Heart Warming Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts
Take the chill off your morning with a hearty and delicious twist on regular oatmeal.
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
¾ cup pink grapefruit juice
¾ cup water
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon brown sugar, firmly packed
2 seedless oranges or tangerines, sectioned, chopped
4 dates (2 tablespoons), chopped
1 tablespoon almonds, slivered
In a medium saucepan, combine grapefruit juice, water, cinnamon, and salt; bring to a boil over HIGH heat. Stir in the oats and reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Cover the oatmeal and let stand for 8 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached (it will continue to thicken as it stands). Stir in brown sugar. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls and top with oranges, dates and almonds.
Serves: 2
1 Cup of Fruit per Serving
Fruit and/or Veggie Color(s): Red, Orange
Nutrition Information per Serving: calories: 276, total fat: 3.8g, saturated fat: 0.4g, % calories from fat: 11%, % calories from saturated fat: 1%, protein: 6g, carbohydrates: 59g, cholesterol: 0mg, dietary fiber: 7g, sodium: 152mg
Each serving provides: An excellent source of vitamin C, magnesium and fiber and a good source of vitamin A, folate, calcium and potassium.
Recipe courtesy of Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). This recipe meets PBH and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) nutrition standards that maintain fruits and vegetables as healthy foods.
Broccoli Mandarin Orange Salad
Tender-crisp broccoli and mandarin oranges with a citrus salad dressing.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
5 cups broccoli flowerets
1 tablespoon almonds
2 11- oz. cans of mandarin orange sections, well drained
1 orange, grated peel and juice
5 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, optional*
Steam broccoli flowerets in covered saucepan for 3 minutes only. Remove quickly and rinse with cold running water until broccoli is no longer warm. Do not cook further. Place in serving bowl and chill, covered. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine almonds, drained mandarin oranges, grated peel and juice from orange, green onions, and remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper. Toss gently and allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes. When ready to serve, pour marinated orange mixture on chilled broccoli and toss very gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.*
Chef’s Notes: Vividly green vegetables such as green beans, cucumbers, broccoli, and zucchini will slowly turn a drab yellow-green color when in the presence of acids for a moderate period. To keep this salad bright in color, the orange-flavored salad dressing is added just before serving.
*Optional ingredients are not included in dietary analysis.
Serves: 6
1 Cup of Fruits and Vegetables per Serving
Fruit and/or Veggie Colors: Green, Orange
Nutrition Information per Serving: calories:84, total fat:3.4g, saturated fat:0.4g, % of calories from fat:33%, % of calories from saturated fat:4%, protein:3g, carbohydrates:13g, cholesterol:0mg, dietary fiber:3g, sodium:19mg
Each serving provides: An excellent source of vitamins A and C, and a good source of folate and fiber.
Recipe was developed for Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) by Chef Carmen I. Jones, CCP. This recipe meets PBH and Centers for disease Control & Prevention (CDC) nutrition standards that maintain fruits and vegetables as healthy foods.
Celebrate the Season with Fruits & Veggies
The arrival of the holiday season signals the time for celebrating. There will be parties and cards, gifts and decorations, friends and loved ones to visit and those who visit you. At this happy time of year a person can find the opportunity for overindulgence almost every day! With the right choices however, meals, parties and buffets don’t have to leave you feeling stuffed and resolving to diet again on New Year’s Day.
The dining room table always seems to be at the center of holiday celebrations. While everyone enjoys their traditional family recipes, it can be fun to incorporate some new dishes that reflect our own tastes and personalities. The options to incorporate delicious, healthy dishes to your holiday table are endless. Make the season come alive with the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables. Use these suggestions for making every course colorful, flavorful and best of all, more nutritious.
- Before the meal, offer appetizers in the form of a vegetable tray
that includes blanched asparagus or green beans, red and green bell pepper strips and your favorite raw veggies. Serve a couple different flavors of low-fat dressing, hummus, or guacamole as dips. A variety of dips to choose from keeps everyone happy.
- Start every meal with a festive, memorable salad; top mixed greens with sliced apples or pears, dried cranberries, canned and drained mandarin orange segments and colorful vegetables. Delight your guests with the unexpected salad ingredients like jicama, sprouts and avocado. For another option, slice a variety of citrus fruits such as tangerines, grapefruits and naval oranges, garnish with fresh basil leaves, black and green olives then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil for a refreshing seasonal fruit salad.
- Soup also makes a great beginning for a meal and a wonderful way to fill up without adding many calories, as long as you stay away from the cream-based type. A broth-based soup containing red bell peppers, orange carrots, yellow corn and green peas is a warm and colorful start to the holiday meal.
- Vegetable medleys make an attractive side dish while adding multiple flavors and nutrition to your meal. For a festive touch, try adding a small amount of chopped nuts or a fun shaped pasta to the mixed veggies. As another side dish option, asparagus spears steamed and served through a lemon slice look as good as they taste.
- Fruit can serve as the centerpiece when it’s time for dessert. Slice off the leafy pineapple top, place it in the center of a platter and surround it with a combination of pineapple chunks, strawberries, grapes, kiwifruit, orange sections, apple slices or other fruit. Pies and cobblers highlight sparkling fruit fillings and small portions of cheesecake can be topped with any variety of fruit.
- Be sure to have plenty of fruit on hand to serve as festive garnishes for holiday beverages. Sparkling seltzer mixed with 100 percent juice and topped with a twist of lemon or lime or a few raspberries or cranberries makes a pretty and satisfying thirst-quencher.
Enjoy a little of everything in moderation: No guilt involved and maximum enjoyment for all!
There are other ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your holiday celebrations besides just on the menu.
- Put out festive baskets or bowls
- Teach your child the spirit of giving by having them help you donate non-perishable fruits & veggies to a local food pantry or homeless shelter. You can also suggest they donate old clothes that no longer fit or toys they no longer play with as a way to make room for anticipated holiday gifts. This helps others while teaching your child a valuable lesson by letting them feel the joy of giving.
There are many wonderful recipes that feature autumn and winter fruits and vegetables. Broccoli Mandarin Orange Salad makes a great seasonal side dish and adds a beautiful combination of colors to the holiday table. If you’re looking for a few fun, yet educational gift ideas, surf over to www.pbhcatalog.com for some inexpensive items that would make great stocking stuffers, gift exchange presents, or presents for all of the young children and teachers on your list. More seasonal fruit & vegetable inspiration can be found online at www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.
Happy Holidays to you and your families.
