Back-to-school Snacks

Make back-to-school mealtimes easy with these delicious recipes featuring U.S.-grown rice. Affordable and versatile, rice is the perfect pantry staple for quick lunches, simple dinners, and family-friendly meals that keep everyone fuelled throughout the school day.

1) Spicy Tuna Yaki Onigiri

Onigiri is a popular Japanese street food, commonly found in convenience stores, and izakaya (pubs) across the country. Yaki translates to ‘grilled’, onigiri being the filled rice balls. Yaki Onigiri are brushed with a sweet and savoury sauce, then toasted on a grill or skillet until golden and crispy.

This recipe uses U.S.-grown Jasmine rice, which lends the perfect sticky texture that helps the onigiri hold its shape. I often make these as grab and go snacks for busy weeknights, picnics and beach days. Swap the tuna for your favourite fillings, spicy salmon, beef bulgogi, spicy tofu, the possibilities are endless!

Recipe by Zahra @threecupsofchai

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2) BBQ Rice Muffin Mounds

Beginner chefs will love the hands-on process of creating these tasty BBQ Rice Muffin Mounds! The fun-to-make muffin mounds feature U.S.-grown white long grain rice and come together in just under an hour. This recipe is part of “The Kids’ Kitchen” series, a collection of approachable recipes that teach children the basics of cooking through the preparation, assembly, and plating of each dish (adults are asked to handle any oven or stovetop instructions).

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3) Rice Volcanoes

A creative way to get kids to eat their spinach, these tasty rice volcanoes make dinnertime fun. Kids can help form the volcanoes in the muffin pan once the rice mixture and filling are made.

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4) Veggie Rice Puffs

These tasty little puffs are an ideal on-the-go meal or snack. Make them ahead, freeze them and toast as needed for a nutritious meal. This recipe, which uses vitamin and mineral-rich brown rice, provides baby with essential nutrients including magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, niacin and vitamin B6. Magnesium and phosphorus are factors in normal bone development, while zinc, niacin and vitamin B6 are factors in energy metabolism and tissue formation.

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5) ‘Mushi’ (Mexican Inspired Sushi)

This multicultural mash-up fuses two delicious flavours, Japanese and Mexican. Easy and versatile, this rice recipe can be made ahead for a school or work lunch and also makes a great light dinner when served with a salad.

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