WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Fruits and Vegetables - More Matters Month

"We are not taught about the power of food in medical school." 

         

        -- Michelle McMacken, MD, Assistant Profession of Medicine,                    NYU Medical School

Apples, bananas, and tomatoes.  Kale, spinach, and squash.  What are YOUR favorite fruits and vegetables?  Last week I wrote about making apple sandwiches with Ellie.  Fall is a wonderful time of year to incorporate freshly picked apples into your favorite dishes.  Making food fun -- and making fun food  --  with kids is something we do in the Growing Healthy Kids Test Kitchen and in our healthy cooking classes. 

What fruits and vegetables are being harvested where you live?  For the healthiest way to eat, plan meals around what is in season (and whenever possible is locally grown).   Plant foods have the most nutrients when they are freshly picked;  every day that passes, they contain less nutrients.  Look for farmers near you who are growing organically (chemical-free).  Buying frozen vegetables and fruits is the next best choice because they are frozen immediately after being harvested, which ensures optimal nutrition. 

 

My recipe for Mango Chutney (see below) is one that kids love to make and eat because everyone loves the natural sweetness of fresh mangoes! Teaching kids how to blend the flavors of seasonal fruits and vegetables to make chutneys and salsas is a great lesson in the art of healthy eating for Growing Healthy Kids!

GROWING HEALTHY KIDS:  Our Recipe Collection

MANGO CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:

·        1 teaspoon organic cumin

·        3 jalapenos, seeded and minced (substitute green peppers if kids will be eating the chutney) 

     1 clove garlic, minced

·        3 apricots, diced  

     1-2 teaspoons coconut sugar

·        1 large mango, peeled, seeded, and diced

·        ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

·        2 teaspoons lime juice 

     1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·        1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS: 

Place all ingredients in a medium glass bowl.  

Toss to mix.  

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ingredients are chilled.  

Serve over grilled fish or basmati rice with roasted vegetables.   

Makes about 1 cup.

Please pass your favorite fruit and vegetable! 

With love and gratitude,

Nancy L. Heinrich, MPH

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.

PS - September is Fruits & Vegetables - More Matters Month.  For great recipes to make with your kids, click here.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Making Apple Sandwiches with Ellie

"A healthy diet can help prevent cancer since up to 60% of cancer cases are diet-related."  

                                                                      --www.pcrm.org 

I was in Louisville, Kentucky recently visiting family.  My mother and I spent a perfect Sunday afternoon with my nephew, Robbie, his wife, Sara, and their two children, Ellie (5 years old), Max (2-1/2 years old), and Stella the dog. While young Ellie and I watched the sky and the clouds from the hammock and dreamed about life, she agreed to be a Growing Healthy Kids ambassador and we ran into the house to play with food.

Ellie and I headed to the kitchen.  Her mother was cutting up apples.  We got out the nut butter.  We cut one apple into very thin slices and organized them into pairs on the cutting board.  We put a little nut butter on one slice of each pair.  Ellie was in charge of putting the tops on each apple slice with the nut butter.  Then we cut each “sandwich” in half, make small little delicious and crunchy bites and went back outside with a plate of sandwiches for everyone to taste, Stella in tow.  

Apple sandwiches are now a popular afternoon treat at Robbie and Sara's farm. 

When kids participate in the preparation of foods made with simple ingredients, they become engaged and curious.  Our goal is for kids to connect with the world of healthy foods.  Plan meals around fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans, lentils).  

Keep it simple.  Follow Ellie's formula:  one apple + fresh ground nut butter (with no added sugars salt or fat) + one kid = one growing HEALTHY kid eating apple sandwiches!

Please pass the apples (buy organic apples whenever possible). 

With love and gratitude,

Nancy L. Heinrich, MPH

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

PS-September is Fruits & Vegetables - More Matters Month.  For information about why eating fruits and vegetables are so important to health and for some great recipes, please click here.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: My Favorite Dressing

"We are all farmers tending a little part of the Lord's vineyard."  

                                                                       --Sheri L. Drew

Visiting farmers markets when I travel gives me great joy.  The Saturday morning market in New Albany, Indiana is one of my favorites.   In the heart of downtown New Albany, it is a wonderful open-air market.  Amish farmers come with their organically grown cucumbers and beans.  Farmers growing hydroponic vegetables sell beautiful basil and dark Romaine lettuce.  Local bakers bring their finest pies made with ingredients such as locally grown strawberries and rhubarb.  Pure heaven!

On a recent visit to the New Albany Farmers Market, I bought some honey from local beekeepers Mike and Paula Whisman to use in several recipes, such as my favorite vinaigrette that I make every week.  Honey from bees close to where you live can provide relief if you have allergies; I forget where I picked up this little tidbit of information but I swear by it. 

Honey from Mike and Paula Whisman at the New Albany Farmers Market in Indiana.  

Honey is a key ingredients in my favorite, simple vinaigrette dressing for green salads.  I make a small container of this dressing fresh every morning when I am lucky enough to take a salad for lunch at work.  It is always delicious! 

Growing Healthy Kids:  Our Recipe Collection

The Best Vinaigrette Dressing!

MIX together in a small glass or plastic container:

• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 Tablespoons of your favorite vinegar* 
• 1 teaspoon local honey
• Pink Himalayan sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

COVER and shake vigorously.

SERVE with your favorite green or pasta salad.

STORE unused dressing at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

Please pass the sunflower microgreens. 

With love and gratitude,

Nancy L. Heinrich, MPH

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

*One of my favorite vinegars is Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.