Photo credit: GoBarley

Barley in school lunches? Why not! Kids generally like barley’s chewy texture and nutty taste but if you have a reluctant barley lover just keep serving it in new and different ways and trust that in time they’ll come around.

Barley takes a good 40 minutes to cook so for speedy school lunches I like to make and freeze extra barley in small, quick-to-thaw portions.

Did you know? You can use a rice cooker to cook barley.  See 5 Surprising things to know about barley – Quiz!

Add cooked barley to:

1. Fresh spring rolls

Use cooked barley as a hearty stick-to-your-ribs filling. Bagged coleslaw or broccoli slaw adds crunch and saves time chopping vegetables.

2. Homemade or lower-sodium canned soups

Make sure the soup is piping hot before adding it to a warmed-up thermos. 4 things to know about using a thermos for school lunches.

3. Grain-based salads

Use barley for any grain-based salads you like to make. Cooked barley, canned beans, diced veggies and Tex -Mex seasoning makes a quick salad. Try a barley Greek salad or barley tabbouleh salad. 

Sub barley flour for all-purpose flour in muffins and scones. Try:

4.  Sweet Potato Apple Lunch Box Mookies (aka muffin-cookies)

Barley flour makes tender baked goods with a hint of natural sweetness. One cup of barley flour packs a whopping 16 grams of fibre.

Photo credit: GoBarley

5. Blueberry barley muffins

I make these muffins so often I have the recipe memorized. Look for barley flour in bulk stores.  Because it’s a whole grain it has healthy fats that can go rancid so store barley flour in the freezer and use it up in a few months.

Did you know?

Barley is one of Canada’s largest crops. When you buy barley you are supporting our local farmers!

Do you have a question about barley?

Email me YummyLunchClub@gmail.com

Cheers!

Carol