½ cups ripped fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup ripped fresh kale leaves (de-stemmed)
• ¼ cup ripped arugula
• ¼ cup walnuts or cashews (can also sub with almonds or mix)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (can sub with asiago or romano)
• A separate 1/3 to ½ cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients into a blender except the separated 1/3 – ½ cup olive oil
While pureeing them in the blender, slowly add the 1/3 cup of olive oil
Puree until the texture is creamy and smooth.

Freezes well. Keeps in the fridge for several days.

Linda Colgan’s Tex(t)-Guacamole Salad

Linda’s always bubbling with positive energy. As soon as we asked for a recipe, she quickly shared one of her favourites from a high-end restaurant from her trip to Texas.

Ingredients

• Recipe for Guacamole Salad
• 1/2 lime, squeezed
• ½ orange
• Lots of fresh cilantro
• Roasted Roma tomatoes
• Purple onion
• Sea salt
• 1 avocado

Squeeze the juice into a shallow salad bowl. Cut up avocado, put in onion, tomato, diced finely. Shake in cilantro and salt. Mix.

Let us know your favourite back-to-school recipe ideas in the comments!