BLUEBERRY GREEK YOGURT MUFFINS

These muffins are sooo good, and so good for you! 😉 AND only 118 Calories per muffin! Serve with some scrambled eggs with veggies and you have a meal with all the food groups. 👍

FIRST, pour all the dry ingredients in a bowl, liquid into another and blueberries(with remaining flour) in another.

Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, honey, milk, and vanilla until well combined

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined.

Fold in blueberries.

Scoop into muffin pan, bake at 350 F for 18-20 min

Let cool and enjoy!

BLUEBERRY GREEK YOGURT MUFFINS

(YEILDS 1 DOZEN)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour divided (1/2 wheat flour 1/2 white flour preferred) 
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (regular yogurt will work too)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup milk (low-fat milk preferred)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries frozen or fresh
DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and either grease a muffin pan or line with 12 liners.
2. Combine 1 cup flour, oats, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, honey, milk, and vanilla until well combined.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined.
5. Toss the blueberries in the remaining flour and then carefully fold them into the batter.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling to the top.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are firm and just starting to turn golden. A toothpick should come out clean.
8. Allow the muffins to cool completely in pan before transferring them to a storage container or eating.

http://www.frugalmomeh.com/2016/09/blueberry-oatmeal-greek-yogurt-muffins.html#_a5y_p=5762661

FREE SUMMER MEALS

Did you know Utah State Board of Education offers a FREE summer food program to children and teens 18 years and younger? These summer food sites are sponsored by the school district's food service program and are served at city parks across Utah, in hopes to provide nutritious meals to students while school is no longer in session. Kids do not need to register or fill out an application to participate they just need to show up!

WHERE: KANAB CITY PARK

Jacob Hamblin Park (450 N 175 E)

WHEN: MON-FRI @11:30 AM

 (beginning 6/5/17-8/18/2017!)
(closed July 4th and July 24th)

HOW: JUST SHOW UP

(no registration necessary)

GARDEN YOGA for kids!

https://www.facebook.com/CreativeChildMagazine/photos/a.10150262549247554.327718.163640147553/10154433488807554/?type=3&theater

SPRINGTIME MEALTIMES

Spring is officially here!  Which usually means a full packed calendar.  Performances, play-offs, school projects and graduations to name a few, spring is a busy time for everyone!

  One dreaded down fall to these hectic schedules is neglected family mealtimes.  Did you know, evidence suggests that children who take part in family meals are less likely to be overweight, eat more healthy foods, have less delinquency, greater academic achievement, improved psychological well-being, and positive family interactions.  There are SO many benefits to weekly family meals.  Here are a few suggestions to help keep family mealtime a routine practice through these crazy hectic spring and summer nights.

1. Bust out the crock pot.  Did you know you can convert nearly every recipe into a crock pot recipe. For more conversions click HERE. 

***OTHER TIPS***

***ADD EXTRA LIQUID WHEN COOKING RICE- if a recipe calls for cooked rice, stir raw rice in with other ingredients; add 1 cup extra liquid per cup of raw rice. Use long grain 'converted' rice for best results in all day cooking.

***WHEN MAKING SOUPS- most soup recipes call for 2-3 quarts water, to adjust to a slow cooker, add the other soup ingredients to the slow cooker; then add liquid to cover the ingredients.  Don't fill slow cooker more than 2/3 full.  If thinner soup is desired, add more liquid at serving time.

***IF RECIPE CALLS FOR DAIRY PRODUCTS- Add milk or milk-based products during the last 30-60 minutes of cooking time.  If milk-based recipes have no other liquid for initial cooking, add 1-2 cups water then within the last 30 minutes of cooking time, stir in milk or cream as called for.  (Dairy products such as milk, cream or sour cream tend to break down during extended cooking, so add during the last hour of cooking.)  Condensed soups may be substituted for milk, etc, and can cook for longer periods of time.  Evaporated milk does not curdle and can be substituted for fresh milk in most recipes.

2.  Re-purpose left-overs: If your family is anything like mine, they frown upon the thought of eating left overs.  But what they don't know won't hurt them...right?😉  When making an ingredient such as chicken for a dish, double up the portion, and put half in the fridge for the next night.  It's much easier to throw a quick dinner together on a hectic evening when your protein is already cooked.  You can shred the meat and reheat in a sauce (your family will never know!), or chop up and add to a soup or gravy (also, very undetectable).  Another idea would be to add to a salad, or use as a topping for pizza or pasta.

Enjoy your busy spring, and happy cooking!🙌

http://www.human.cornell.edu/pam/outreach/upload/Family-Mealtimes-2.pdf

https://eatwellutah.org/

3 INGREDIENT TACO CHICKEN

Could it be any easier???  This is such a tasty, easy dinner.  Serve on tortillas, tortilla chips or on rice.  Top with sour cream, cheese and fresh cilantro, limes and tomatoes!  😄

MINI FROZEN YOGURT PIES

3 REASONS WHY YOU WANT THESE, NO BAKE, ONLY 70 CALORIES AND THEY'RE DELICIOUS!

You can easily afford to have these guys, plus you get a serving of dairy and grain with this recipe, with stuff you likely already have in your fridge/pantry.  

