Labs
Supplements
Log in
Register
Scan Me!
Nutrition Snapshot
- About 15 grams of protein in four bites, from chicken, Parmesan, and egg.
- Spinach is inside every bite, and the oats that hold them together add a little fiber; there is no breading and no frying.
- The trade-off: Parmesan makes these moderately salty for a snack. The card shows the amount, and the notes show how to lower it.
Ground chicken mixed with thawed frozen spinach squeezed dry, an egg, quick oats, grated Parmesan, garlic powder, and a little salt, rolled into one-inch balls and baked on a sheet pan until golden.
They are eaten warm at dinner, cold from a lunchbox, or straight from the refrigerator after school, with ketchup, ranch, or marinara for dipping. A batch makes about 40, and they freeze in a bag for two months.
Why These Bites Are Great for the Snack Gap
Most children get more than enough protein over a day, and the shortfall, when there is one, shows up in the same two places: breakfast and snacks. The snack drawer is almost all carbohydrate: crackers, pretzels, fruit snacks, granola bars. A child who eats three snacks from it can go from lunch to dinner on almost no protein.
That is the stretch of the day when the after-school hunger, and the mood that comes with it, tends to arrive.
A snack that carries protein changes the afternoon. Four of these bites carry about 15 grams, about twice what a cheese stick gives, and they look like the chicken nuggets most children already accept.
The spinach is in every bite in a form that does not announce itself, and a child who picks around vegetables at dinner will usually eat these without comment.
Which other everyday foods close the snack gap, and how to serve a new food so it gets eaten, is in One Dish, Two Plates: Feeding Adults and Children From the Same Recipe.
Lunchbox Chicken and Spinach Bites
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment and brush or rub it with the olive oil.
- Squeeze the thawed spinach in a clean towel until no more water comes out; it should be a tight ball.
- Mix the chicken, spinach, egg, oats, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined. Wet hands help.
- Roll into 1-inch balls, about 40, and set them on the pan an inch apart. A small cookie scoop keeps them even.
- Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until golden on the bottom and cooked through to 165 degrees F. Cool 5 minutes.
- Serve warm with ketchup, ranch, or marinara, or cool completely and refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze in a bag up to 2 months; thaw in the lunchbox or reheat 1 minute in the microwave.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Gluten Free
These bites use oats instead of bread crumbs, and chicken, spinach, egg, and Parmesan are naturally free of gluten. Oats are often milled alongside wheat, so for people with celiac disease use quick oats labeled gluten-free, check the grated Parmesan for anti-caking starch, and check any dipping sauce for wheat or malt vinegar. People who avoid gluten by preference can use any quick oats.
Go deeper
- One Dish, Two Plates: Feeding Adults and Children From the Same Recipe (food.nutriscape.net)
- School-Aged Kids (nutriscape.net)
- Protein & Amino Acids (supplement-sciences)
