The good-for-you lolly cake

Vanessa Lewis

It’s every parent’s nightmare: getting“the lunchbox” right. The lunchbox first, is it eco-friendly andsustainable? Then the food. My mantra is low carb and low or norefined sugar, lots of colour, lots of variety and making it enticing. Many preschools and schools have “nonut” policies due to the growing number of kids with allergies.

This is my take on the good old retro “lolly cake”, I’ve changed it up a bit using seeds and dates as the base, and in lieu of lollies some gorgeous Fresh As dried whole fruits and zero added refined sugar.

Ingredients

1 cup	Pitted dates
¼ cup	Chia seeds
¼ cup	Sunflower seeds
¼ cup	Pumpkin seeds
½ cup	Almonds
½ cup	Desiccated coconut, plus extra to coat
1	Orange, use the zest only
2 Tbsp	Cocoa, use good quality cocoa
2 Tbsp	Coconut oil, Cocavo light
1 rasher	Fresh As fruit pieces, fresh and whole
1 pinch	Salt
¼ cup	Goji berries

Directions

1. Place dates in a bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Drain well, place in a food processor with the chia, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, almonds, coconut, orange zest, cocoa, Cocavo and salt.
2. Process till the mixture well combined, transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the fresh as fruit pieces and goji berries.
4. Divide the mixture into four, shape into logs and roll in coconut.
5. Wrap tightly in baking paper and keep in the fridge.
6. When ready to serve cut into 2cm rounds.

More of Simon's lunch box recipes

• Parmesan and ham mayo roll ups