Place the graham crackers, melted margarine and sugar into a food processor (OR put your crackers in a ziplock and roll with a rolling pin to finely crush then mix in sugar and melted margarine).

 Scoop 1 TBL crumb mixture into each cupcake liner, press to compact. Next place in the fridge for 10-15 min to set.  (if in a hurry you can skip this step, just makes it a little easier when adding the yogurt)

 Next, fill with your yogurt of choice, and top with fruit (fresh or frozen) if desired.  Put in the freezer for 1-2 hours to set,  If they're in there longer, allow to sit out for 5-10 min to soften a bit before serving. 

They're seriously delicious!  Give them a try :)

MINI FROZEN YOGURT PIES

70 Calories per mini pie

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups YOGURT (any brand or flavor)
FRESH OR FROZEN FRUIT (optional)
12 cupcake liners
CRUST CRUMBLE:
   1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (OR 9 whole graham crackers)
   3 TBL sugar
   1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, (optional)
   4 tablespoons margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. If you’re using whole graham crackers, finely crush them in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.
2. Stir graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork, or pulse in a food processor.
3. Fill each cupcake liner with 1 TBL cracker mixture and press until compact and covering bottom of liner.
4. Refrigerate for 10-15 min, Fill with 1 TBL Yogurt and fruit if desired
5. Put in freezer until set, 1-2 hours or overnight.

BACKYARD SCAVENGER HUNT

Finally some sun and warm weather!  Here is a fun game to play in your backyard or the local park.  All you need is:

1- a plastic or paper bag (or something you can put stuff in, like a box or bucket) 

2-this scavenger hunt list (you can click on the image below or PRINT HERE )  

Race with your friend, or time yourself to see how long it takes to get all the things on the list.

Ready.... Set... GO!!

SHOPPING FOR PRODUCE

With summer around the corner, the produce is about to get good! Not that it's not already good 😉.  Fruits and veggies always taste better when they're in season, and more importantly they COST LESS!  Here are a few good tips to use next time your picking out produce.

1- SPEND TIME AND CHOOSE WISELY:  Start your shopping trip in the produce section, spend adequate time picking out a variety of colors.  **Did you know the different colors represent the different vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content?  So eating a variety of colors ensures your getting a variety of vitamins and minerals! 👍

2- GO SEASONAL:  Try to buy fruits and veggies that are in season, they are cheaper and taste much better.  When produce isn't in season it is shipped a far distance, which increases travel time and decreases freshness and quality.

3- BUYING ORGANIC? CONSIDER THE DIRTY DOZEN:  Organic doesn't always mean freshest, the term organic can be misleading.  Organic refers to the way fruits and veggies are grown, but they typically are more expensive and travel a longer distance to get to your store.  If buying organic is important to you and your family, consider buying "the dirty dozen" fruits and veggies organic.  These produce members have high pesticide residue (general rule of thumb, if it has thin skin, the pesticide likely penetrates the skin) these dirty dozen members are: 

 • Apples              • Bell peppers

 • Blueberries       • Celery

 • Cucumbers       • Grapes 

 • Lettuce             • Nectarines (imported) 

 • Peaches            • Potatoes 

 • Spinach            • Strawberries

Studies have shown that the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables outweigh the effects of eating non-organic.  So if you don't eat organic DON'T SWEAT IT!  If you do or want to, consider buying "the dirty dozen" organic. 

4- KNOW HOW TO RIPEN: You can increase the ripening process of fruit by placing them in a paper bag.  This is because fruit releases ethylene gas, so when placed in a bag it becomes abundant→speeding up the process.  Putting an apple in the bag further increases the process.  

5- HOW TO PROLONG SHELF LIFE:  Fruit and veggies don't typically have a long shelf life, try to buy a quantity that will be eaten in 5-7 days.  (this is a typical shelf life). There are steps that can increase shelf life. Consider covering the stem of bananas, which prevents ethylene gas from escaping and penetrating the bananas (which occurs naturally, causing ripening). ALWAYS take fruits and veggies out of their plastic bags (from the store) this traps ethylene gas and speeds up the ripening process.  After purchasing produce, rinse, dry and place in crisper drawers to keep fresher longer.

I hope these tips will help you, shopping for produce this summer and let you enjoy more and toss less!!!  

http://extension.usu.edu/fscreate/ou-files/ShoppingforProduce.pdf

FOOD LABELS

Reading a food label can be extremely easy, if you know what your looking for.  A food label can easily be broken down into 7 categories. 

1-SERVING SIZE

2-CALORIES

3-THINGS TO LIMIT👎

4-THINGS YOU WANT👍

5-DAILY VALUES

6-FOOTNOTES

7-INGREDIENTS

1-SERVING SIZE:  This is what the whole label is based off of.  This will help you gauge what portion size you should consume at 1 sitting.

