NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — Next week, the busy mornings start again as kids in North Dakota head back to school.
And if you’re a parent trying to pack a lunch, it doesn’t take long before you run thin on ideas. The good news is we have some healthy recipes you may not have tried yet.
We are making a Mediterranean pasta salad that is customizable to your kiddo, and some sweet protein balls that will help them stay motivated all throughout the day.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 box of tri-colored spiral noodles
- 1 cup of salami, chopped
- 1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella, chopped
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 of red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
- 1 and 1/2 cups of Italian dressing
Instructions:
- Cook noodles al dente, and prepare ingredients.
- In a large bowl add noodles, salami mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and shaved parmesan cheese.
- Top it off with your favorite Italian dressing and mix it all together.
- Keep refrigerated and this should make 5-7 lunches.
Peanut Butter Banana-Nut Protein Balls
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of rolled oats
- 1 and 1/2 cups of peanut butter
- 1/2 cup of vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1/4 cup of banana granola, or your preference of granola
- 1/4 cup of chocolate chips
Instructions:
- In a large bowl combine rolled oats, peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, honey, banana granola, and chocolate chips.
- Mix all together until the consistency is sticky. If it’s not sticky enough or it’s too dry, add a splash of vanilla extract or a little bit more honey.
- Then on a parchment-lined baking sheet, grab a handful of the protein mixture and roll it into balls. Repeat until your mixture is gone, it should make around 25 protein balls.
- Let those firm up in the fridge for about an hour.
- Keep them in a sealed container or baggie.
