CABOT, Vt., Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With the end of
August inching closer, it is once again time for parents and kids
alike to trade long, relaxed summer days for hectic, early
school-time mornings. An involuntary bargain, but inevitable
nonetheless. While the summer has its perks from the perspective of
a children's health advocate - an abundance of fresh fruits and
vegetables, sunny days perfect for swims, bike rides and outdoor
play - it also has its setbacks. The lack of routine produced by
the abandonment of the classroom can foster bad habits like
skipping breakfast, or overindulging in late night desserts. Back
to School season is looming, and the registered dietitians at Cabot
Creamery Cooperative, the farm family owned dairy cooperative
widely known as the makers of the "World's Best Cheddar," think
with it, comes the perfect chance to refocus, and make healthy
eating part of your family's routine.
"With kids heading back to school, it's especially important to
fuel them with healthy food all day long," says Sara Wing, Cabot Registered Dietitian. "That
means starting every day with a healthy breakfast, packing a
nutritious snack and helping make healthy lunches a reality. And
fortunately, these same tips apply to parents and adults as
well."
Here are our top back to school healthy eating tips:
- Choose balanced breakfast options that include a source of
lean protein. Try adding Greek-style yogurt or cottage cheese
to smoothies, scrambling eggs with cheddar cheese for a breakfast
burrito or serving a low-sugar, whole grain cereal with low-fat
milk. Protein helps keep you feeling fuller longer.
- Pack a balanced snack. Instead of just sending snack
crackers, add a snack-size slice of cheese – like Cabot's Serious
Snacking 3/4oz. bars - or pair an apple with a tablespoon of peanut
butter for protein and healthy fat.
- Create a lunch that's both healthy and satisfying. Kids
like fun! So if you're packing a lunch for your child, get
creative. Mix plain Greek-style yogurt with powdered ranch dressing
to create a healthy dip that will make veggies fun to eat. Build
sandwiches on whole wheat bread and use a cookie cutter to cut into
fun shapes.
No matter the time of day, it's important to make healthy,
nutritious food easily accessible to avoid grabbing less nutritious
snack foods. To help parents get the right mix of foods necessary
to fuel their kids, or themselves, through a long day, Cabot's registered dietitians developed the
Brown Bag Builder, which outlines the correct servings of grains,
veggies, protein, fruit and dairy in a healthy lunch. The Brown Bag
Builder is available online at
http://www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/health/brown-bag-builder.php.
"Eating healthy can feel boring, especially to a small child,"
says Wing. "Recipes like Monkey Toast, Chicken and Black Bean
Burrito, PB&J Smoothie and Whole Grain Get-Up-And-Go Bars are
fun and simple to make, and will excite your kids about eating
healthy."
For more unique and nutritious kid's recipes, visit:
www.cabotcheese.coop/recipes.
Monkey Toast
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients:
1 slice whole wheat bread, or half a sandwich thin or English
muffin, toasted
1/4 cup Cabot Cottage Cheese
1/2 small banana, sliced
Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Spread toast with cottage cheese and top with
banana slices. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Drizzle with honey and place
under broiler until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Chicken and Black Bean Burrito
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
11/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 cup (1/2-inch) pieces zucchini
1 cup (1/2-inch) pieces yellow summer squash
1 cup diced red onion
(Vegetables above can be substituted with 5 cups frozen
vegetables)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces Cabot Jalapeno Light Cheddar or
Cabot Pepper Jack, grated (about 1 cup)
4 (9- or 10-inch) flour tortillas (burrito-size)
1 cup shredded roasted chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add
garlic and stir until fragrant and lightly colored, about 30
seconds. Add pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and onion and cook,
stirring, until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with cumin and continue stirring until vegetables are
tender but not soggy, about 2 minutes longer. Season generously
with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Place beans in large bowl; mash into coarse puree with fork.
Stir in cheese and reserved vegetables.
5. Place tortillas on work surface. Spoon one fourth of vegetable
filling down center of each, then top with one fourth of chicken
and sprinkle with one fourth of cilantro.
6. Roll tortillas up around filling. Arrange seam-side-down on
baking sheet. Cover loosely with piece of foil.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, or until filling is just heated through. To
serve, cut each burrito into two or three sections.
PB&J Smoothie
Makes 2 Servings
Ingredients:
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup Cabot 2% Plain Greek-Style Yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons strawberry jelly
Directions:
Place all ingredients together in a
blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into two chilled glasses and
serve with a straw.
Whole Grain Get-Up-And-Go Bars
Makes 16 small or 8 large bars
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups regular oats
1 cup chopped dried fruit, such as strawberries, cherries,
blueberries or cranberries
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour, preferably pastry flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds or sunflower seed kernels
1/4 cup wheat germ or ground flax seed
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3/4 cup
Cabot 2% Vanilla Bean Greek-Style Yogurt, 2% Blueberry Greek-Style Yogurt or 2% Strawberry Greek-Style Yogurt
2 tablespoons Cabot Salted Butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 8-inch or
9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, combine first 6 ingredients (through wheat
germ).
3. In small bowl, lightly beat egg whites with fork; stir in
yogurt, butter and extract. Add to dry ingredients, stirring well
to combine.
4. Spread mixture evenly in prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30
minutes or until set all the way to center and lightly browned on
top. Let cool and cut into bars.
ABOUT CABOT CREAMERY
COOPERATIVE
Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in
continuous operation in Vermont
since 1919, and makes a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream,
cottage cheese and butter. Widely known as makers of "The World's
Best Cheddar," Cabot is owned by
the 1200 dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast's premier
dairy cooperative, with farms located throughout New England and
upstate New York. For more
information on Cabot, visit:
http://www.cabotcheese.coop.
Cabot Creamery Cooperative is the world's first cheese maker and
dairy cooperative to achieve B Corporation Certification, a
validation of its attention to environmental and social impacts on
stakeholders.
Contact: Bob Schiers
1.888.214.9444 or bschiers@cabotcheese.coop
Logo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/MM52737LOGO
SOURCE Cabot Creamery Cooperative