Sneaking Veggies in Halloween Treats

I had the opportunity to be featured on Fox News in Houston yesterday, October 27, 2012. Several of the recipes I highlighted were on previous posts below, like the orange carrot juice icing recipe I highlighted from my blog post, What's the Deal with Neon Blue Icing, we featured this naturally dyed icing on top of our super brownies! Here is a link to the video segment:

My Fox Houston video link

The other recipe featured on the show, we served inside a pumpkin with black carrots sticking out like scary fingers!

Pumpkin-Seed Hummus

½ lb Dried baby chickpeas (soaked overnight) 

3 cups roasted pumpkin seeds (see recipe)
3 Cloves garlic, crushed 

¼ cup lemon juice 

1 cup tahini 

1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp paprika

Drain the chickpeas, then cover them with water and simmer until soft. Lightly season your mixture, then let it cool. Now drain the chickpeas again, preserving the liquid. In batches, puree the chickpeas, garlic, pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, and enough of that reserved liquid to spin it all, adding tahini once smooth. Adjust seasoning with paprika, salt, and lemon.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

3 cups raw pumpkin seeds, scooped from a pumpkin or bought at the grocery store
3 Tbsp kosher salt
1½ Tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp paprika
¾ tsp dried ginger powder
¾ tsp cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water. Add the pumpkin seeds and salt. Set the pot to boil over high heat. Bring the water to a rolling boil and allow it to boil for a moment. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pumpkin seeds simmer for 10 minutes.

Our healthy snacks and treats, like the organic zucchini chocolate chip cookies, gluten free almond butter and strawberry mini muffins, super brownies and many others can all be purchased through Green Plate Kids. In you live in Houston, there are several retail locations that carry Green Plate Kids products, or you can simply order online and select to pick pick-up at one of our free pick up locations or delivery can be arranged. We also ship anywhere in the country!

www.greenplatekitchen.com

Don't forget to check out our healthy treat suggestions for treats to give away on Halloween and if you are in Houston, come by Dr. Natalie Harrison's office to sell them your excess Halloween candy for a good cause!

Healthy Regards,
Lisa Pounds

lisa@greenplatekitchen.com

Happy Healthy Halloween!

Tick or Treat! Are your kiddos busy picking out their costumes while you are planning the many party festivities?

I love this amazing Halloween Freakynomics Infographic!

Some astonishing statistics about Halloween:

• $2 billion dollars will be spent on candy
• 9 billion kernels of candy corn will be made
• 900 million pounds of pumpkins have been grown for Halloween
• It’s predicted people will spend $370 million on pet costumes this year

I am a huge fan of Healthy Child Healthy World, they put out a great blog on how to Green your Halloween: Green Halloween Blog

Here is a super cute little recipe we have done for Halloween catering that the kiddos love:

1. Remove any stringy fibers from the peeled banana, then cut it in half width-wise.
2. Push a Popsicle stick into each half through the cut end, then cover each pop with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (about 3 hours).
3. Next, place a 1.5-ounce piece of white chocolate candy in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high until melted (it generally takes about 1 minute).
4. With a butter knife, spread the melted white chocolate on the frozen banana halves.
5. Set the pops on a waxed-paper-covered dish. Press on candies or currants for eyes and mouths and return the pops to the freezer until ready to serve. Makes 2.

Candy or Special Treat ideas for Halloween without all the toxic ingredients

Pass out candy without all the harmful ingredients that taste just as good. Here are some candy alternatives that will make you a poster mom for your neighborhood’s health:

Healthy Child Healthy World's approved list includes: UNREAL™ Candy offers chocolate treats that taste remarkably similar to major commercial products but without artificial colors, dyes, sweeteners, preservatives, hydrogenated oils and GMOs. Plum™ Kids offers individually packed USDA organic Fruit & Veggie Shredz, which taste like Sour Punch Ropes.ClifKids USDA organic twisted fruit ropes are gluten-free and contain no processed sugars.Surf Sweets® offers a wide variety of gluten-free, organic gummies, sour bears and jelly beans.

Or I love the little pretzel bags and clementines are great also! So are fun stickers!!

In Houston, Green Plate Kids is sponsoring a candy buy back program with Dr. Natalie Harrison's office (She is a Pediatric Dentist). The candy they buy back at $1/lb. will go to Operation Gratitude supporting America's Troops and goes to care packages for them. What a neat way to get rid of that extra candy in your house and get your kids involved in doing something good for our troops! (Link to details on this event scheduled on Nov. 1st are on GPK's Facebook page and Dr. Harrison's website.)

