Healthy dozen back-to-school ‘baon’

With the opening of the new school year, parents are faced with an old perennial problem: what baon (meal) to pack in their children’s lunchbox. But of course, it’s not just any baon, but something to nourish their kids and tickle their appetite as they go through a typical (or not-so-typical) school day.

Certainly, mommies can make going back to school cool for their children by trying out new recipes for the new school year. That is, healthy new recipes! Junk those junk snacks and drinks that are often high in fat, salt, and sugar. Dear mommies, make time to prepare healthier homemade substitutes, which not only cater to your children’s taste buds but also to your budget. It’ll be worth your time and effort as you happily and proudly watch your children learn and grow (physically and mentally), rise and shine in school.

With our school children’s well-being foremost in mind, the EcoWaste Coalition partners with Quezon City-based Sto. Cristo Elementary School, led by principal Antonio Miranda, for an event on Thursday, June 16 to showcase affordable and nutritious alternatives to junk foods.

Meet Sto. Cristo Elementary School’s amazing team of Edukasyong Pangtahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) teachers who will demonstrate their “healthy dozen” baon recipes that are nutrient-rich and budget-friendly.  EPP teachers Ma. Minda L. Flores, Ma. Luisa T. Illustre, Aiza P. Lustica and Myrna P. Macasieb are ready to amaze their audience with simple recipes that children, as well as adults, would surely like and love.

“We’re really delighted to partner with our teachers in promoting home-prepared snacks and drinks to meet the nutritional needs of our school-going kids and reduce their consumption of packaged and processed foods, which can lead to obesity and other health issues,” says Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

Childhood obesity is certainly a growing problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “overweight and obese children are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and to develop non-communicable diseases at a younger age.”

And the big health consequences of childhood overweight and obesity, as identified by WHO, are diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, and certain types of cancer (endometrial, breast and colon), which do not become apparent until adulthood.
Aside from preventing excess weight and obesity among children, EcoWaste Coalition notes that healthy and safely-prepared baon will help reduce incidents of food poisoning due to bacterial and chemical contamination that can put children’s health at grave risk.

So, mommies, here are the “healthy dozen” recipes from our dear teachers. But remember, whatever baon you choose to prepare, do it with lots of love!

I.  Malu-Bana Heart Cheese Burger

(by teacher Myrna P. Macasieb)

1/4 k. ground beef

1/2 cup grated cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped or blended banana heart

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup malunggay leaves, chopped

1/2 cup grated carrots

5 tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 medium lettuce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup ketchup

1 cup cooking oil

4 eggs

150 g. sesame seeds

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and form every half cup into a patty. Grill or pan fry in oil until cooked. Serve with cucumber or your choice of vegetables.

II. Camote-Malunggay Spring Roll

(by teacher Ma. Luisa T. Ilustre)                                      2 big sweet potatoes (camote)

1/4 cup malunggay leaves

1/2 cup condensed milk

10 spring roll wrappers

1/2 cup sugar

Boil the sweet potatoes until cooked, then mash it. Combine the mashed sweet potato, malunggay and condensed milk, then wrap in a spring roll wrapper. Deep fry with sugar until cooked, then serve.

III. Malunggay Cheesy Corn Balls

(by teacher Maria Minda L. Flores)

100 gms. potatoes boiled, peeled

100 gms. cheese grated + little extra

50 gms. sweet corn kernels

1/4 cup malunggay, finely chopped

1 to 2 tbsps. corn flour

Oil as required

Salt as per taste

Mix the corn, potatoes and cheese in a bowl. Add the malunggay leaves and salt. Mix well and make small balls of the mixture. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium flame. Roll the prepared balls in corn flour and add them to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and remove. Drain excess oil and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top.

IV. Cassava Malunggay Chips

(by teacher Aiza P. Lustica)

1/2 kg. grated cassava

1/2 tbsp. black pepper

2 tbsps. salt

1/3 cup malunggay leaves, finely chopped

Flavoring (cheese, butter flavor), optional

Clean the peeled cassava, then grate. Mix together the cassava and all ingredients. Mix well until it becomes a thick paste. Spread thinly and evenly over a banana leaf or aluminum tray. Steam for about five minutes. Remove from steamer, place on chopping board and cut into sizes, about 4 x 1-1/2 cm. Remove the sliced pieces and arrange in a perforated tray. Dry under the sun or dry until crispy. Also good for deep frying. And add flavoring as desired.

