April is Fresh Florida Tomato Month

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I’ve had the honor of receiving a guest post from Produce for Kids! This wonderful organization stands for healthy family eating and provides great recipes and tips to help your kids eat better so they can have the energy to move more, learn more, and be healthy and strong. Produce for Kids also raises funds for local children’s non-profit organizations, click here to learn more. All recipes and the nutritional tomato tips are credited to Produce for Kids Pop Advisory Board member and Registered Dietician, Estela Schnelle.

April is Fresh Florida Tomato Month and in the spirit of this fantastic fruit, we wanted to share the nutritional benefits of tomatoes and some delicious and easy recipes revolving around the nutritional powerhouse from Produce for Kids. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat between 22- 24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year. (More than half of that consumption is ketchup and tomato sauce.) In addition, the tomato is the fourth most popular fresh-market vegetable behind potatoes, lettuce, and onions in the U.S.

Most people know that tomatoes are good for you, but how many people know why? Here are some fun facts about tomatoes from PFK Pop advisory board member and Registered Dietician, Estela Schnelle:

·Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, & potassium

·Tomatoes are also one of the foods that contain the highest amount of Lycopene, which is the pigment that give tomatoes, and certain fruits and vegetables their color

·Lycopene appears to have antioxidant capabilities and is very good for the eyes

· Research shows that a diet rich in Lycopene may be associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and heart disease

Produce for Kids is a fantastic resource to help parents and kids learn about the benefits of consuming fresh produce by providing healthful meal solutions, videos, podcasts and much, much more. The site even hosts an advisory board made up of parents with a wide range of expertise who can provide additional tools and resources on how you can easily incorporate fruits and veggies into your family’s daily routine. To celebrate, we thought we would also give you some fantastic tomato recipes from Ideal Meals, provided by Produce for Kids:

Guacamole Tomato Boats

Serves 2

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Guacamole Tomato Boats (244x216)

Ingredients:

·2 medium tomatoes on the vine

·8 Tbsp. guacamole (liberal tablespoonfuls)

·8 Tbsp. salsa

·4 Tbsp. grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F or turn broiler on High.
2. Wash and dry tomatoes.
3. Slice tomatoes in half, cross section wise, and scoop out the insides, being careful not to puncture/tear the bottom of the tomato half.
4. With open side of tomato facing up, fill with guacamole, then salsa, and garnish with cheddar cheese.
5. Bake/broil until cheese melts, then remove from oven.

Nutrition Information:

Guacamole Tomato Boats Calories 365; Fat ; Protein ; Carbohydrate ; Fiber 7.2g; Cholesterol 1.5mg; Sodium 484mg; Calcium 16%DV; Vitamin A 62%DV; Vitamin C 97%DV; Iron 8%DV

Peach Tomato Salsa

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Peach Salsa (219x231)

Ingredients:

·2 tomatoes

·1 medium nectarine peeled and chopped

·1 medium peach, peeled and chopped

·¼ cup Vidalia® onion, chopped

·2 Tbsp. lime juice

·3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

·1/8 tsp. salt

· Additional Meal Items:

·1 seedless cucumber, sliced

·4 corn tortillas, 6-inch diameter, cut into 8 triangles

·Nonstick cooking spray

· 1 cup low-fat milk or juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In a medium serving bowl, gently combine the tomatoes, peaches and onion.

3. Gently stir in the lime juice, cilantro and salt.  Let set 15 mins. before serving to allow flavors to meld.

4. While salsa marinates, place tortilla triangles on a baking pan.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake for 5-6 mins. or until lightly browned.

Nutrition Information:

Peach Tomato Salsa Calories Calories 220 (69% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 12% fat); Fat ; Protein ; Carbohydrate ; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 12mg; Sodium 240mg; Calcium 34% DV; Vitamin A 27% DV; Vitamin C 30% DV; Iron 5% DV

To find other great recipes revolving around fresh produce visit: http://www.produceforkids.com/healthy_eating/ideal_meals.html.

Pumpkin Seed Butter

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Pumpkin seeds are incredibly delicious and a wonderful alternative to those who are sensitive to almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews. Seeds are often tolerated by those who are allergic to nuts. You can buy pumpkin seeds at bulk bins in Whole Foods and other natural food stores. I often find mine at Publix Greenwise or Whole Foods. Some grocery stores carry them as well. If you love nut butters for their smooth, creamy, and spreadable textures, then you’ll love this nut free alternative. Click here to learn about the health benefits of pumpkin seeds.

Skip the coffee, have this nutrient rich and delicious plate of food instead. Pumpkin seed butter with carrots and celery for a yummy afternoon snack!

 

Start with 1.5 cups of raw pumpkin seeds. If you bought roasted seeds, skip steps for roasting.

Preheat oven to 375. Spread seeds onto baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Set your timer for 7 minutes and check to make sure seeds aren’t burning. Roast for additional 3 minutes if needed. Seeds will go from flat to round.

Let cool for about 10 minutes then put into your food processor.

step 1 (640x480)

Process on High for about a minute, until seeds are finely chopped.

step 2 (640x480)

Next, add 1.5 Tablespoons First Cold-Pressed Olive Oil and continue to process. Seeds will start to bead up. Stop processor and scrape down sides.

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Pumpkin seed butter is beginning to form now. At this point, you are getting very close, keep on going!

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Destination smooth! Now you’ve got your smooth and creamy pumpkin seed butter! The whole process in under 30 minutes.

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Oh Yum! Remember to taste before giving to others Smile

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Save for snacks to bring to work, place in Pyrex containers for easy travel. Store in fridge.

Goes great with carrots, celery, apple and pear slices, millet toast, or a piece of dark chocolate!

step 7 (640x480)

Pumpkin Seed Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

1.5 cups raw pumpkin seeds

1.5 Tablespoons first cold-pressed olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Measure out 1.5 cups pumpkin seeds and spread even layer onto cookie sheet.

3. Roast pumpkin seeds for 7-10 minutes. Check after 7 minutes, they may be done depending on how hot your oven runs.

4. Remove pumpkin seeds from oven, set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

5. Pour pumpkin seeds into food processor, 4-10 cup size.

6. Process pumpkin seeds on High for 1 minute, until finely chopped.

7. Add olive oil and process on High for 3 minutes, stopping every minute to scrape down sides of food processor.

8. Pumpkin seed butter will start to thicken and form chunks, keep going at this point!

9. Process in shorter intervals and keep going until pumpkin seed butter gets smooth, no chunks remaining.

10. Place into glass container, cover, and store in fridge.

Enjoy!

pumpkin seed butter with veggies (640x480)

Quinoa Tabouli

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Quinoa is a great gluten-free substitute; it’s also a complete protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids. Tabouli is typically made with bulgur, i.e., cracked wheat; this is a twist on a traditional Mediterranean dish I grew up eating. Read more →

Never Diet Again: Learn The Clean Eating Way Of Eating

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There are so many different diets out there and all of them promise a sleek, slim, and sexy new you in just a couple of days or weeks. Many of us have tried too many to count AND can count more failures than successes in these endeavors AND have gained back all we have lost and then some.

So what way of eating truly works and is something you can follow for a life time? The Clean Eating way of eating is your answer. This means you eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods most of the time. Using the rule of thumb 90/10 or 80/20 if you are just starting out. You don’t have to eat perfectly clean 100% of the time, it’s what you eat most of the time that counts! Read more →