Happy & Healthy Halloween!
Lisa

What's the deal with neon blue icing?

What is the deal with bright neon blue, hot pink and brightly colored icing and frighteningly decorated and colored birthday cakes, cupcakes, yogurt, candy and even cereal? I get that it grabs our kids attention and is very enticing to them, but doesn't this scream hyperactivity, sugar high and fake artificiality to parents?? Well it should! I walk past these scary things at the grocery store and club stores and wonder who in their right mind buys these? Well I guess plenty of folks or they would not be making them!! To me it screams "Warning, this is so unnatural!"

 

In the NY Times Article on FDA Warning back in 2011, they finally concluded that yes there is a link to adverse affects of artificial ingredients! "The hearings signal that the growing list of studies suggesting a link between artificial colorings and behavioral changes in children has at least gotten regulators’ attention — and, for consumer advocates, that in itself is a victory."

In addition to avoiding artificial food dyes, lets all be reminded on some of the Top 10 Food additive ingredients to avoid in our diets on a regular basis: Top 10 Worst Food Additives from "GET REAL" and STOP Dieting!: Forget the Fads, Get the Facts and Feel Fabulous by Brett Blumenthal.

1. Artificial Colors
2. Artificial Flavorings
3. Artifical Sweetners - (Acesulfame-K, Aspartame, Equal®, NutraSweet®, Sacharin, Sweet’n Low®, Sucralose, Splenda® & Sorbitol)
4. Benzoate Perservatives (BHT, BHA, TBHQ)
5. Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
6. High Fructose Corn (HFCS)
7. MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
8. Olestra
9. Shortening, Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Palm, Soybean and others)
10. Sodium Nitrite and Nitrate (Deli Meats!)

Read Full Article why they are used and why they are bad!

There is a way to have beautifully decorated and great tasting special treats that are not pumped full of harmful artificial dyes, preservatives and toxic chemicals!! Check out this Organic Food Coloring guide to try it yourself! And things dont have to be brightly colored to be tasty! There are so many wonderful and healthy muffins, cookies, bars and snacks avaliable to buy now or make them at home with your children! Be the change you want to see in your home and school. Try making your own banana chocolate chip muffins or almond butter and strawberry muffins mixed with veggies to bring to your child's next birthday party at school. If you live in Houston, TX, Green Plate Kids has natural snacks and desserts that are only made with natural ingredients you would make in your own home.

Happy and Healthy Eating Friends! Remember to read your labels and think twice before your or your child try that neon blue cupcake!

Healthy Regards,
Lisa

Healthy Snacks for End of Summer & Back to School

Wow, can hardly believe the end of summer is in sight, sniff, sniff! Time to squeeze in any last minute vacations! And dare I say, start to think about back to school? Shopping for clothes, supplies and the dreaded packing of the school lunches and snacks! Yikes! Can be so overwhelming!

It doesn't have to be, and sometimes you just need to get out of your current habits and start trying some different things! They don't have to be super creative and fancy, but new combos, or presentation can make all the difference! Marketing works wonders on our kids too! :-) Amazing what putting something on a stick or adding some magical princess dipping sauce can do for some fruit or veggies! Just make sure that snacks are scheduled and not just offered on demand limitless times throughout the day or else those little guys won't be so inclined to eat that broccoli at dinnertime!

I was just featured on our local Houston TV news channel addressing healthy snacks, here is the short video segment:

The parfaits, and granola roll up recipes and pictures are listed on an earlier blog of mine on May 12, 2012.

Here is a good list of some other great snacks and ingredients to have on hand:

1. Fruit

Ready-to-eat (apples, bananas, grapes, cherries, berries)
Sliced (oranges, kiwi, melon)
Dried (raisins, apricots, cranberries, figs)

Green Plate Kitchen Hummus with whole wheat pita and veggies

(Recipe Below)

2. Vegetables

Cut up with a favorite dip
Soup
Roasted and made into a dip
Raw slices on a sandwich (My daughter loves avocado and cucumbers on her Turkey sandwich!)

3. Nuts and Seeds

Toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
Raw or toasted peanuts, almonds or walnuts
Peanut, Almond, Sunflower butter or Hazelnut spread (Love Justin’s Brand) spread on bananas, celery or crackers (Make sure it does not contain HFCS!)

