It’s the end of two weeks school holidays for the AM Dietetics household, so it’s back to school on Monday. Having opted to go to packed lunches in the middle of this year, this also means back to trying to think of a good and interesting variety of packed lunches. I usually use a range of different breads but it’s always nice to try something a little different in the form of rice, pasta or couscous based meals. I usually make it up as I go along when it comes to lots of rice dishes but I found this great little recipe, which I have adapted, which gives it all – a little slow release, low GI carbohydrate, fruit, vegetables, some healthy fats and a bit of lean protein. Add a stick of cheese (which I always do in the lunch box) and you have it all covered! Oh and it’s great for adults too!
Rainbow chicken and rice salad – a lunch-box treat
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 100g (4 oz) brown or basmati rice
- 100 g cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 small red pepper/capsicum, deseeded and finely chopped
- ½ cucumber (my boy’s favourite), deseeded, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 6 dried apricots, chopped
- 2 tbsp pumpkin or sunflower seeds, toasted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Juice ½ orange
Method
Cook rice as per instructions, drain, rinse and rinse again. (This will prevent the rice from becoming sticky in the lunch box)
Mix rice with peppers, chicken, cucumber, carrots, apricots and the seeds
Lightly mix over the oil and orange juice.
Alternatives:
You could add tuna, turkey, an egg or chopped ham instead of the chicken if you like. It’s important to include a lean protein source, though, to sustain those little tummies and minds throughout the afternoon.