***TIP- portion size is key when learning to eat healthy, eating too much of a healthy food is still going to give you excess calories.  Try serving food portions with measuring cups rather than serving spoons, this will help you visually see the amount you should be eating.

2- CALORIES: This tells you the amount of calories PER SERVING. As a general rule, look for foods that contain LESS than 20% of its "calories from fat".

3- LIMIT THESE: The next thing to focus on, is the cholesterol, sodium, fat and sugars.  These are categories that we want to avoid in high amounts.  These guys can lead to: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and fat gain.  (general rule of thumb, aim for 5% or less in these groups)

4- THINGS YOU WANT: Our next area of focus is the good stuff, things that are good for our bodies. Vitamins and Micronutrients (minerals) are an important part of your diet to aid in growth, reproduction and overall health. It is extremely rare to get too much vitamins or minerals in food form, when taking supplements it is possible to over consume and reach toxic levels. SO THE HIGHER THE BETTER, ON YOUR FOOD LABEL!

5- DAILY VALUES: This shows the daily value PER SERVING of your daily calorie intake.  5% or less is considered low (aim for this % or lower in cholesterol, sodium, sugar and fat content) 20% or more is considered high (aim for this % or higher in fiber and other desired nutrients)

6- FOOTNOTES: Breaks down the components based on a 2000 calorie diet.  If your recommended intake is lower or higher, these numbers will vary. FIND YOUR RECOMMEND CALORIE INTAKE HERE

7- INGREDIENT LIST: Sometimes the ingredient list appears to be in a foreign language, if you don't have time to research each ingredient here are 2 general key factors to look at.  First, how many ingredients are there?  Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients the better. With a smaller list, there are usually less added sugars and unhealthy chemicals. Second, notice what ingredients are listed first.  Ingredients are listed in the amount present going from most to least.  If you have a label that lists all the sugars first, and healthier ingredients at the end, you might want to rethink your choice.

RECAP- Pay attention to portion size, aim for 5% or less in Cholesterol, Sodium and Sugar and 20% or more in fiber.  Strive for few ingredients and avoid foods with unhealthy ingredients listed 1st.

I hope these simple break downs have helped you to better understand how to read and understand a food label and will help you make better nutritional choices on your future shopping trips.☺

http://extension.usu.edu/fscreate/ou-files/Nutrition_Facts_Handout.pdf

WHOLE GRAINS

This month at the elementary we have been talking about the Grain food group.  Whole grains have so much more nutritional benefits, including fiber which both keeps us full longer and cleans the inside of our bodies!  Did you know half your grain intake should be whole grains?  Here are a few suggestions to replace the refined grains in our pantry with whole nutritious grains!

ROLL AND EXERCISE GAME

Here is a fun game for the whole family to play!  Simply copy image below or CLICK HERE for the Dice template, print, and fold to assemble.  Once assembled take turns rolling the dice and doing the exercise that you roll!  Have fun, and GET MOVING!!!

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

We have spent a good amount of time talking about the importance of eating healthy, but that is not the only thing that effects our health.  Physical Activity plays a huge role in our wellness and can produce long term health benefits.  

BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE CAN HELP YOU:

-Increase your chances of living longer
-Increased confidence
-Decrease your chances of depression
-Sleep well at night
-Move around more easily
-Have stronger muscles and bones
-Stay at or get to a healthy weight


The more you are physically active the better your health will be.  You don't have to pay a hefty monthly gym membership to get these benefits.  There are many things you can do at home and around your community for FREE that will improve your fitness. 

There are several types of exercise that are especially beneficial.  Here are a few of these categories and the benefits that result.


1.  Aerobic Activity:  AKA Cardio, This type of activity makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster.  These activities can be either:

*Moderate (you can talk while doing them) ie: cleaning, gardening, walking, casual bike riding
**Vigorous (you can only say a few words without loosing your breath)  ie: running, circuit training, strenuous cycling

2.  Muscle- Strength Training:  These type of activities make your muscles stronger.  Doing this type of training helps tone your body and increase muscle definition.  ie: push-ups, lifting weights, calf raises, squats

3.  Bone Strengthening Activities:  These activities produce force on the bones, promoting bone growth and strength.  These are ESPECIALLY important for children and teens.  ie: jumping, kicking



4.  Balance and Strength Training: This training enhances physical stamina and flexibility.  It also reduces the risk of injury and decreases stiffness and stress on your joints.  ie: yoga, floor stretches, balancing, dancing

• Static Stretching:holding a pose for designated time, this is great for older people, and increased flexibility

• Dynamic Stretching: stretching using momentum or motion,this type increases performance and heart rate

To receive the benefits we talked about earlier, it is recommended that Adults exercise a minimum of 30 min a day and children, a minimum of 60 min a day. This can be done all at once or broken into separate segments throughout your day. 

Give them all a try, find the one that you enjoy the most and make a plan.  You'll notice a difference in your mood, energy and stamina almost instantly!! 

For more tips and information of physical activity CLICK HERE