Fruit Bars Bento

This is my second week in Nutrition Australia Women's Program‏. I learnt about food spending. Analyze your food spending into 3 categories :

1. Eat most (e.g. breads, cereals, rice, pasta, flour, fruit, vegetables, legume, baked beans & lentils)
2. Eat moderately (e.g. lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, milk, cheese & yogurt)
3. Eat least (e.g. butter, margarine, oil, sugar, biscuits, cake, chocolate, crisps, soft drinks, coffee/tea, salad dressings, sauces)

We should allocate our food spending to match with the healthy living pyramid. Here are the steps :
1. Work out the weekly food budget for example : $150
2. Divide it into 10 parts, for example : $ 150 / 10 = $ 15
3. Allocate it for Eat least : 1 x part = $ 15
                         Eat moderately : 3 x part = $ 45
                         Eat most : 6 x part = $ 90

By then, we would be able to eat healthier and also save money.

And they gave us fruit bars recipe perfect for lunchbox or after school snacks. I quite enjoyed the flavour, it's so easy to make and also healthier because of the sugar that comes from dried fruits & apples only, and no preservatives. Here is the recipe :

LUNCH BOX MEDLEY FRUIT BARS
by Nutrition Australia WA
makes 16
preparation time 15 mins   cooking time 20 mins

Ingredients :
* 3            apples, peeled and roughly chopped
* 1.5 cup   mixed fruit, dried
* 2 cups    whole oats
* 1/2 cup   wholemeal self raising flour
* 3/4 cup   unsweetened dessicated coconut
* 2            eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 tsp       cinnamon powder

Method :
1. Place apples in medium saucepan with 1/4 cup of water and cook until soft. note: don't allow apples to cook dry, add a dash of extra water if necessary.
2. Roughly mash apples with a fork, and allow to cool slightly
3. When cool, combine apples with dried fruit and cinnamon, and mix together
4. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined
5. Tip mixture into a greased or lined shallow baking dish, and press down evenly
6. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes, or until golden and firm to touch
7. Leave to cool and slice into 16 bars
8. Store leftover bars in airtight container

Finally, for the lunch box, I packed :
1. Fruit bars
2. Cheese pods
3. Sausages
4. Lettuce, broccoli, and "flower" carrot