• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey

Breakfast – Pancakes with Certified Gluten-Free Oats

For breakfast, start with this delicious recipe! Using gluten-free oats, chocolate yogurt, and vanilla soy milk, these yummy pancakes are sure to make your kids happy. Make things even more fun by using cookie cutters to pour the pancakes into fun shapes, and make them even tastier by topping them with strawberries and bananas!

Lunch – Cheesy Broccoli Melts

This recipe is fast, super easy, and a good mix of veggies and protein. You can even make the recipe vegetarian by substituting tofu for the chicken strips in the original recipe! And be sure to substitute fresh veggies for the frozen ones recommended to make it even fresher!

Dinner – Spaghetti Squash with Garbanzo Beans

Finish up your day with this unique take on a traditional spaghetti and red sauce recipe! The spaghetti squash “noodles” make the recipe gluten-free, and by adding garbanzo beans and mushrooms, it is even more nutritious!

(In this picture, the hulled pumpkin seeds are on the right – the shell has been removed)

RECIPE:

• 1 cup raw green, hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce

Wash seeds by rinsing under cold water in strainer.

Heat skillet to medium high heat.

Dry roast seeds, stirring often until about 20-30 have popped.

Remove from skillet by pouring into a clean dry bowl.

Drizzle the Tamari and stir to coat.  When seeds are cool. Serve and enjoy!

The article explores the creation, science, and marketing of junk food in various case studies. While the article dives into typical junk foods like Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper and Lunchables, I found the following excerpt to be the most eye-opening:

“Many of the Prego sauces — whether cheesy, chunky or light — have one feature in common: The largest ingredient, after tomatoes, is sugar. A mere half-cup of Prego Traditional, for instance, has the equivalent of more than two teaspoons of sugar, as much as two-plus Oreo cookies. It also delivers one-third of the sodium recommended for a majority of American adults for an entire day.”

Why is this so worrisome? Because, we know that foods like Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper and Lunchables are not healthy foods. We know that we should reduce our intake of junk foods. However, tomato sauce? Is that a publicized health concern? Do we see movies like “Super Size Me” and “Food Inc” showing the health concerns of tomato sauce?

No. If anything, Prego Tomato Sauce is positioned as a healthy food. A food full of vegetables and nutrition. Marketed as “Healthy and Delicious” and “100% Natural,” without the education, how can consumers know and understand the sugar and sodium content? This is the type of “junk food” that is the scariest because it is masked as a healthy choice.

As consumers, we need to get smarter about the foods we consume especially when those foods are being consumed by our families. Making food from scratch using natural and local ingredients is the best way to optimize the nutritional value of the food you feed your families and to avoid “sneaky sugars” like those in Prego Tomato Sauce.

However, in this fast-paced world, homemade isn’t always an option. Here is a great link to educate yourselves and your families on how to read, understand, and make healthy decisions based on food labels!

Garnish with a little cilantro for a fun color contrast and perhaps squeeze a little lemon on top for a flavor contrast                                                              

Heat the oil in smaller-sized pan or pot that has a lid.  Sautee the onion in the oil until sizzling and softened.  Add a dash of spice and the beans and water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer. Stir periodically.  Taste for softness; add more water if still firm and water has been absorbed.  When cooked and soft, add some soy sauce or salt. For a slightly stronger flavor, add a tad of minced garlic with the onions and/or use butter or ghee instead of oil. Eat plain or serve with rice, corn chips, pita or tortillas.

Here is a recipe for Minnesota Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup. Wild rice is the official grain of Minnesota, and it is grown primarily in  the northern third of Minnesota. Support Minnesotan farmers by heading to a co-op to buy the wild rice for this delicious winter soup staple.

If you want to be a little more exotic, try this Roasted Tomato, Garlic & Onion Coconut Soup. This super simple recipe is a great way to liven up traditional tomato soup. It is filling enough to be served as a main meal, but also would go great with a simple sandwich or salad.

Finally, for a twist on a kid-friendly favorite, try this Alphabet Soup recipe that uses a bottle of spicy vegetable juice cocktail for flavor. Substitute the frozen mixed vegetables for fresh ones to make this soup even more delicious and nutritious!

Ingredients

• Fresh Yukon Gold potatoes (or another variety of your choice…ask your student! He or she should be able to name a few varieties) cut into thin slices
• A dash or two of oregano or a different favorite herb of your choice
• A pinch of salt to sprinkle on top of the potatoes
• A little water to create steam in the pan and to minimize how much the potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan.

After placing the ingredients in the pan, cook on low with the lid on, checking frequently.   Eat when they are easily cut through with a knife.

If you are not using a non-stick skillet, you will want to use a little oil with the heat on low so as to prevent burning.

With your child you can choose which toppings to add to your salsa.  In class we often use these ingredients:

• Roma and/or cherry tomatoes, chopped
• Avocado pieces
• Cilantro, chopped finely
• Orange or red bell pepper, chopped
• fresh squeezed lime
• Salt

And you might also consider adding a little green onion or a little cheese. To make this a more substantial snack, add a little re-fried beans.

Urban farms give urban residents access to fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat products, thus decreasing the amount of food deserts while increasing food security and sustainability.

Minneapolis/St Paul is home to many urban farms! Below are three short profiles of farms near you!

Stone’s Throw Urban Farm

“[Stone's Throw] convert[s] vacant lots in St. Paul and Minneapolis into beautiful, productive micro-farms and grow food for a CSA, the Mill City Farmers Market, and various local wholesale accounts.”

If you want to get more involved with Stone’s Throw than just shopping their stand at the farmer’s market, you can join their CSA, intern,  or volunteer!

Kristi and students helping out at Growing Lots

Midwest Food Connection brought a group of students to Growing Lots Urban Farm Fall of 2011!  Growing Lots, located in the Seward neighborhood of south Minneapolis, was inspired by Growing Power of Milwaukee,  WI to grow food on top of pavement and asphalt in the city.  ”Growing Lots uses reclaimed urban lots and Community Supported Agriculture to bring Minneapolitans together around healthy, sustainably grown hyper-local food,” says farmer Michael Pursell.  This will be their fourth season in production and you will be able to find them at the Midtown Farmer’s Market in 2013 as well.  Check out the article Kristi wrote for the Seward Co-op about our field trip to Growing Lots Urban Farm!

The Cornercopia

Located at the corner of Dudley and Lindig Avenues in St. Paul, the Cornercopia is

“an organic farm that provides students hands-on whole farm learning opportunities, food for the local community and a place for community building, multi-disciplinary education, research and outreach.” This farm is run by University of Minnesota students, and the produce grown is sold at the East Bank on-campus Farmer’s Market on Church Street July -Oct. Go check them out!

For more info on urban farming in the Twin Cities, check out this article from the Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Steel Cut Oats

1 cup of steel cut oats

2 cups of water or a little more

Bring the oats to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring frequently and adding additional water as needed.  Cook until soft and chewy, about 20-30 minutes.  If the oats are pre-soaked (this is especially easy to do the night before) they will cook in a shorter period of time.

Toppings kids love include:

a little butter, cinnamon, a little maple syrup, raisins (golden and/or black), banana pieces, a little yogurt or milk