Spring 2012 Created by: UTSPH Dietetic

Intern

Developed for you by the

Nutrition Services Department

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, Houston Food Bank is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 832-369-9390.” “This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-SNAP.”

535 Portwall Street, Houston, TX 77029

Keegan Kitchen: 2445 North Freeway, Houston, TX 77009

Healthy Snacks for Kids

Easy to make, FUN to eat!

You can make a

difference in

your child’s

life.

Fruity Yogurt Pops Make: 6 pops Prep time: 10 mins Freeze: 4 hrs

Ingredients: 2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt 1 cup fruits, chopped 5 pretzel rods, halved

Directions: Gently stir the fruits and yogurt together in a large bowl. Spoon the mixture into 4-ounce ice pop molds or 3-ounce paper cups. Cover molds or cups with foil; use a sharp knife to cut a small hole in the foil and insert cut side of pretzel rod. Freeze until firm. Remove foil from molds or cups before serving. Store up to a month.

Low-fat yogurt is a great source of calcium. Try using different fruits each

time to create new tasty flavors.

Healthy Snacks for Kids

Snack time is the perfect moment to sneak extra servings of fruits and vegetables in your kids’ diet. Snacks also help prevent hunger between meals. Here are few healthy & delicious recipe ideas to get started. Not only are they easy to make, they are also very yummy! Give it a try and allow your creativity to go WILD!

Quick Tips for parents:

Make snacks accessible and available at home. Teach your kids to ask before snacking on their own. Avoid eating snacks in front of TV. Serve snacks in a bowl instead of directly out of the bag to help prevent overeating. Listen to your kids and offer choices. Encourage your kids to invent new snacks with you.

Your kids

will be

eating

healthy

snacks

without even

knowing it.

Make: 2 glasses

Ingredients: 1-8 ounces nonfat vanilla-flavored yogurt

1 banana, sliced 1 cup frozen strawberries or peaches

¼ cup orange juice

Directions: Blend all the ingredients in a blender.

Fruit Salsa

Make: 3 cups Prep time: 25 mins Chill: 1 to 6 hrs

Ingredients: 3 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped ½ small red onion, chopped ¼ small cantaloupe, seeded, peeled, and cut up ½ medium green sweet pepper, seeded and cut up 1 apple, cored and cut up 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. lime juice 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground cumin Low sodium tortilla chips

Directions: In a food processor bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cantaloupe, apple, green sweet pepper, sugar, lime juice, salt, and cumin. Cover and pulse with several on/off turns until chopped. Cover and chill for 1 to 6 hours before serving. Stir well before serving. Serve with tortilla chips. Tomatoes contain:

Vitamin A Vitamin C Potassium Iron Lycopene

Aids in vision

Maintain healthy teeth/skin/bones/hair

Keeps digestive system healthy

Lower risk of hypertension

Fight against cancer and heart disease

Apple is an excellent source of fiber. Diet high in fiber help

prevent

constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulosis. It makes us feel full

longer. It also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease,

stroke, high blood pressure, and some cancers.

Pear Pinwheels Make: 1 serving Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 2 mins

Ingredients: Whole-wheat tortillas Cheddar cheese, grated Pear, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions: Place 1 whole-wheat tortilla on a plate, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover cheese with pear slices. Sprinkle pear with a bit more cheese. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese melts. Roll, and cut into slices.

Fruits are available all year

round in canned, frozen or

dried form. Buy them in

season to save money. Aim

to serve kids at least 1 ½ cups

of fruit/day.

Cucumber Yogurt Dip Yield: 6 servings Prep time: 5 mins Chill: 1 hr Ingredients: 2 large cucumbers 2 cups plain yogurt, low-fat ½ cup sour cream, non-fat 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. fresh dill 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup baby carrots Directions:

1. Peel, seed, and grate one cucumber. Slice other cucumber and set aside. 2. Mix grated cucumber, yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, dill, and garlic in a serving bowl. Chill for 1 hour. 3. Arrange tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, and carrots on a colorful platter. 4. Serve with dip.

Hummus Sammy Yield: 2 sandwiches Prep time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, low-fat

2 tsp. scallions, finely chopped

5 Tbsp. hummus

4 slices whole wheat bread

6 cucumber slices

2 tomato slices

2 Tbsp. carrots, shredded

2 pieces romaine lettuce

Black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix together mayonnaise, scallions, and a pinch of black

pepper in a small bowl. Set Aside.

