Food

If you like the store-bought version, you’ll go bananas for these peanut butter “nice” cream sandwiches that are big on nostalgia but with a modern nutritional appeal. No ice cream maker required. If desired, you can replace peanuts and peanut butter with almonds and almond butter. For a dairy-free centre, whipping cream can be swapped out for coconut cream. And for a lower calorie treat, you can simply scoop some ice cream on a single cookie base for a cool twist on an open-faced sandwich.

Meaning “half cold” in Italian, think of semifreddo as sliceable ice cream. This lime-forward riff on the elegant cold treat teams up with coconut cream and trendy avocado to keep it dairy free but still oh-so-rich tasting. And since you don’t need an ice cream maker or any other fancy equipment to make it, it’s easy to whip up when the heat is on.

The Sicilian icy delight known as granita is the ultimate summer refresher. This one uses sun-kissed blueberries that are now at their flavour peak and trendy kombucha for a little fizzy tang. If using a flavoured kombucha, choose one that will complement the berry mint flavour, so maybe not turmeric. It’s important not to skip stirring the granita every hour or so while it’s freezing or you’ll end up with a huge blueberry popsicle.

This lovely appetizer is a pretty starter to a special meal. The hint of sharp, tangy mustard coupled with apple and fennel strikes up a delightful combination of flavours, from sweet to savoury to acidic. This delightful recipe also doubles as a dipping sauce served with crisp apple slices, celery, and crispy nut wafers.

Give rutabaga a place in your french fry repertoire. It’s firm and holds its shape when baked, plus it provides a slightly sweet and savoury flavour. Once baked, it has a beautiful golden colour. Coupled with our pesto dipping sauce, it’s as eye-catching as it is tasty. But more importantly, rutabaga is an essential member of the brassica family of vegetables and contains essential vitamins and nutrients noted for combatting cancer.

These gluten- and dairy-free bars are a family favourite as either an after-school snack or a healthy and hearty addition to your child’s lunchbox. They can easily be made nut free, but just as delicious, by simply omitting the chopped walnuts. Tip: if you want to make sure these are gluten free, be sure to purchase certified gluten-free oats. Quinoa flakes instead of oats is another easy swap that works well too. Keep in mind, some children can still be sensitive to grains, whether oats or pseudo-grains such as quinoa, if they’re gluten intolerant.

Eggs are such an easy and delicious way to ensure your child gets a healthy dose of protein. These gluten- and nut-free frittata cups can be made in a mini-muffin pan too, but you’ll need to reduce the baking time to 10 to 12 minutes. Whether mini frittatas or muffin size, they’re yummy and nourishing to the core. Plus, they’re just as delicious served cool out of a lunchbox as they are warm out of the oven. Tip: these can easily be made dairy free by omitting feta cheese or using a plant-based substitute that you can buy at your local health food store.  

Your child will be giddy with excitement when they open their lunchbox to this colourful and yummy pasta salad! Colour is a cue for health because it’s a sign of a rich array of phytonutrients, which are important for healthy, resilient children. This recipe also suits gluten-, nut-, and dairy-free diets. Chickpea and lentil pasta can be found at health food stores and in the natural health section of most grocery stores. Tip: you can easily swap in any pasta you have on hand, but try out a chickpea or lentil pasta; they boast a decent amount of protein and fibre, which will keep your little one’s tummy fuller longer. This is because protein takes longer to digest than pasta made of mostly complex carbohydrates such as whole wheat.

These are fun finger foods for after-school snacks or popped in a lunchbox the next day. They’re also free of nuts, gluten, and dairy. It’s all about the sauce, though, so don’t skip this step! If serving in a lunchbox the next day, place sauce in a separate container or compartment of the lunchbox for dipping, pack the chicken balls on ice—and be sure your child’s teacher has a safe microwave for reheating.

