Whole grain couscous - yay or nay?

[amcal]

Finding foods my kids will eat for lunch at school is agony.

They're a nut free class room, one kid doesn't like sandwiches or wraps of any kind. They like whole grain pasta but, it can be bulky and difficult to eat in a short amount of time (they get less than 10 minutes for lunch). They don't like cheese in lunch (only fresh out of the fridge). We don't do lunch meats.

Anyway, we saw a recipe on Food TV Network for couscous with dried figs. I made it with whole grain couscous and they loved it. I thought it was a fluke so I used the rest of the box last night and added whatever veggies I had around - ended up with peas, lima beans and broccoli. Again they both LOVED it and said that they would love it for lunch every.single.day. Uh, yeah, we'll see....

So anyway, what are your thoughts on whole grain couscous? I know it can't be sprouted. But, other than that, what do you think?

[PeggyinNC]

I am interested in hearing the replies! I love couscous, but do wonder about it myself. I ordered some bulk quinoa from Walton Feed, because I hear it can be used the same as couscous, but is a whole grain, rather than simply a small pasta, like couscous is.

[sisteeesmama]

Here's my two cents on this.

My dd is almost 2 so I am in the thick of picky-eating. I strive for TF for the whole family but at the end of the day I feel good if she eats anything remotely healthy! If she liked whole grain couscous that had VEGGIES in it I would throw myself a friggin party!

So I say, no it's not TF but if they like it and aren't gluten sensitive and suffer no ill effects then I would be ok with it a few times I weeks. It would not be an every day thing for me.

You said that you don't deli meat. Can ask what the reason is? If it's just that standard deli meat has nitrates and other bad stuff could you start roasting your own meats?

What else do you put in the lunches, maybe we could brainstorm other ideas too?

[amcal]

I don't have easy access to nitrate/phosphate free deli meats so I don't buy them.

I do buy nitrate free salami sticks and I can cut up a few slices of those for one of my daughters to eat but the other will only eat them warmed up.

Lets see - lunches are miserable so we really only do a few things - pasta with butter, chili or soup are our staples.

Sometimes for my pickiest eater, I'll cut up some veggies (peppers and cucumbers) and send her with yogurt praying she'll even consider eating the yogurt. More often than not, she refuses.

[kjbrown92]

Do you have a thermos? My DS has meatsauce over steamed cauliflower or chili or beef and sweet potato stew. My DD2 will have chicken broth with rice noodles in it or just veggies or rice. It's actually been our saving grace this year.

[amcal]

I do have thermoses - that's what we use for chili, pasta and soups.

[tanyalynn]

As a compromise, it's a heckuva lot better than most. Ask me how I know.

Would it rehydrate properly and have a nice texture if you used chicken stock instead of water? Nice taste, too.

Better lunch meat is expensive so we don't use it much, but to have some more protein and fat with our meals, I'll either keep shredded roast beef around (slow cooker, shreds so easily) or I'll make meatballs. My kids love meatballs.

But yeah, it would be an ok compromise food for us if we could have gluten.

[Koalamom]

From my research, traditional couscous is very healthy. Native to Africa, the women would grind the grain, and soak it overnight ( I think longer) and then mush the soaked flour with their hsnds and then sun dry it. And you can couscous.

As for the kind in stores, I bet they don't soak it and sun dry it. Whole grain, good, but processed (and the flour could be going rancid) so it has very low nutrients compared to freshly ground grain, bad. I consider it a treat, not a nightly food. Now if you could make your own with freshly ground flour, that would be awsome and something you could eat often.

My main concern would be rancidity which is carcenogenic, and the phytic acid

[sisteeesmama]

a hearty seconding to the meatballs, its our lifesaver around here.

Could you make some muffins with coconut flour like I am going to try this week? I was thinking making corn/coconut muffins with pumpkin in them and maybe even cranberries....

Could you roast your own turkey or ham?

What about date/coconut balls?