Dietitians Dish – September 30, 2019

Make Sure Nothing Goes to Waste!

Food insecurity is a bigger issue than we realize in this country.

That’s why organizations like Produce for Kids are partnering with Feeding America Food Banks.

We can all do our part to help make sure our food resources are sustainable and food insecurity becomes a thing of the past.

In your own home, be sure that you’re only buying what will be used, and finish up what is left so nothing goes to waste.

Plan a menu which uses items in multiple ways so anything leftover from the first meal will be used for the next one.

Take leftover dinner for lunch or make a layered salad with some of the leftovers as ingredients.

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

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.

Dietitians Dish – September 23, 2019

Family Meals Month = 1 More Meal At Home

With the new school year under way, it’s important to have a variety of quick weeknight meals. That doesn’t mean take-out. To save some money and time, plan a menu that makes sure nothing goes to waste!

Make a shopping list – start with what’s on sale
Select recipes that feature those items in different ways
Prep and cook ahead what items you can – think “Cook once & eat twice”

What can you do with chicken and broccoli for a quick, weeknight dinner?
Plenty of things! These recipes will deliver a variety of flavors. Sign your child up for Produce for Kids Club when you make a purchase from the produce department. Plenty of recipes (including these) are available at www.produceforkids.com.

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

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.

Chicken Veggie Wraps

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.

Dietitians Dish – August 19, 2019

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.

The key is to involve them in planning and packing!

Let kids provide a list of lunch items and select those that are parent-approved
Buy a variety from the list and organize by bins in the pantry and fridge
Use the weekend to prep – clean/chop and pack/store in single servings
Think finger foods and mix-n-match
Use MyPlate as a model – include something from each food group

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.

If school is a nut-free zone, try sunflower seed butter instead. It has twice the amount of fiber than traditional peanut and nut butters.

PB & Fruit Roll-Ups

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.

Dietitians Dish – August 12, 2019

Serve Them Goodness for Back-to-School

Whether you’re packing lunchboxes or just need a quick meal idea; natural and organic foods from Annie’s, Larabar, and Cascadian Farms offer many options that you can feel good about feeding your family.

Start their day with a wholesome, organic Cascadian Farm cereal that is delicious and uncomplicated. For a snack or lunch, serve up some calcium-rich yogurt, topped with Cascadian Farm organic granola and fruit.

Pack their lunch with delicious, organic foods with ingredients that matter – like fruit snacks or Mac & Cheese from Annie’s.

Add a Larabar snack bar for a boost of fiber and protein. Each delicious flavor is made from between 2-9 ingredients like whole nuts and fruits that are gluten-free and non-GMO.

These bars are also dairy free, soy free, vegan, Kosher, and never use artificial flavors, preservatives or sweeteners. Simply put, its food made from food.

Loaded Baked Potato Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

3 slices of bacon (can substitute vegetarian bacon)
1 box Annie’s Homegrown Shells and Real Aged Cheddar
2 Tbsps. butter
1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsps. chives, chopped
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional for extra cheesiness)

Directions:

Boil 6 cups water in a medium saucepan. While the water is heating, cook the bacon until crisp and remove from the pan and set aside to drain and cool.
Boil the pasta according to directions on the box. While the pasta is cooking, wash and chop chives and crumble cooked bacon.
Empty the pasta into a colander and set aside to drain.
Meanwhile, add the butter, sour cream or Greek yogurt and Real Aged Cheddar cheese packet to the warm saucepan and whisk until evenly combined.
Add the pasta back into the pan along with bacon, chives, and shredded cheese (if using) and stir well to evenly coat with sauce.

Dietitians Dish – August 05, 2019

Seasonal during late summer (but available year-round), eggplant is a fruit that is classified as a vegetable. Offering great versatility as a substitute for meat, eggplants soak up the flavor of sauces and other ingredients. If you’re looking to swap out meat for a boost of nutritional value, eggplants fit the bill!

Selection: Choose eggplants that are heavy for their size and without cracks or discolorations. Small and medium sizes tend to be sweeter with less seeds.

Storage: Refrigerate eggplants in the crisper drawer, and use within 5-7 days (bitterness increases over time). Do not wash until ready to use them.

This salad is loaded with veggies and quinoa, packing a 1-2 nutritional punch from protein and fiber. It’s a light, but filling option for a side dish at your next picnic or a packed lunch for work.

Grilled Vegetable & Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
2 Roma tomatoes, each cut lengthwise
1 medium eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, peeled, root left intact, and cut into quarters
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into thirds
1 red bell pepper, quartered
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat grill for direct grilling over medium heat.
Rinse quinoa with cold water; drain. In small saucepot, heat water and quinoa to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 13 to 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
Place vegetables on rimmed baking pan; spray vegetables with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onion and bell pepper in barbecue grill topper. Place grill topper, tomatoes (cut side down), zucchini and eggplant on hot grill rack. Cover and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until grill marks appear on the vegetables directly on the rack, stirring occasionally. Transfer tomatoes to plate. Turn zucchini and eggplant. Cover and cook 4-6 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring vegetables in grill topper occasionally.
To serve, transfer quinoa to large serving bowl. Cut root off onion quarters; cut vegetables into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to bowl with quinoa. Add Herb-Feta Vinaigrette (see below) and toss to combine.

Herb-Feta Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 Tbsps. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
1-1/2 tsps. chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper until well blended. Whisking constantly and vigorously, very slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture until dressing is emulsified; stir in cheese and herbs.

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