4. Yogurt, Milk and Cheese (Low fat versions for 2 years +)

Plain yogurt mixed with honey and vanilla
Yogurt and fruit smoothie
Cheese and crackers
Cottage cheese and sliced fruit or vegetables
Cheese stick

5. Meat, Eggs and Beans (Lean cuts and low fat versions are best)

Deli slices of turkey, ham or roast beef with crackers
Chili and crackers
Hard-boiled egg
Mini bean and cheese burrito

6. Grains (WHOLE Grains)

Crackers
Toast
Animal crackers
Graham crackers
Mini bagels
Pasta, rice or potato “salad”

Green Plate Kitchen Hummus Recipe

Yield: 2 cups

15 oz. can Chickpeas
3 Tbsp Tahini Paste
⅓ cup Lemon Juice
¼ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
¼ tsp Paprika
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Chopped Parsley
2 tsp Olive Oil
¼ cup Water

Puree all ingredients in food processor until creamy and smooth.

Enjoy the end of summer and Happy and Healthy Snacking!!

Gluten Free Family Meals

I am constantly asked about gluten free products and over the past few years, we have created more and more items to help our clients and their children with their diets. Whether they are Celiac, gluten intolerant or just feel better by omitting or limiting gluten from their diets, I think it is so important to diversify your whole grains! We use brown rice and quinoa a lot. Black rice has amazing nutritional properties too! I love to mix quinoa and rice together, it give such a different and interesting texture. So try mixing it up with these rice bowls! The veggies can be mixed up as well based on seasonality. The key is the yummy sauce and making sure you find a Gluten Free and LOW sodium soy sauce. Easy enough to omit the meat and make these 100% veggie also! Or try topping with some grilled shrimp!

Gluten Free Chicken Rice Bowl

Yield: 1 Adult Portion

1 cup Brown Rice, cooked
¼ cup snap peas, steamed (whole pieces cut in half on diagonal)
¼ cup red pepper, 2” long thin strips
¼ cup yellow squash, ¼” thick half-moon slices
¼ cup eggplant, medium dice (with skin)
3 oz Chicken, poached, medium dice
2 Tbsp Ginger Soy Sauce (packaged separately in 2 oz container)

Gluten Free Beef and Broccoli Rice Bowl

Yield: 1 Adult Portion

1 cup Brown Rice, cooked
¾ cup broccoli, blanched (small florets)
¼ cup red pepper, 2” long thin strips
3 oz Beef, sauteed, 2” long thin strips
2 Tbsp Ginger Soy Sauce (packaged separately in 2 oz container)

Gluten Free Ginger Soy Sauce

Yield: 7 Tbsp

2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced
2 Tbsp Gluten Free Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Orange Marmalade
¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients until sugar dissolved.

I have never been a fan of meatloaf. I don't eat beef and generally the word "loaf" turns me off. But this recipe is AMAZING and has always sold very well for us. Moist and delicious! Great to entertain with or simply for your family. Freezes well too! Cauliflower mashed potatoes are so popular and I LOVE them, if you have not tried them yet, give them a try! This recipe could not be simpler! No butter added (although you can add a little or add roasted garlic to give them an added boost!) Cauliflower adds so many nutrients and lowers the calories.


Gluten Free Recipes for Dinner

Turkey Meatloaf with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and French Green Beans

Yield: 1 family of four meatloaf

1 lb Ground Turkey 93% Lean
¼ cup Chopped Italian Parsley
½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup Onion Puree
¼ cup Spinach Puree
1 cup Carrot Puree
1 cup Crushed Brown Rice Crispies (cereal we like Barbara's or Erewhorn)
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp Kosher Salt

Mix all ingredients together. Gently press ingredients into 8" square Pyrex glass or metal baking pan.
Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.

*Serve with your favorite marinara or use Green Plate Kitchen tomato sauce on the side.

Gluten Free Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Yield: 7½ cups

2½ cups Cauliflower, cooked
1¼ cups Potato, cooked
1 tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
¼ cup of roasted garlic or ½ cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Puree all ingredients and serve hot!

Happy and Healthy Cooking! Let me know your feedback if you try the recipes or have comments.

