Sometimes we feel in order for a meal to be a success, it has to have multiple ingredients to be “fancy.” That is definitely not the case with CHOICES class participants who are looking for simplicity in a recipe.
Most of our participants are working parents who have little to no time to prepare multiple course meals and really look to us to bring them delicious, healthy recipes with few ingredients. One of the goals for the CHOICES Nutrition Education Program is to provide participants with something simple, inexpensive yet tasty and can be made with everyday ingredients we might already have in our pantries and are healthy.
During a class at Cedars International Academy, the nutrition team introduced the turkey veggie wraps made with one whole wheat flour tortilla, 2 tablespoons of hummus, 2 slices of turkey sandwich meat, spinach and carrots. A mom was happy to see that the recipe called for hummus, because she had sampled it at her local H-E-B a couple of days before the class.
The turkey veggie wraps was one of the favorite dishes in the series, and many participants found it was very simple to make, required very little ingredients, no cooking time, and it was very filling.
But the turkey veggie wrap is one of many recipes the nutrition team provide to clients that can be adjusted depending on what is in their pantry or in their refrigerator. For example, our traditional Cereal Sundae recipe calls for fresh cut up strawberries, but in one case, fresh strawberries weren’t available at the grocery store, so the team opted for canned pineapple tidbits in 100 percent juice. It was just as success and received raving compliments from students.
The recipes our nutrition team provides are designed to be used in multiple ways for our clients’ convenience. Capital Area Food Bank client Loanna made no hesitation to include our pineapple chicken fried rice at her Thanksgiving dinner. The dish that is much healthier than it sounds was a hit among her family and was a way for Loanna to step out of her cooking comfort zone.
Sometimes we get caught up in tradition we forget we can change things around every once in a while to include something healthier in our festivities. But let’s not stop at holiday meals; make it a goal to try something new frequently.
Cooking or preparing meals shouldn’t have to be stressful, although sometimes it can be. But, the CHOICES Program is working to make meal times enjoyable for all, one recipe at a time.
To learn more about our CHOICES Nutrition Program or to schedule a class, contact Bilingual Nutritionist Vivian Noriega at 512-684-2538, or email vnorieaga@austinfoodbank.org.
Visit our Eat Healthy page for recipes and other resources.
Recipe: Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serving size: 1 cup Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- ½ cup diced carrots (if frozen, run under warm water to thaw)
- 2-10oz cans chicken breast in water, drained and chopped
- 4 cups cooked long grain brown rice (cold or room temperature)
- 2 green onions, sliced, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup canned low-sodium peas (if frozen, run under warm water to thaw)
- 1 cup canned pineapple in 100% juice, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Directions
- Heat a large sauté pan or wok over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Let pan heat for a minute and then add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 2 minutes.
- Add the carrots and cook 1 more minute until they have softened slightly.
- Stir in the canned chicken, and mix to combine.
- Stir in the green onions, rice, peas and chopped pineapple.
- Drizzle the rice with the soy sauce then stir to combine.
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories 244, Total Fat 4 g, Carbohydrates 30 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 22 g, Sodium 419 mg, Cholesterol 31 mg
Source
Just A Taste food blog Recipe modified by CHOICES Nutrition Education Program
