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