Lunchbox Tips

We promised some tips on packing your kids (or yourself!) a healthy lunchbox, and we didn’t forget. See below for some ideas on making healthy eating easy & delicious throughout the week. Of course, if you can get any of your ingredients from a local farmer’s market, even better! We promise they’ll taste fantastic, plus you’ll feel great about supporting the community.

 

  1. Leftovers – Always cook a little extra dinner? Portion it out the next day for school lunch. If you made a sauce, try putting it in a sandwich; if you made a casserole, stick a small portion in the lunchbox. There’s always a way to adapt delicious leftovers into lunch.
  2. Hummus – Nothing says healthy lunch of snack like this dippable dish. The best part is that you can make a big batch on Sunday night, and use it throughout the week.
  3. Charcuterie – May sound too fancy for lunch, but we don’t think it has to be. Most of us have cheese & deli meats hanging out in our fridge, so when you’re tired of a sandwich, just roll up those ham pieces and pack them with a few slices of cheese, several grapes or olives, and a handful of nuts.
  4. Healthy Sweets – Sometimes we just need that afternoon pick me up, and want that easy to get candy bar or doughnut. Instead, try making a batch of healthy sweets on Sunday afternoon, and pack one as a backup in your bag for those sluggish hours.
  5. Salad – Want something lighter for lunch? Pack whatever greens you’ve got in a mason jar with whatever proteins and veggies are in your fridge. Add a little olive oil & balsamic, or your favorite dressing, and you’ve got salad in a jar – quick and easy (and healthy) lunch fix.
  6. Market Finds – Make a trip out of visiting your local farmer’s market this Saturday. You’ll find plenty of delicious veggies to pack for lunch, and you’ll support local agriculture at the same time! Look for small peppers, radishes, cucumbers, beans, and anything else you can simply wash and stick in your lunchbox.

Back to School & Fall Harvest Bounty

It’s that time of year again – backpacks and school supplies are purchased, and morning rushes onto buses or into carpools reign chaotic during the week. Often, as the year gets busier, we find it hard to keep on track with healthy eating. The last thing we want to do after driving the kids all over town after school or battling over homework  is to spend extra time cooking a healthy dinner from scratch. Never mind planning a healthy lunchbox for the next day! We know where you’re coming from, and we want to help.

October is also Farm to School month, so we’ll be sharing tips on ways to incorporate farmer’s market outings with the healthy foods you and your kids are eating at home!

Join us on your own, as a team, or with your school/company/friends/family for this monthlong challenge celebrating the fall abundance!


VegOut! Helps Build Smart Habits for Teachers and Students

Over 50 Houston-area schools are getting into the groove of VegOut! 2015. This week we want to share two stand-outs: VegOut-inspired meals for teachers were held at Lyons Elementary (Houston ISD) and Pine Shadows Elementary (Spring Branch ISD), which has also conducted VegOut!-themed classes for students. Our Recipe for Success Foundation Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ instructor Emilie Bell gave us the scoop on some of her VegOut! programming at these two schools so far this month. Continue reading…


Cedar Brook Elementary This Week’s Champ VegOut! School Teams

FullSizeRender-4Cedar Brook Elementary, located off Hammerly and Bingle, may have become a Recipe for Success Affiliate Partner just last fall, but the Spring Branch ISD grade school is already making a strong showing in this year’s VegOut! Challenge. As of 1 pm on Friday, March 6, Cedar Brook had 58 members fully participating. Continue reading…


Homemade Pasta + Turnip Soup

ParkPlace-LemonPasta+TurnipSoup

Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education™ students at Park Place Elementary were thrilled to make lemony pasta from scratch to add to the turnip soup, which included turnips from their Recipe Garden!

Roasted Turnip Soup
Makes 8 servings

Turnips are not terribly popular, as they have a tendency to become bitter and watery if not cooked properly. The key to cooking turnips is to roast them! Like radishes, turnips become sweet and creamy when roasted, and when paired with leeks, garlic, they produce a fantastic soup. – S2P Instructor, Chef Priti

Ingredients
2 pounds turnips, cut into large dice
1 tablespoon oil
2 leeks, dark green part cut off, sliced in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss turnips in oil, place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes.
  • In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the butter with coriander seeds and caraway until fragrant. Add leeks, garlic and salt and cook until soft.
  • Add the turnips and stock, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the hot mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Tip: To add a little bit of texture to the pureed soup, you can garnish with toasted walnuts or rye bread croutons.

How are YOU eating turnips during the VegOut! Challenge?