Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cooked shredded chicken breast
• 2 Tbsps. buffalo sauce
• 6 stalks celery, halved
• 3 Tbsps. blue cheese dressing

Ingredients:

• 6 small-to-medium russet potatoes
• 1-1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
• 2-3 Tbsps. buffalo sauce
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup blue cheese yogurt dressing
• 2 green onions, sliced

Directions:

• Prick potatoes several times with a fork. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes per potato, set aside to cool. Alternate method: Prick potatoes with fork and place on baking sheet. Bake 45-60 minutes in a 400°F oven or until tender. Let cool.
• Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out inside of potato (this can be mixed with toppings or saved for another dish, like mashed potatoes). Spray skin side with cooking spray and place back on baking sheet.
Mix chicken and buffalo sauce. Add to potato skin halves and top with cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes, or until heated through and cheese melts. Top with blue cheese dressing and green onions.

Recipe and image courtesy of Produce for Kids.

Selection

Pick eggplants that:

• Are firm (without soft spots, scars, or blemishes)
• Have a vibrant color, plus smooth and shiny skin.

Storage

• Store eggplants in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to 1 week.
• Wash and cut only when you are ready to use them.

Nutrition Benefits

A 1 cup serving has:

• 20 calories
• No fat, cholesterol or sodium
• 8% daily value of dietary fiber
• High levels of folic acid and potassium

Ingredients:

• 2 small eggplants
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray or olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat to 350°F. Prepare a baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil.
• Wash, and then slice off stem of the eggplant. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices in a single layer in the prepared pan. Spoon sauce over each slice.
• Bake the slices for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheese on top of each slice. Return to the oven to cook for 10-15 minutes more, or until eggplant is soft.

RECIPE VARIATION: Swap the spaghetti sauce for fresh slices of tomato.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 Tbsps. BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 4 cups chopped salad
• 2 large hard-cooked eggs, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup chickpeas, drained, rinsed
• 1/2 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

Directions:

• Toss chicken with BBQ sauce.
• Place 2 Tbsp. ranch in bottom of each Mason jar (4 in total). Layer with salad, chicken, eggs, avocado, peppers, chickpeas and cheese. Add lid and screw tight.
• Refrigerate until ready to eat. Turn upside down and shake it up to coat the salad with dressing.

Recipe and image courtesy of Produce for Kids.

TIP: If you don’t have a chopped salad mix, buy any bagged salad and chop it yourself. Grab a cutting board and chef’s knife, place a pile of salad on the cutting board, and start chopping – keeping knife tip in place and moving handle up/down while rotating back and forth through the pile.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
• 16 oz. broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce
• 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• 2 cups steamed brown rice

Directions:

• Heat 1/2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan.
  Note: During this step extra chicken could be cooked up for another meal during the week.
• Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add veggies and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Add chicken and teriyaki sauce. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in pineapple.
• Top rice with chicken and veggies. Optional: Top with sesame seeds.

Recipe and image courtesy of Produce for Kids.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets
• 2 Tbsps. finely chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 6 (7-inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 3 cups shredded lettuce

Directions:

• Combine chicken, carrots, celery, broccoli, onion and dressing in large bowl.
• Line each tortilla with a 1/2 cup lettuce topped with a 1/2 cup chicken/vegetable mixture. Roll and slice into thirds.

Recipe and image courtesy of Produce for Kids.

Pack lunches that make the grade!

Making sure our kids have a healthy, balanced lunch and snacks to fuel them through their classes and afterschool activities is important. But, packing items they like and parents feel good about can be a challenge. Get your family into a routine of packing lunches they won’t trade.

Safety of food in a packed lunch is a concern, even with an ice pack. Some additional items which could be frozen and thaw by lunchtime include yogurt, bottled water, grapes, cheese cubes, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, mashed
• 2 tsps. honey
• 1/4 cup low-sodium peanut butter
• 2 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 10 grapes, quartered
• 4 strawberries, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

• Mix banana, honey and peanut butter in small bowl.
• Spread onto tortilla and layer with grapes and strawberries. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Roll up tortilla, slice into 1-inch thin slices and serve.
• Add a side of veggies (raw with dip or hummus) and dairy (cheese cubes or yogurt) for a MyPlate meal.