Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

You can’t go wrong with fresh Pico de Gallo when entertaining. Great for game days, Holidays and so much more! Find more great appetizer ideas on our Appetizers page.

Shop from the comfort of your home! You can shop online at any of our proud family of stores for these recipe ingredients as well as the rest of your grocery list! We offer curbside pick up at all locations and delivery in select locations as well. Don’t forget to connect your MORE Rewards account when you shop online for extra savings, digital coupons, and many other rewards too!



Mummy Hot Dogs

Mummy Hot Dogs

Mummy Hot Dogs

Don’t let these cute Mummy Hot Dogs scare you! They’re tasty and a fun meal idea to get in the Halloween spirit! Plus, check out these super fun Halloween Graveyard Parfaits for a fun treat.

Shop from the comfort of your home! You can shop online at any of our proud family of stores for these recipe ingredients as well as the rest of your grocery list! We offer curbside pick up at all locations and delivery in select locations as well. Don’t forget to connect your MORE Rewards account when you shop online for extra savings, digital coupons, and many other rewards too!



SPOOK-tacular Halloween Treats!

Boo!
I hope I didn’t scare you too badly! But let me tell you, the leaves are changing color, the air is getting cooler and it’s giving me the chills! Where did summer go? As we know, the cooler weather is inevitable, but fall isn’t so bad, especially when we have Halloween to look forward to! 

As a dietitian, I would love to say that handing out a healthy apple instead of candy is a perfect way to make the holiday a little more nutritious… but I would be lying. Truth be told, that was my least favorite trick or treat goodie. Of course, that’s not to say we can’t make Halloween healthy – c’mon, I’m a Dietitian!

So, how do we make the season healthy? By getting the kids involved and making it fun! I’ve gathered some of my favorite Halloween ideas that will be fun for the kids and also provide some good nutrition!

Fruits and vegetables are all you need to make this adorable Halloween scene! This is great for the little ones in your family, because they can help peel the bananas and oranges and they can add the face to their ghost! I personally like to use raisins for the ghost, but I’m sure the kids won’t argue if you use chocolate chips instead.

Everyone loves pizza! Start by taking your favorite whole wheat pizza crust and add-on a lower sodium pizza sauce. When topping with cheese, do a light layer of  reduced fat cheddar cheese and then add-on slices of reduced fat mozzarella. The cheddar will add a bright orange color, while the sliced mozzarella will be perfect for your ghosts! Use black olives to make spiders and small faces for your spooky little ghosts. Tip: We have numerous whole wheat pizza crust options at the store! Check in both center store as well as near the deli for some great options. Be sure the first ingredient reads: whole wheat flour. This is a simple trick you can use to find whole grain products throughout the store!

We all know avocado toast is trending, but let’s switch it up a bit and make these fun little Frankensteins at breakfast. Avocados are one of the only fruits that provide healthy monounsaturated fat, which will also keep you fuller longer! Be sure to use whole wheat toast as well. You can use olives, red peppers and the egg whites from hard-boiled eggs to make your Frankenstein as friendly or as scary as you’d like!

These adorable little monster mouths are easy and so fun to make with apples, nut butter, and macadamia nuts! Tip: When choosing a nut butter, look for an option with lower sodium and sugar. Did you know, we have some nut butters where the only ingredients is “peanuts?!”

You’ve heard our dietitian team loving up on veggie spaghetti, but how cool is this meal!? You can heat up the veggie spaghetti with some pesto in a skillet for a few minutes until cooked through. Then, add-on slices of cooked egg yolks, black olives, and some red peppers to make a perfect meal for Halloween!

Happy & healthy eating,
Emily

No Bake Energy Bites

Recipe Difficulty: Easy
Oven: 
No
Stovetop: No
Knife: No

 

These No Bake Energy Bites are perfect to add to a mid-day snack or to enjoy as a dessert. When including in a snack, pair it with a fruit or a vegetable to encourage a balanced snack. 