Healthy Regards,
Lisa

PS: Oh and if you are lucky enough to live in Houston, TX, and don't feel like cooking, we can make these items for you! www.greenplatekitchen.com

Meatless Monday - Summer Entertaining Inspiration

Wow it is heating up here in Texas! Mid-90's today! In honor of meatless Monday (and usually every other day for me) and in my constant search for amazing gazpacho with the perfect harmony of flavors...I am sharing two recipes that we recently made for a catering event and I will for sure be making many more times during our HOT Texas summer! This Gazpacho is so silky smooth and creamy you will not believe it is dairy free (and vegan!) There are many (albeit great) chunky versions, this smooth version is so elegant and is sure to please the most discerning tastes and impress your guests! The tomatoes at our farmers markets are so beautiful right now and is the perfect time to take advantage of their beautiful flavors!

Hope you enjoy the recipes! Please share pics if you recreate!

Healthy Regards,
Lisa

PS: A huge THANK YOU to all of my amazing family, friends and fans for your wonderful support and votes to make me a top 25 Foodie Mom for Circle of Moms! Wow, I am really honored. Please feel free to send me ideas on what you would like to hear about in my blog! I in unbelievable company with some incredibly talented other Foodie Moms!

Here was the final top 25 Listing: Circle of Moms Top 25 Foodie Moms

Curried Egg Salad

¼ cup Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Scallion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Shallot, minced
1½ Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp (heaping) curry powder
¼ tsp Ground cumin
4 large Hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/8" cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 mini Pita pockets, halved
(recipe uses pita but we used cucumber slices or granny smith apple slices would be great too!)
Watercress sprigs or any micro greens (we used micro arugula)

Whisk mayonnaise, scallion, shallot, apple cider vinegar, mustard, curry powder, and cumin in a large bowl. Fold in eggs and apple. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Fill pita pockets (or top cucumbers or apples) with about 1 Tbsp egg salad each. Top with watercress sprigs or micro greens.

Bon Appétit
May 2012
by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Other ideas for this Egg Salad... Make extras for lunch kits! Pair with some multi-grain crackers and fresh seasonal fruit for a perfect lunch at the office or for the kiddos. My 3½ yr old is not afraid of the curry flavor (and you can tone this spice down to make more appealing for the kiddos) and she loved the green apples mixed in!

Classic Andalusian Gazpacho - Gazpacho "El Faro"

The classic Andalusian gazpacho is found all over the region with surprisingly few variations, except for the addition of cucumber and onion—ingredients that have fallen out of favor with chefs who prefer to allow the pure taste of the tomatoes, Sherry vinegar, and olive oil to shine through. In this version, cumin lends an intriguing, subtle flavor.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3½ hours

1 (2") piece baguette, crust discarded
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Sherry vinegar (preferably "reserva"), or to taste
1 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Ground cumin (optional)
2½ lb Ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
½ cup Mild extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Andalusian hojiblanca)

Garnish: finely chopped red and green bell peppers

Soak bread in ½ cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry, discarding soaking water.

Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife). Blend garlic paste, bread, 2 Tbsp vinegar, sugar, cumin, and half of tomatoes in a food processor until tomatoes are very finely chopped. Add remaining tomatoes with motor running and, when very finely chopped, gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.

Force soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.

Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving.

Gourmet | August 2002
Adapted from El Faro, Cádiz, Spain

Read More - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Classic-Andalusian-Gazpacho-106874#ixzz1wqiCG2FP

Enjoy!!

Black Super Foods & Memorial Day Black Bean Burger!

Happy Memorial Day! I just dusted off my black bean and lentil burger recipe to get ready for this weekend with my family and my daughter and I have been so enjoying blackberries over the past few weeks and I was reminded of my great Black Super food recipes that I presented on Great Day Houston last year. There are some amazing benefits to eating black or darker foods, the darker the better nutritionally! So try black rice instead of brown, black lentils instead of green, black soybeans (if you can find them!) instead of green and enjoy this great burger recipe as you fire up the grill this weekend!

Enjoy!

Healthy Regards,
Lisa

PS: Enjoy the informative and funny video. My test subject wasn't quite sure what to make of my black bean burger as she usually eats McDonald's! :-)

Great Day Houston Show 9/16/11

Black Bean and Lentil Burger

Yield: 4 Burgers

½ (16 oz) can Black beans, drained and rinsed (8 oz)
8 oz cooked Black lentils or French green lentils
½ Green bell pepper, cut into 2" pieces
½ Onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Thai chili sauce or hot sauce (we used Sambal)
½ cup bread crumbs (we use brown rice crispies to make gluten free)

Directions

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375F (190C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans and lentils with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.
7. Add 1 oz. of cucumber dill dressing with arugula, roasted red peppers and serve on toasted whole wheat or whole grain bun.

