First Lady Michelle Obama (via Twitter @FLOTUS), the USDA, the U.S. Department of Education, and Epicurious have joined together again for the second Healthy Lunchtime Challenge in which contestants are asked to submit their best original lunch recipes inspired by MyPlate (the USDA's user-friendly guide to healthy eating).
Sounded like something right up my alley. However, only children ages 8 through 12 and their parents / guardians are invited to compete... which leaves me and 3yr old Catherine Ruth ineligible.
Here are a few of the favorites we were discussing before reading all of the rules and terms:
BURGER, FRIES & SHAKE
BURGER-
1lb 98% lean ground turkey
Salt & Pepper to taste
4-6 Green Onions
1-2 Egg Whites
½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1Tblsp Flax Seeds (We prefer minced pan roasted garlic)
Splash of Soy Sauce
Splash of Worstershire
Splash of Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Montreal Seasoning Mix
8-10oz Chopped White Button Mushrooms
12oz Chopped Fresh Leaf Spinach (remove stems)
1 med Tomato chopped
Mix All Ingredients Well and use ice cream scooper to portion on skillet coated with cooking spray and set to medium high heat. Smash down with spatula and cook approx. 10-15 minutes on each side until slightly browned. Top with low fat colby jack, fresh avocado and serve in whole-wheat or multi grain bun
FRIES-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Julienne fresh Sweet Potato.
Toss in bowl with spray light Olive Oil.
Salt & Pepper to taste.
Bake in Oven for 20 mins.
SHAKE-
Sliced Banana and whole or frozen Strawberries (My daughter prefers ripe red pears)
2% Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1Tblsp Honey (My daughter prefers Nutella)
1-2 cup Crushed Ice
Splash of Apple Juice (or fruit juice of preference)
Blend All ingredients until smooth and serve with extra wide colorful milkshake straw.
PANDA DOGS n PEAR COOKIES
DOGS-
Jennie-O (or other brand) 98% Fat Free Turkey Dogs split in the middle.
Fresh Asparagus (AKA: Bamboo to Catherine) lightly grilled then placed in split hot dog.
2% Mozzarella Cheese lined on-top of asparagus spear resting in split hot dog.
Whole Grain or Whole Wheat Pillsbury (or other brand) refrigerated pastry dough.
Completely wrap dough around hot dog and asparagus topped with cheese.
Serve with baked beans.
PEAR COOKIES-
Nutella lighted smeared between Slices of Red Pear like sandwiches and then cut into different shapes.
SB&J* SUSHI
Fresh Multi-Grain Bread rolled flat after removing crusts (or flat bread)
Spread Sunbutter or Peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) on bread.
Finely Julienne Granny Smith Apples.
Create a “raft” of julienned apple atop Sunbutter.
Red Grapes (or Concord Grapes) lined-up in a row across apples length-wise.
Roll up ingredients with sushi mat (or a flexible placemat) then slice into disks.
Create “Kid’s 2min Chopsticks” in two minutes by following instructions at: http://dbadaddy.com/blog/2013/4/26/the-right-tools-for-the-right-job-chopsticks-for-kids
Serve with:
Remaining Red Grapes
Baby Carrots (boiled in water with 1Tsp of honey)
Steamed Edamame
Grahm Crackers (broken into ¼ pieces)
Chocolate Milk
*We sometimes substitute the SB&J Roll with my daughter’s favorite cereal coated cubes of salmon (cube fresh salmon, soak in milk, coat with ground Quaker Corn Bran Squares or Oatmeal Brown Sugar Squares, drop in egg wash, then in 2nd bowl of ground cereal then pan fry).