Summer Sweet Strawberries

Although it is still bitterly cold in several places, Arizona has been gearing up for the harsh hot summer heat and already had days near 100 degrees. 

Summer is a time of surviving the Arizona sun, careless days for kids, several pool parties and lots of sweet, juicy, fresh fruit. Strawberries and melons are my favorite and a perfect low calorie option to satisfy a sweet tooth in the hot summer months ahead. 

Last week strawberries were on sale at the market - 2 (16oz) containers for $1.00.

It was a great price, so I bought 4 containers. As it was, my daughter was hungry and started eating them out of the container. By the time we got home she and I had eaten a 1/2 lb of strawberries.

Strawberries provide a good source of vitamin C and just under 50 calories per 1 cup serving - half the daily fruit servings for a 2000 calorie diet.  

They freeze well and are a healthy alternative to Popsicles or ice cream on a hot summer day. 

Frozen strawberries make great smoothies with few simple ingredients. 

Strawberry Smoothie

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup milk

1/2 banana 

1/4 cup pineapple or apple juice (optional)

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Favorite Chicken Dish

I love recipes that have 5 ingredients or less and take minimal time. Especially those long days when you're tempted just to hit the closest drive through on the way home and kids are screaming, tired and unhappy.

One item that is easy to cook with is boneless, skinless, chicken breasts - great source of protein with minimal fat content and goes so well in many dishes.  

Here is my new favorite chicken recipe - Parmesan Crusted Chicken by Best Foods (www.bestfoods.com). This recipe calls for 4 items - mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, chicken breasts and bread crumbs. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
• 4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

• Cost per recipe*: $7.16      Cost per serving*: $1.79  
•  *Based on average retail prices at national supermarkets.  

Lower-fat options - 

• For mayonnaise try light, low-fat or reduced fat mayonnaise or try lo-fat sour cream
• For bread crumbsTry whole wheat bread, toasted, and smashed with a rolling pin or meat pounder

Serve with a fruit, non-starchy vegetable and starch - 

• Slice seasonal fruit such as strawberries, mango, honeydew, oranges, pineapple or any other
• Add some color to your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, spinach, etc. 
• Cooked rice or pasta - try brown rice or quinoa for a healthier option

Spend Now, Save Later - Zucchini

This morning I bought zucchini at the market for 4lbs / dollar. 

That's a pretty great price and I love being able to spend a little more when items are on sale and build a food storage to have for later. 

As much as I love fresh fruits and vegetables, they spoil unlike canned/packaged food. You can stock up on fruits and vegetables when they are in season and store them by canning or freezing them. The National center for Home Food Preservation recommends blanching before freezing. See http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/squash_summer.html for additional details. 

Squash and zucchini are summer vegetables and can be very inexpensive in season. They are only around 20 calories and 1.4gm fiber per 1 cup and are high in calcium.  

I am going to use some fresh zucchini this week in my dinner meals and then freeze the rest for later.
Here are some meal ideas to use fresh or frozen zucchini:

• If you cook foods like macaroni & cheese - toss chopped zucchini in the last 2-3 min of cook time for the noodles and prepare the rest according to package directions
• Make zucchini muffins or bread using shredded/grated zucchini fresh or frozen (if frozen, may want to pull from freezer an hour or so in advance from using)
• Toss chopped zucchini into soups or stews
• Pull chopped zucchini from the freezer, then cook in the microwave 2-3 minutes. Add to blender or food processor and toss in spaghetti sauce or other sauces
• Add fresh zucchini to pasta or green salads 
• Slice zucchini in long pieces and toss with cooking spray or 1 tsp olive oil, then add salt/pepper (or other spices) and throw on the grill or saute in a pan 
• Grill without 1 tsp olive oil and then drizzle with some good balsamic vinegar when cooked (this is my personal favorite)
• Make zucchini pancakes by adding grated zucchini to pancake or waffle batter
• Build your own shish kabobs with zucchini chunks, onions, peppers, tomatoes or your choose your own favorite vegetables (use wooden skewers and let the kids help - they often eat foods better they helped to prepare)

Hope this gives you some great ideas to add one more (serving of fruits and vegetables)!