Cucumber Dill Dressing

Yield: 1 cup dressing

1 cup Greek Nonfat yogurt
2 tsp fresh Dill, chopped
2 tsp Honey
2 oz fresh-squeezed Lemon juice
2 oz minced English cucumber
½ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp White ground pepper

Stir to combine.

Black Tea Infused with Blackberry Puree and Mint

1 gallon Brewed tea
½ cup fresh Mint
2 cups fresh Blackberries
½ cup Agave nectar

Blend well in mixer and pour over ice, garnish with lemon and mint and enjoy!

Black Rice Salad

2 cups cooked Black rice (rinse rice well before cooking)
2 oz small Diced red and green bell peppers
2 oz small Diced sweet yellow pepper
3 oz small Diced English cucumber
½ cup dried Cranberries

Toss to combine with Red Wine Vinaigrette.

Healthy Summer Eating Tips & Recipes

Summer is almost here! Be prepared with a few healthy pointers and reminders for you and your family. I recently spoke at the Mommie Summer Series on this topic last Wednesday, May 2, 2012, so I wanted to share my tips and recipes with everyone!

See more pics from our great event on Green Plate Kids Facebook page.

Follow me on Pinterest now! Lisa Pounds Foodie Board

• Keep kids on a schedule for meals and snacks. This helps them feel the signs of hunger and stops the mindless snacking between meals.
• Make the kitchen off limits during the day unless it’s time for a meal or a planned snack
• Even though the days are longer and the kids might stay up longer, consider setting a time when the kitchen is closed for the night.
• Focused efforts on Eating Healthy as a Family and explaining what that means. Leading by Example.
• You are the Role Model!
• Eliminate Fast Food and processed foods
• Eliminate White grains- Choose only WHOLE grains (label, fiber, less processed, more nutrients)
• Eliminate SODAS, high sugar drinks
• Watch your Sodium intake (Adult no more than 2300 mg/day)
• Exercise as a family- bike ride to the farmers' market!

Hydration and Drinks

• Keep the refrigerator stocked with COLD Water in pitchers and have designated reusable water bottle for every family member.
• Send children to summer camp with a filled water bottle.
• If your child is doing outdoor sports during summer time, teach them to drink a few sips of water every 15-20 minutes.
• Teach children to drink water before they are thirsty!
• Juices, fruit punch and sodas can have a lot of added sugar and empty calories
• READ YOUR LABELS! Each teaspoon of sugar is 4.2 grams (A can of regular soda 30 grams or 8 tsps!) Make sure each item is 10 grams or less
• You can try adding some juice to plain soda water or to water to give water a little fruit flavor. A typical serving of fruit juice is ¾ cup. Make sure the label states 100% fruit juice.

Summer Food on the Go

Camp, Pool, Beach, Road Trip, Plane Trip, etc. Be prepared don’t get stuck going through fast food drive through or horrible & expensive airport options.

• Throw some of the juice boxes or mini waters in freezer to help keep cooler cold and perfect temp hours into the trip.
• Make your own trail mix (Granola, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips)
• Pack lots of fresh fruit, minimize salty snacks, bring an apple and peanut butter packets
• Plane: Be mindful of the 3 oz. rule for liquids (including yogurt, peanut butter)
• Alternatives to regular sandwiches: Nut Butter (sushi) rolls, WHOLE Grain breads
• Pasta/Quinoa Salads pack well (no Mayo) dressing on side (Whole Grain pasta)
• Only WHOLE grains have fiber, read labels- experiment with new varieties for your family!
• Pool/Beach: Make ahead fruit or yogurt pops!
• Fruit kabobs for pool/beach- easy to pass around and hold w/out utensils.
• Always pack lots of wipes, hand sanitizer, bug spray and suntan lotion! Bring a blanket and have an instant picnic.
• Packaging Lunch for camp/school- Double up on ICE packs!

At HOME: Everything is more fun on a stick! (Marketing can do wonders!)

