Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

Kelly Devine

Memorial Weekend Recipes!

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Try these yummy (and healthy!) recipes this weekend! Have a great long weekend!

~Kelly

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh/frozen or no salt added canned corn, drained.
1 tomato, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ small red onion chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:

Combine black beans, corn, tomato, pepper, onion and jalapeno in a bowl. Then in a separate small bowl mix together the lime juice, oil, and cumin and pour over the veggie and bean mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with cilantro.

Makes about 8 servings (Nutrition facts per serving): 125kcals, 2.5g fat, 20g carbohydrate, 7g dietary fiber, 6g protein

Red, White and Blue Fruit Skewers with Cheesecake Yogurt Dip

This recipe is indulgent yet healthy. A little cake and a little fruit served in a unique way; the kids will love it too! It keeps the fat and “added sugar” in check all while festively celebrating Memorial Day! Another plus, is it is easy and fast to make!

Ingredients:

For cheesecake dipping sauce:

4oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup raw sugar
For skewers:

14oz angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
72-84 medium strawberries (about 3.5lbs stems removed)
1 pint of blueberries
24-48 skewers
Directions: Combine the softened cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Use 3 strawberries and 2 cubes of cake on a skewer. Thread on the skewer alternating the strawberries with the cake cubes, finish each skewer with 3 blueberries. Place on platter and refrigerate until ready to serve!

1 skewer with 1 Tbsp dip: 105kcals, 2.5g fat, 18.5g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 7g sugar

Recipe Source: https://www.skinnytaste.com/red-white-and-blue-fruit-skewers-with/

Chicken Kabobs

Cut chicken breast into chunks. Cut up 1 red pepper, green pepper, red onion and a small pineapple (Pineapple cut to use for two recipes, 1) in chunks for kabobs and 2) in slices to grill for chicken sandwiches) String veggies, pineapple and chicken chunks on soaked bamboo skewers. Marinate lightly with a sweet teriyaki sauce and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Grill for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Pair with some quinoa or wild rice.

Grilling Recipes!

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Grilled Corn on the Cob

  • 4 large ears sweet corn in husks
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  • 1. Carefully peel back husks from corn to within 1 in. of bottom; remove silk. Soak in cold water for 20 minutes; drain. Pat corn dry. Combine the butter and parsley; spread over corn. Rewrap corn in husks and secure with string.
  • 2. Grill corn, covered, over medium heat until tender, turning often, 20-25 minutes. Serve with cheese. (I add cilantro and light mayo too for something a little different!).

Feta Salmon Salad

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
1 package (5 ounces) spring mix salad greens
1 large cucumber, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette
Directions

  1. In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients; sprinkle over salmon.
  2. Place salmon on oiled grill rack, skin side down. Grill, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, 10-12 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, toss salad greens with cucumber, tomato and cheese; divide among four plates. Top with salmon; drizzle with vinaigrette.

Quick Healthy Recipes

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Chopped Cashew Chicken Salad

Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip
Ingredients for 3 servings
16 oz Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon green onion
OPTIONAL 1 tablespoon green onion ½ teaspoon dried minced garlic ½ teaspoon dried minced onion

Pair with your favorite chopped veggies for a lower fat, higher protein alternative.

5 INGREDIENT PEANUT BUTTER ENERGY BITES
SERVINGS: 12 BITES
Quick and Healthy 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Energy Bites. Takes less than 10 minutes to make with only 5 ingredients! The perfect healthy snack!
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons honey
INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine all 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Place in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes so they are easier to roll.
  2. Roll into 12 bites and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Chicken Cashew Salad

1.5 cups carrots and cabbage (each)
5 oz chicken
¼ cup cashews
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp peanut vinaigrette (found at Trader Joe’s!)
Green onions (optional)

Earth Day 2022.. How you can minimize YOUR footprint!

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Earth Day 2022 Walkups – Myriad Botanical Gardens

Wondering what you can do to minimize your impact on Mother Earth? Look no further!  These
are easy ways you can start to reduce, reuse and recycle more often!

  1. Make a grocery list and go shopping. Weekly!!! (Bring your reusable bags, or opt for paper bags. When you shop for your food, cook from home, pack your lunches and snacks to bring with you, you are reducing waste. In a HUGE way! Think about it. Every single time you dine out, whether it be at a fast food restaurant, food truck or grab and go’s like vending machines and gas stations, you are throwing out garbage, containers and wrappers.
    In most recent stats, 44% of Americans eat at a fast food restaurant each week… That is a lot of garbage!
  2. Buy in bulk
    Yes, 100 calorie packs and mini containers of pre-cut veggies save us time, but also increases our waste. Here are items to buy in bulk, to cut up and portion out at home, It’s cheaper and better for the environment!
    Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts/seeds, Beans, Grains, Rice, Oats, Yogurt, snack items.
  3. Ditch the water bottles ONCE AND FOR GOOD!
    Each day, people in the U.S. throw away more than 60 million plastic water bottles. Tap water is great or buy a water filter if desired but let’s ditch those plastic water bottles! Keep a BPA free, dishwasher safe water bottle on hand and refill it up! Some water bottles even have their own filtration system.
  4. Eat Local.
    By buying foods close to your home, you are reducing the distance your food must travel, thus the energy it takes to do so! Visit your local farmers market or at least shop for foods that are in season.
  5. Plant a garden
    Save the water for your lawn and instead it for a garden. Don’t have enough room? You can plant a few tomato, pepper and herbs in pots on a patio or porch. Great way to make fresh tomato sauce for pasta and pizza nights!
  6. Minimize leftovers
    Did you know the US throws away 80 BILLION pounds of food…. A year!!! Use those leftovers! Store them in freezer for use later or you can also add your produce, egg shells, coffee grounds etc to a compost. You can start a simple compost using a 5-gallon bucket and some grass and leaves from your yard.
    Even making 1 or 2 small changes can really add up over time!

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb


Kelly Devine, Wellness Coordinator

National Nutrition Month Quiz!

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Take this quiz, email me your answers at devinerickertk@morainevalley.edu for a chance to win a $25 Jewel Gift card. Email answers by Tuesday 3/22 at 5pm. Answers to the quiz and winner will be posted next Wednesday!

Kelly Devine Rickert

Wellness Coordinator