(upbeat music) – Hey munchies, happy Monday If you're new, welcome and if you're not, you may be wondering why there's a video today
It's not our usual posting day To celebrate back to school season we are doing a bento mini-series Everyday this week you will get a new bento, specifically catered to a highly requested topic, picky eaters Today we are starting with our meatless Monday box, perfect for picky eaters who aren't fans of meat as protein Heads up, all of the bentos in this series are nut free and gluten free
First up, we're using a food that is typically picky eater friendly, cheese Tomato and cheese skewers Not only is cheese a common favorite, but food on a stick is also more enticing and can be encouraging for picky eaters young and old Throw some tomatoes on there and there's a chance they'll even get some extra nutrition Of course every picky eater is different so recognize up front that every one of these suggestions in this series may not please every picky eater
But the point is to inspire you with some new ideas that you can try Take what you want and leave what you don't For fruit, I'm combining blackberries and kiwi Both of these are actually fruit options that are slightly higher in protein, about two grams per cup OK, so it's not much, but I wanted to stick with a theme for today
When it comes to picky eaters, a little can go a long way Sometimes we've got to work with what we can If we can get extra protein with our fruit choices, why not? Next I've got a boiled egg But, we are going to make it even more exciting by using one of these molds which I got on Amazon and will link below Be sure to follow the instructions of your mold
When our food is more fun to look at and interact with it's more likely that we'll eat it or at least try it And eggs are of course loaded with protein and nutrition A great alternative for picky eaters who don't love meat I'm adding a bit more green to the bento with some whole edamame pods Edamame is very high in protein
It's technically a legume, but treat it like a vegetable and it actually had all nine essential amino acids making it a great addition to a diet where someone is struggling to get enough protein A cup has a whooping 17 grams Not only are these easy to prepare and delicious with just a bit of salt, they're fun to eat Again, interactivity can really make the difference with a picky eater If you're enjoying today's bento box be sure to subscribe and hit the bell to be notified of more because we've got a new picky eater bento coming every day this week
Next, another picky eater fav, crackers But we're keeping these gluten free and higher in protein by using quinoa flour as our base First, I whisk together quinoa flour, salt and garlic powder or you could use any seasonings I make a little well in the middle and then add water and melted coconut oil Mix into a dough and then I can knead with my hands
It should be pliable and hold together Roll out between parchment paper until it's pretty thin, between a 16th and an 8th of an inch thick And then you can cut into squares or rectangles (upbeat music) Transfer to a baking sheet and then poke holes with a fork or skewer to keep the crackers from rising too much This lets the steam escape
I spray them with cooking spray to help with browning and I also like to sprinkle some additional salt on top Bake until golden brown and crisp Cool before eating Wow, homemade crackers are totally the way to go And I love that these are gluten free and homemade, but also nut free
Thumbs up for nut free snacks They are great on their own or great for dipping To keep with the meatless Monday theme, I'm sharing a homemade hummus But, since some picky eaters aren't a fan of the tahini flavor, we are going tahini free In a food processor, I add drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt and pep
Let it go Hummus is protein packed on its own thanks to the chick peas And if you're a hummus purist who's really bothered that I'm calling this hummus when there's no tahini, for you I call this a chickpea dip Happy now? And that is our first bento box of this picky eater series Perfect for anyone resistant to meat options for protein or looking for more vegetarian sources
Remember, when it comes to picky eaters young and old it's important to try one new food at a time I'm showing multiple different examples for your reference but easing into it is important For those of you who didn't know, I also have an entire bento e-book with nearly 40 full bento box lunches and over 100 recipes, tons of inspiring ideas and lots of vegan and vegetarian recipes in there too It is available at mindovermunchcom/ebooks and you can get 10% off any e-book or package of your choice this week only if you use the code picky at check out
Also I'm hosting a giveaway for my newsletter subscribers this month for a full set of meal prep containers If you're on the list, you're already entered, if not you can sign up at mindovermunchcom or use the link in the description, the winner will be announced next week I'll see ya tomorrow for a brand new bento box video and remember it's all a matter of mind over munch
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