Chicken Nuggets Alternative

My daughter loves chicken nuggets like many kids. They are kid sized, tasty and can come with several options for dipping.

Fast food versions of chicken nuggets are not the most healthy, so here's a great alterantive.

Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and grill/bake them. Then cut into small bite sized/kid friendly pieces. You can store in the small containers/plastic bags in the right amount needed and refrigerate or freeze. Then they're ready to go when you need.

To cook without any added fat, use a fat-free cooking spray or cook on a tabeltop grill like George Foreman or an outdoor grill. Season with salt-free spices such as Mrs. Dash or your own favorite seasonings for a great taste.

Benefits

• Your kids be consuming 100% real chicken that may or may not be in the fast food versions
• Less sodium (or salt) in the homemade version - you have control over how much goes on
• Your kids can help with the meal by cutting up the chicken with a child-safe knife or help you make your own great dipping sauces
• It will probably take you the same amount of time to cook the chicken as it would to sit in the drive-through and order your food and wait for it to be made
• Save money, especially if you get chicken on sale - if chicken is on sale for $2.00/lb you get a whole 8oz (roughly 6oz cooked) for only $1.00

Let's compare some of the fast food options:

McDonald's McNuggets 4 pc   190 calories, 18gm fat and 540mg sodium (1)

Chick-fil-A grilled 6pc              110 calories, 1.5gm fat and 840mg sodium (2)

Chick-fil-A pressure ckd 6pc   200 calories, 9gm fat and 745mg sodium (3)

Wendy's chicken nuggets          220 calories, 14gm fat and 460mg sodium (4)

KFC Popcorn chick, kids         230 calories, 17gm fat and 690 mg sodium (5)

Compare to:

Chicken breast, rst,broil,bk 3oz  141 calories, 3mg fat and 341 mg sodium (6)

References

(1) http://www.mcdonalds.com/

(2, 3) http://www.chick-fil-a.com/

(4) http://www.wendys.com/

(5) http://www.kfc.com/

(6) http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Shop Now, Store For Later

When items are on sell, purchase a little extra and freeze, can, store the extra for later.
It's always a good idea to have a reserve food storage in your pantry.

Items that are good to store:

1. Freeze fresh fruits such as berries, bananas, pineapple, mangoes, etc in plastic bags. Pull from the freezer when needed.
2. If possible, can meat such as chicken or beef when on sell. Jars can be reused and a food processor can be a great investment. Visit the National Center for Home Preservation for details on canning.
3. Freeze vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc. Try grilling before freezing to be pulled for easy, quick dinners.
4. Freeze meat, poultry and fish  - package in a amount normally used for meals that way it can easily be pulled from the freezer for one meal.
5. Stock up on canned food when possible.

Save Money & Eat Better

Eating healthy doesn't have to cost more.
Here are some tips to help you save a few dollars on the food you need:

• Purchase Fruits and Vegetables - they are packed with essential nutrients and make great snacks
• Fresh is Best - fresh fruits and vegetables have higher nutrient values when in season and are less expensive 
• Choose Frozen After Fresh - often frozen fruits/vegetables are picked when they are ripe and frozen immediately retaining a high level of nutrients
• Shop the Perimeter - the healthy foods are usually on the outside. Stores strategically place the higher priced and often unhealthier foods in the middle of the isles at eye level
• Use Coupons - clip online or in local papers and buy when food is on sell
• Stock Up - purchase a few additional items if possible when they are on sale, that way you have them on hand when needed
• Choose Whole Grains - often whole wheat or whole grain items such as pasta are the same price
• Eat In - save a few bucks and make a fancy dinner at home - it will save you money and calories
• Plan a Menu - helps to buy needed food and not wanted foor on on impulse
• Never Shop Hungry - when an empty stomach chooses what's bought, it's often high calorie/high fat foods

For additional tips view MyPlate website at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/