2. Spread the hummus on two slices of pita bread and the

mayonnaise mixture on the other two. Layer the cucumber,

tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce on top of the hummus. Top

each hummus slice with a mayonnaise one. Cut in half.

Sweet Potato Chips

Yield: 70 chips Bake time: 25 mins Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes

2 tsp. vegetable oils

1 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon Directions: -Preheat oven to 400oF. Coat the baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray. -Wash potatoes. Cut into thin slices, and place in large bowl. Pour oil onto the palms of your hands. Gently rub oil onto sweet-potato slices, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, tossing in bowl to coat evenly. - Place slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Turn chips over and bake until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. -Transfer to plate. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Facts on

Sweet potato

Packed with Vitamin A and potassium

Great source of B6 Great source of

Vitamin C Great source of

Folate

Make: 6 servings Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 7-10 mins

:

Instructions: 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped ½ small green pepper, seeded and chopped 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and lightly mashed ½ cup lower sodium salsa ½ tsp. chili powder 1 package (10-count) fajita-size whole-wheat tortillas 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese, reduced-fat ½ cup cilantro leaves

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Make: 4 servings or more Cook time: 20 mins

Instructions:

1 lb. wheat penne

1 cup milk, 2% or skim

1 lb. shredded cheese, reduced-fat

½ head cauliflower florets

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste Directions:

1. Bring water to boil in a pot. Add salt and cook the pasta until al dente. 2. In the meantime, cook the cauliflower until soft and transfer in a blender to puree. 3. Transfer the pasta and pour the cauliflower puree in a medium size pan. Add the milk, cheese and season to taste. 4. Sprinkle chopped parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Directions: 1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and green pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans, salsa and chili powder. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Spray cooking spray in a large nonstick skillet. Place over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla in the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Spread 1/3 cup of the bean mixture and 1/3 cup of the cheese evenly over the tortilla. Sprinkle some cilantro over the top. Place another tortilla on top and cook 1 minute. Press gently with a spatula and turn. Cook for 1 minute or until browned. 3. Place quesadilla on a baking sheet and keep warm in 2000F oven. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make four more quesadillas. Allow skillet to cool slightly if it becomes too hot. 4. To serve: cut each quesadilla into quarters. Serve 3 quarters to each person.

Veggie Bean Wrap Make: 4 wrap Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

2 green or red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 onion, peeled and sliced 1 can (15-ounce) black beans (50% less salt), drained and rinsed 2 mangos, chopped 1 lime, juiced ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 avocado, peeled and diced 4-10 inch wheat tortillas

Directions: 1. In a nonstick pan, sauté bell peppers and onion for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add beans, stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes. 2. In a small bowl, combine mangos, lime juice, cilantro, and avocado. Reserve 1/2 mixture for topping. 3. Fill warmed tortillas with ¼ bean mixture and ¼ mango mixture. 4. Fold ends of the tortillas over. Roll up to make wraps. Top veggie bean wraps with remaining mango mixture.

Cooking healthy foods

should not be a stressful

task. YOU are in control

of your kids’ health.

Hope these recipes are

helpful to you!!

Tortilla Pizza

Make: 6 pizzas Total prep and cook time: 25 mins Ingredients:

-12 small corn or flour tortillas -Vegetable Oil -1 (16oz) can refried beans -1/4 cup onion, chopped -6 Tbsp. red taco sauce

-2 oz. fresh or canned green chili pepper, diced -3 cups chopped vegetables, such as broccoli,

mushrooms, spinach, and red bell pepper - ½ cup (2oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, part skim

Directions: -Brush one side of each of two tortillas with water.

Press the wet sides of the tortillas together to form a thick crust for the pizza. -Brush the outside of the tortillas with a small amount

of oil. Evenly brown both sides in a heated frying pan. Repeat the steps with the rest of the tortillas. Set aside.

-Heat refried beans, onion, and half of the chili peppers together in a medium saucepan over medium heat,

stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. -Spread about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture on each tortilla pizza. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. taco sauce, then top

with ½ cup of the chopped vegetables, 1 tsp. chili peppers, and 1 Tbsp. cheese for each pizza.

-Return to frying pan and heat until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Did you know?

Beans are naturally low in fat, and high in protein. It also includes nutrients such as

potassium, fiber, calcium, iron and folic acid.

Recommended vegetable intake for children is at least 2 cups of vegetables per day. Cooking with

children can increase and positively influence

their vegetable consumption.

Diet high in calcium and protein can help build strong bones and prevent muscle loss.