• Breakfast - Rainbow Fruit Skewers, with yogurt dipping sauce
• Salad kabobs - kids can eat their salad on a stick; make your own Ranch dressing dip!
• Grill Dinner on Kabobs! - Lean meats or shrimp, veggies and Grilled Fruit kabobs for dessert! (brush w/oil add cinnamon)
• Set out veggies and hummus during dinner prep
• What is seasonal? Tomatoes, peaches, berries, melons experiment with different leafy greens, multicolored potatoes and turnips, quinoa or barley salads (See recipe)
• Family Nights - Take turns planning menu or themes
• Turn off Technology and spend quality time with you family

Fun & Healthy Summer Recipes

PBJ & Banana and Granola Breakfast Wraps

1 Flatout Light Flatbread or other Whole grain wrap
1 Tbs peanut or almond butter
1 Tbs jam
2 strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 banana, cut in half lengthwise
2 Tbs granola

Spread peanut butter evenly over entire Flatbread. On one rounded end, spread jam. Layer strawberry, banana and granola. Roll, cut and enjoy!

Parfait

Any combo of fresh seasonal fruit: blueberries, blackberries, grapes, strawberries, chopped cantaloupe, sliced kiwi, etc.
Yogurt or almond yogurt
Tall glass or trifle dish
Add granola, hemp or flax seeds, nuts or shredded coconut in layers and as a topping (optional)

Layer 3 of the fruits, followed by some yogurt. Layer the next 3 fruits and top with more yogurt.

Grilled Veggie Quinoa Salad

(Serves 4)

1 Cup uncooked Quinoa (try different colors, darker = better)
1 zucchini sliced and grilled
1 summer squash sliced and grilled
1 small eggplant sliced and grilled
1 red onion- sliced and grilled
1 red pepper sliced and grilled
Sprinkle Parmesan (optional)
3 cups spinach or any green leafy lettuce
Chopped fresh herbs (Italian parsley, basil)
Classic French Vinaigrette (Try making your own)
Chop Grilled Veggies toss all ingredients and sprinkle with cheese and enjoy

Patriotic Frozen Pops

Make 4 pops, prep: 15min. Freeze 10 min to overnights (Need frozen pop-makers)

1 cup plain Keifer
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 packets Truvia
¼ teaspoon Vanilla
½ cup blueberries (divided equally)
¼ cup raspberries, or quartered strawberries (divided)

Stir vanilla, sugars into the kefir. For each pop, place 8 blueberries in mold, insert sticks fill mold halfway w/kefir, add red berries then fill in remaining kefir. Freeze and enjoy!

Have a great and healthy summer everyone!

Green Plate "Green" Tips in Honor of Earth Day!

1. Buy Local! Buying seasonal, local food is great for the environment for a lot of reasons. Since most food travels many miles to reach your table (1,500 miles, on average), locally sourced food cuts back on the climate-change impacts of transportation. Local food also generally uses less packaging, is fresher and tastier, and comes in more varieties. Please visit the local Urban Harvest and Rice University Farmers Markets in Houston to support our local farmers and vendors.
2. Buy Organic - Organic vegetables, fruits, grains, juice, eggs, dairy and meat, are grown and processed in ways that support healthy people and a healthy planet. (While you may not be able to find or afford organic options for everything you should pay close attention to the Dirty Dozen.)
3. Feast on Fair Trade fare Fair trade certified food ensures a proper wage and working conditions for those who harvest and handle it. But fair trade is green for the environment as well. TransFair, the only fair trade certifier in the U.S., has strong environmental standards built into its certification process that protect watersheds and virgin forests, help prevent erosion, promote natural soil fertility and water conservation, and prohibit GMOs.
4. Watch out for packaging Instead of buying foods that come in extensive packaging (most of which is petroleum-based plastics) look for unpackaged/minimally packaged foods, experiment with bringing your own containers (and grocery bags) and buying in bulk, or pick brands that use bio-based plastic packing. And recycle/reuse any packaging you end up with. 
5. Grow your own veggies In the garden, in the greenhouse, in the window box, or something fancier. Even urbanites can get quite a bit of good eats from not much space. 
6. Eat less meat! Meat is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single greenest move a person makes. Producing meat requires huge amounts of water, grain, land, and other inputs including hormones and antibiotics. A pound of beef requires 12,000 gallons of water to produce. If you're a meat eater, for starters, try cutting out a serving of meat each week. 
7. Eat it raw! Eat more veggies and you will not only cut back on the energy it takes to cook food, but you will get a bigger nutritional punch in your meal! Good for you and the environment! Join a local Co-op and ensure your getting local and organic veggies for your whole family to enjoy new fruits and veggies every week. Great lessons for the kiddos on learning about how to prepare a variety of nature's bounty. My two favorite local co-ops: Central City Coop and Rawfully Organic. 
8. Green your space! You spend up to 1/3 of your life sleeping on your mattress and breathing off putting gases in your our home from paint, furniture, cabinets and materials in your home. Our Friends at New Living have you covered, they have amazing resources to help you with your family's health and Eco-conscious projects in your house or business. Plus absolutely gorgeous materials! Learn more about the most toxic health risks on your own home: Top Six Health “Intruders" in Your Home!