Supplies Needed:
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Plate
- Spoon

Simplifying Meals and Snacks At Home – Tips for Using Pantry Staples To Nourish Your Family

Our Registered Dietitian, Amy, was recently on WCCO (check out the segment HERE) sharing tips for feeding your family during this time. Check out our resources on simple ingredients that can keep your kiddos happy, healthy & full!

 Tip #1 Simplifying Your Snacks

Many parents are now home with their kiddos and while we are all practicing social distancing, it can be stressful when you’re doing your best to limit trips to the grocery store and all while purchase foods that nourish your family. My best advice is to keep it simple.

There always seems to be pressure on parents to feed their kiddos the absolute best and Pinterest-worthy meals. Parents need to know that no meal or snack is perfect, and at the end of the day, the most important thing is that our kids are happy, healthy and full. Below are a few snack and meal ideas to help parents pivot their thinking when it comes to healthy eating and feeding their family.

S I M P L E   S N A C K I N G

We recommend snacks to include a carbohydrate + a protein/healthy fat. And remember, we don’t need to over engineer it. Examples of healthy carbohydrates include fruit (all forms count), dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese), and whole grains (such as crackers, bread, rice, oats, granola, etc.) When it comes to produce, don’t forget that all forms of fruits and vegetables are nutritious! Of course, keep purchasing fresh produce, but don’t forget about canned, frozen, or dried. Purchase no sugar added frozen, canned, and dried fruit, and purchase no salt added canned and frozen vegetables. These are great options to choose at the store to help you and your family #haveaplant 

We have a list of healthy snack ideas on this handout. Plus, a few fun & easy recipes below.

 

Banana Sushi (1 serving)
Ingredients

  • 1 banana, peeled
  • 1 Tablespoon nut butter
  • Toppings: ½ cup granola, whole grain cereal, or dried fruit (such as raisins)

Directions

Spread nut butter over banana evenly. Either sprinkle or roll banana in toppings until well coated. Using a knife, cut the banana into ½ inch pieces. Enjoy your banana sushi!

 

Tuna Cracker Stackers
Ingredients

  • Whole grain crackers
  • Cheese
  • Canned or Pouch Tuna
  • Pickles

Directions

Add some cheese to each cracker (can be string cheese, sliced cheese, shredded cheese). Top each cracker with some tuna & top with a pickle. Serve with a side of fruit (fresh, frozen, canned, or dried).

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S I M P L E   M E A L S

Snack Platters – perfect for meals or snacks!

What is a snack platter? It’s a blend of different fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products and proteins that you spread out on a large plate or a cutting board. The purpose of this snack platter is to give your family nutritious, yet simple options that they can choose from. This is a great opportunity to put out some thawed frozen fruit, cheese, crackers, nuts/seeds, peanut butter, canned fruit, dried fruit, tuna packets, etc. It’s a perfect solution for one of those times when no one wants to cook! Here is what was on the snack platter in the WCCO segment:

  • Whole grain crackers
  • Nut butter
  • Walnuts, Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds
  • Carrots and Grape tomatoes
  • Fruit Cups (in 100% juice)
  • Dried fruit
  • Luncheon meat (lower sodium ham and turkey)
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Cheese Sticks
  • Tuna

One Pot Meal! Ground Beef Pasta Primavera

And last, but certainly not least, here is one of our favorite recipes using pantry staples and it cooks all in one pot! Check out the link for the full recipe of our Ground Beef Pasta Primavera. Here are a few substitutions you can make to use the items you have on hand:

  • Although lean (93%) lean ground beef is recommended, you can also pick 80% lean and drain the extra fat after cooking. No beef? Try ground turkey, ground chicken, or even substitute it out for some beans!
  • The zucchini can be swapped for any other fresh or frozen vegetable such as broccoli, cauliflower, green bell peppers, etc! Use what you have on hand.

Ground Beef Pasta Primavera

For additional resources from our dietitians including recipes, articles and more, please visit celebratemore.com/dietitians. You can also find great resources about produce from our friends at the Produce For Better Health Foundation. Don’t forget to #HaveAPlant to support a healthy immune system!

Amy, MS, RD, LD
Registered Dietitian