As a Food Optimiser you're following a wonderfully nutritious, generous and healthy diet which sets a fantastic example to your family. Mealtimes the Food Optimising way means piles of delicious favourites that are naturally low in fat, sugar and salt.
We all need a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats from a healthy source (eg full-fat milk, cheese and yogurt).
Little changes
* Merely changing the bread type can make a sandwich more interesting and fibre-filled. Mini wholemeal pitta bread is excellent for stuffing with Free fillings and they' re only 3½ Syns each! SW are also quite fond of tortilla wraps (5 Syns for 30g) as they make perfect little parcels for fillings.
* These mini pizzas looks just like the real thing - cut a circle out of the middle of wholemeal toast, spread with a little tomato puree, pile high with your favourite toppings (SW love chicken, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes and cheese) and grill until the cheese is melted.
Novelty factor foods such as stringy cheeses and stackable crackers are popular. Unfortunately these can be very high in salt. A healthier choice is to buy a selection of packet cheese from the Pick & Mix cheese section in the supermarket. Most portions in these packets are between 25-30g and can be enjoyed as a Healthy Extra. Even easier simply slice a portion of cheese from your whole block for them to nibble on.
Sandwich suggestions
These sandwich fillers are fab for packing into pitta or topping a wholemeal roll!
* Tuna crunch – mix 1 tablespoon extra light mayonnaise (1 Syn) with tuna in brine. Add very finely chopped crunchy vegetables such as cucumber, peppers and spring onions. Replacing the mayo with fat-free fromage frais makes it a completely Free filling.
* Cheesy wonder – mix together grated cheddar (30g is a Healthy Extra 'a' choice), carrot and a little red onion with fat-free fromage frais for a tangy cheesy-coleslaw style filling.
* Cheeky chicken – flavoured chicken fillets such as tikka or tomato are available in most supermarkets and are Free. Alternatively, to make your own, Schwartz Perfect Shake seasonings such as Cajun or Classic Barbecue are Free and liven up ordinary chicken pieces.
* Pink cheese – layer thick cheese spread, (5 The Laughing Cow Light triangles are a Healthy Extra 'a' choice), with chopped beetroot or red cabbage for a colourful addition to a pack-up.
* Grated egg – boiled egg, grated lengthways results in a superbly stringy sandwich filler. Mix with fat-free fromage frais and cress to make it spread further.
* Cottage cheese – scrumptious varieties such as pineapple or prawn make a tasty sandwich and the low fat/virtually fat-free variety is fabulously Free!
Load up your lunchbox
There are lots of fab and filling sandwich accompaniments without loading your lunchbox with high sugar and high salt snacks:
Dips – we love the novelty factor of dips and they're also a great way of getting vegetables into your lunch.
* Fat free fromage frais mixed with chives or garlic, or cool salsa make yummy dips for pepper strips, carrot batons or breadsticks (1 Syn each).
* Boiled egg or two
* Rolled up slices of ham
* Chicken drumsticks
* Cherry tomatoes
Appetising afters
A piece of fruit can often languish uneaten at the bottom of your lunchbox. There are ways of getting their daily portion into them, all it takes is a little imagination.
* Jelly – sugar-free jelly with chopped up fruit pieces, e.g. satsuma segments and raspberries (142ml made up is ½ Syn)
* Chopped banana in a fat-free vanilla yogurt
* Fruit kebabs - thread fruit onto Mikado sticks - only ½ Syn per stick!
* Chopped strawberries, apple, grapes and melon mixed with a little orange juice (2 level tbsp is ½ Syn)
* Small packet of raisins such as Sun-Maid Raisins 14g box (2 Syns)
Delicious drinks
Whilst we're often aware of how sugary canned soft drinks are, it may come as a surprise to learn that so called juice drinks often contain just as much sugar and little actual juice! Some great drinks to pack into a lunchbox include:
* Cartons of sugar-free fruit squash
* Home-made milkshake using a cordial such as Crusha Milkshake Syrup (1 - 2 Syns per 25ml depending on flavour)
* Smoothies made using natural yogurt and blended fruit. Roughly chop a large banana, place in a food processor or blender with 150ml orange juice and 200g fat free natural yogurt and process until smooth (6½ Syns).
* Flavoured water, e.g. Strathmore Mineral Water Co still/sparkling, sugar free, all varieties (Free).