Green Plate Kids goes to Expo West Food show in CA!

Green Plate Kitchen went to Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA March 8-11th. Wow! What a natural foodie paradise! We met lots of wonderful companies making really great REAL food. I wanted to share with you some of our great product finds! I am always on the quest to find nutritious food that actually tastes great. I met most of the owners and learned more about the complexities of getting products on our grocery store shelves. We certainly take this convenience for granted! I knew about some of these companies and excited to see the launch of many of their new products at the show and learned about many new companies who are also making really great products. I define “really great products” as using high quality, organic, non-“processed” or artificial, non-GMO, non-hormone ingredients in their products. When I went shopping at Whole Foods last week it was a whole new experience to find most of these products there! Eureka!

And I met Tyler Florence! How cool is that?

Lisa Pounds and Tyler Florence

Prepared Foods for Children

Amy’s Kitchen of course has so many wonderful vegetarian meals. They had a HUGE representation at the show. I love their pizza and Indian frozen meals, great to have stocked in the freezer. You can find a lot of their products at Costco now.

Mom Made Foods also have frozen items for children, classic mac n’ cheese, etc. Peas of Mind, was there and just launched their new pizza with veggies in the crust! It tasted great. The owner was wonderful and very passionate about their products. I loved their puffets for when Chloe was a baby/toddler phase, you can get all your food groups covered in one little quiche like product. She loved the black bean and quinoa version. You can find their products at Whole Foods and Target, all of these items are Frozen.

Happy Family had a HUGE really neat booth with many amazing super foods for babies and toddlers. As did PlumOrganics, love the convenient pouches with mixed veggies and fruits and if you’re going to offer your little ones a special treat then the little “shreds” of fruit strips are fun and made with organic fruit juices. Plum is in almost all grocery stores and Happy Baby I have seen at Target, Whole Foods and Central Market.

Good Food Made Simple showcased their yummy burritos, oatmeal and ready to eat eggs, giving your family and healthy, portable and easy breakfast in the morning you can feel good about. No extra yucky ingredients included! Find their products in HEB and Whole Foods.

Blake’s All Natural Foods also is making REAL food more geared towards adults or older kiddos, but some really great tasting frozen entrees. And I really loved Saffron Road’s new products, Indian meals, chicken tenders, all non-hormone meats and great spices and flavors.

Healthy Snacks for the Whole Family

There seemed to be overall theme at the show on sprouted and raw products! I tasted some really interesting and creative bars and crackers. (And some not so great) Especially loved the Two Moms in the Raw, Mary’s Gone Crackers (Gluten Free and Vegan Products) and Go Raw brands (specialize in organic raw “living” foods). Love their raw bars, and lemon cookies with sprouted sesame seeds, dates and lemon (and so did my 3 ½ year old). I just picked up all of the items at Whole Foods. Bars and crackers you can feel good about eating and giving your children.

I also met the owners of Funley’s, based in CA, they make the cutest little super veggie infused crackers packaged in little single serve containers ready for the lunch box. I also saw these at Whole Foods. I loved the Cheddar N’ Stuff made with broccoli!

Awesome Veggie Pasta

Other great find: MagNoodles! This awesome Mom has made her own whole grain and veggie pasta, wow! It tastes wonderful and made with Spelt, KAMUT® brand khorasan wheat Flour, spinach, tomatoes, beets and carrots! Chloe especially loves the “pink” ones. It is in a Penne form, she is working on a medium shell and rotini with flaxseeds. You can order online directly from her and I am getting a big shipment this week and we are using in our catering and will be incorporating with our turkey meatballs and marinara, a perfect combo! Let me know if you are interested and we can source for you.

Interested in any comments or feedback you have! We are working hard on commercializing some of Green Plate Kitchen products and hope to be in grocery stores later this year!

Pictures from the show can be found on Green Plate Kitchen Facebook Page.

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Healthy Regards,
Lisa

lisa@greenplatekitchen.com