This nut-, gluten-, and dairy-free banana bread is what dreams are made of: moist, just sweet enough, and the ideal lunchbox treat. It’s safe for school lunches because it’s completely nut free. This bread is made with hearty and fulfilling ingredients such as coconut flour—perfect to keep little tummies satisfied. Tips:

1. If you’re enjoying our banana bread as an after-school snack, try slathering some almond butter on a slice—it’s magical! For an extra-special treat, you can omit dried blueberries and use mini chocolate chips instead.
2. I recommend refrigerating this yummy banana bread once it’s completely cooled, as it will hold together even better.

I ate so many instant noodle meals as a university student—back then I had no idea I could make my own wholesome version in minutes! Thin, dry rice vermicelli rehydrates quickly in hot water, so just place the noodles dry in a heatproof container and add a delicious miso paste and ginger soup base, plus raw veggies (you can use any veggie as long as it’s thinly sliced or grated). When you’re ready to eat, it’s just like the original—pour boiling hot water over, wait a few minutes, and then slurp down your warm instant noodle soup.

STAY READY

This stunning quinoa is one of my most asked-for recipes on Instagram, and my cookbook is the first place I’ve shared it—I hope you like it! Beet, miso, and a touch of clove add a sensuous, earthy quality to this quinoa in the happy company of creamy avocado, pecans, and fragrant charred peach and asparagus. Stone fruit is mostly sold underripe to protect it from bruising—a blast of heat brings its sweetness and softness out instantly. Char it with the asparagus in a dry pan or over a naked gas flame—a simple technique normally used to broil small green shishito peppers in Japan.

You often see a pinch of black rice added to white rice in Japanese home cooking, which gives it a soft lilac tint with a slightly smoky flavor and chewy texture. The more black rice you add, the more dramatic the effect. Cooking 100 percent black is a little intense in flavor for everyday use, I think (not to mention pricey), so I like to mix anything from a handful of black (for this lilac rice) to half-half (for deep purple rice), getting a lot of color out of one bag of black rice! This richly hued lilac rice can be made with brown short-grain rice too, as I’ve done here!

This glam-but-healthy mocktail is surprisingly easy to make at home.

Which CBD?

This pesto is a great way to use carrot tops, which are often thrown away but are super tasty and loaded with nutrients. Hemp seeds add a wonderful nutty flavor and offer a complete protein source, a great balance of omega fatty acids, and essential minerals. Use this pesto with your favorite pasta as I’ve done here, or drizzle it over roasted carrots for a delicious side dish.

Make this hearty, healthy vegetable soup for an extra dose of greens. It comes together quickly—so as to not let any of the ingredients get too mushy or lose their vibrant green color. Add a little more texture and substance to it by stirring in cooked rice, quinoa, or chickpeas or serve with some crusty bread on the side.

A cross between cookie dough and a chewy oatmeal cookie, these bites also pack a good protein boost from the almond butter.

Where should you get CBD?

This is a great, hearty salad with protein from chickpeas, plus green leaves, peppery radishes, and lots of umami flavor from the dressing.

This soup is the perfect way to get your kids to eat a boatload of veggies. You’ll feel good knowing they’re getting a megadose of vitamins and minerals essential to ward off the common cold and flu, as well as fiber for a healthy digestive system. If you don’t have butternut squash on hand, just swap in sweet potato instead.

Smooth Move

This pasta salad is a favorite for lunches in my home—or for a quick and easy dinner. It’s packed with flavor, and it’s both creamy and crunchy.

That’s thaw-some

I love these cookies because I always have the ingredients on hand to make them. Plus, since they’re so easy to make, they’re a great way to get my daughter involved in the kitchen.

Cauliflower might not be the first thing that comes to mind when deciding what to whip up for breakfast. Reminiscent of oatmeal, this breakfast bowl is sure to get your day started off on the right foot. Tip: feel free to experiment and top your breakfast bowl with whatever fruit, nuts, or seeds you may have on hand.  

Soup or stew? That’s up to you to decide. What is undeniable is that this hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal is sure to fuel you up once the chill of fall sets into the air.  

These savoury muffins deliver a potent double dose of pumpkin by utilizing both pumpkin purée and pumpkin seeds. Delicious as an accompaniment to a warming bowl of your favourite cold weather soup or stew, they’re also delicious as a snack on the go.