V. Turones De Malunggay

(by Myrna P. Macasieb)

5-1/2 cups malunggay leaves

4 cups peanut, toasted

1-1/2 cups carrots, grated

3/4 cup langka, ripe

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 cup cooking oil

50 pcs. spring wrapper

1/3 cup sesame seeds

1 cup brown sugar

Blanch and drain malunggay leaves. Let it cool and chop the leaves. Mix together the chopped malunggay leaves, peanuts, and grated carrots until well blended. Place the lumpia wrapper in a plate/put 2 tbsps. malunggay mixture and langka with 1 tbsp. sugar. Roll and seal. Heat oil in carajay, then fry the turon until golden brown. Drain and set aside. Toast the sesame seeds, let it cool. Caramelize a cup of sugar, add the turones, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

VI. Malunggay Squash Pancake With Banana And Lime

(by Aiza P. Lustica)

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup mashed squash

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup malunggay water

1 egg, slightly beaten

Butter

4 large bananas (saba)

60 g. butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup lime (dayap) juice

Strips of lime rind, for serving

Sift the flour into a medium bowl. Add the sugar, mashed squash, and mix through with a spoon. Make a well in the center, pour in the combined coconut milk, malunggay water, and egg, and then beat until smooth. Heat a non-stick frying pan and melt a little butter in it. Pour 1/4 cup of the pancake mixture into the pan and cook over medium heat until the underside is golden. Turn the pancake over and cook the other side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining pancake batter, greasing the pan when necessary. Keep the pancakes warm while preparing the bananas. Cut the bananas diagonally into thick slices. Heat  the butter in the pan, add the bananas, and toss until coated. Cook over medium heat until bananas start to soften and brown. Sprinkle bananas with the brown sugar and stir gently until it has melted. Stir in the lime juice. Serve as a stack, layering bananas and some sauce between each pancake. Sprinkle with the lime rind, cut into wedges and serve.

VII.  Malunggay, Kalamansi And Tanglad (Ma-Ka-Ta) Juice

(by Aiza P. Lustica)

5 cups malunggay leaves

3 large tanglad stalks

15 pcs. calamansi

1 liter water

Caramelize brown sugar to taste. Boil malunggay leaves and tanglad stalks in 1 liter water and then strain. Squeeze 15 pcs. calamansi and then add in. Sweeten the juice with sugar according to taste. Serve it cold.

VIII.  Guava Juice

(by Ma. Luisa T. Ilustre)

20 medium-size ripe guavas

Sugar to taste

1 liter water

Cut guavas in halves. Boil in 2 cups water until tender.

Remove seeds. Combine guava, sugar, and 1 liter water, and blend until smooth. Add ice if desired or keep in refrigerator to chill.

IX. Malunggay Juice

(by Aiza P. Lustica)

5 cups malunggay leaves

2 pandan leaves

10 cups water

15 pcs. calamansi

Sugar to taste

Boil the malunggay leaves and pandan in 10 cups water for approximately 10 minutes. Squeeze 15 pcs. calamansi and then add in and finally sweeten the juice with sugar or honey according to taste. Serve the juice cold.

X. Tanglad Juice

(by teacher Aiza P. Lustica)

3 large lemongrass stalks

4 cups water

3 tbsps. sugar

Wash and cut the lemongrass stalks into smaller pieces, keep them aside. Pour water in a saucepan and add the prepared lemongrass. As water begins to boil, reduce heat to low setting and cover with a lid. Allow liquid to simmer for 1-1/2 hours, or until the boiling water thickens a bit and turns greenish. Add sugar and wait till it dissolves completely. Strain and pour in a serving glass to enjoy a hot drink.

XI. Iced Tanglad Juice

(by Aiza P. Lustica)

1 bundle of lemongrass

2 liters water

10 pcs. calamansi

Sugar to taste

Boil water and add lemongrass slices into it. Put lid and allow the citrus flavored leaves to steep in hot water for 5-7 minutes. After the liquid cools down, squeeze juice from the calamansi fruits. Strain and stir in pure honey into the lemongrass juice. Chill juice in the refrigerator before serving, or serve with crushed ice to make iced lemongrass juice.

XII.  Talbos Ng Kamote Juice

(by Aiza P. Lustica)

2 cups of talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaves)

6 pcs. calamansi

4-6 tbsps. sugar

2 cups water

Boil the talbos ng kamote for 10 minutes. The water will turn green. Take out the talbos and keep the green water. Squeeze the calamansi and take out the seeds. Stir in the calamansi juice into the green water and the water will turn pink. Stir in the sugar. Drink up and enjoy!