Baked Apples

baked apples

Serving Size: 1/2 apple | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium tart apples (Granny Smith, Braeburn, Cortland, Jonathan, Fuji)
  • 1 teaspoon white or brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons oatmeal
  • 2 tablespoons (total) raisins, sweetened dried cranberries, chopped walnuts or other nuts
  • 6 ounces low fat vanilla yogurt

Directions:

  1. Cut apples in half lengthwise. Use spoon to remove cores and hollow out a space 1” or more deep. Arrange apple halves, cut sides up, in microwavable dish. Cut thin slices off bottoms to keep from tipping.
  2. Combine sugar, cinnamon, oatmeal, raisins, cranberries, and nuts. Fill each apple half with sugar mixture.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap. Fold back one edge 1/4” to vent steam.
  4. Microwave 3–3 1/2 minutes or until apples can be easily cut. Remove from microwave. Let sit a few minutes.
  5. Spoon yogurt over the top.

Nutrition information per serving:
110 calories, 1.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 20mg sodium, 25g total carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 15g sugar, 2g protein

This recipe is courtesy of ISU Extension and Outreach’s Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website. For more information, recipes, and videos, visit spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu

Berry and Greens Smoothie

Berry and Greens Smoothie

Serving Size: 8 ounces | Serves: 8

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 2 containers (6 ounces each) nonfat vanilla yogurt
  • 3 cups leafy greens, washed (kale or spinach)
  • 1 package (16 ounces) frozen berries
  • 1 cup nonfat milk

Directions:

  1. Put bananas, yogurt, and greens in the blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Add berries to blender. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add milk to blender. Blend until smooth.
  4. Serve immediately or freeze in individual servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
90 calories, 0.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 50mg sodium, 20g total carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 12g sugar, 4g protein.

This recipe is courtesy of ISU Extension and Outreach’s Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website. For more information, recipes, and videos, visit spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu

Tzatziki and Pita Chips

Serving Size: 1/4 cup tzatziki with 6 pita chips | Serves: 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 cucumber (cut in half lengthwise)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (peeled and minced) (about 1–2 cloves)
  • 2 containers (6 ounces each) plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill and/or fresh mint
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Dried basil, parsley, garlic powder (optional)

Directions:

  1. Use a spoon to scrape out seeds from the cucumber. Dice the cucumber into small pieces or shred with a grater.
  2. Spread cucumber on paper towels on top of a clean kitchen towel. Roll up the towels and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Transfer dry cucumber to a large bowl.
  3. Add the garlic, yogurt, dried dill or fresh mint, salt, and olive oil. Mix. Cover and refrigerate until served.
  4. Serve with baked pita chips.

Nutrition information per serving:
210 calories, 7g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 5mg cholesterol, 5mg sodium, 29g total carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 2g sugar, 8g protein. This recipe is courtesy of ISU Extension and Outreach’s Spend Smart. Eat Smart. website. For more information, recipes, and videos, visit spendsmart.extension.iastate.edu

Dip with pita chip

Fermented Foods Support Your Health

Bread

People have been fermenting foods for nearly 10,000 years. Fermented foods we eat today include sourdough bread, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha.

  1. In fermentation, Lactobacilli, which are natural bacteria found in fresh vegetables, feed on carbohydrates and excrete lactic acid. The lactic acid helps preserve the vegetables and gives foods a bright color and tangy flavor.
  2. Fermented foods have many health benefits. They give the body needed probiotics. Probiotics are microorganisms that live in the gut. They improve digestion, lower inflammation, and strengthen the immune system.
  3. To add more fermented foods in your diet, consider the following:
    • Eat yogurt for breakfast or a snack. Enjoy it alone, with fruit, or made into a smoothie.
    • You can also use kefir to make a smoothie. This tangy dairy beverage provides a different variety of Lactobacilli than most yogurts do.
    • Toss a little sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) into a sandwich or wrap.
    • Enjoy tempeh or miso, which are fermented soybeans. Tempeh has a nutty, hearty, mushroom-like flavor. Add it to a noodle bowl with vegetables.
    • Have naturally fermented dill pickles as a snack or a hamburger topping. Most pickles at the grocery store have been packed in vinegar and spices, not fermented. Be sure to buy “naturally fermented” pickles. You can also make your own fermented pickles. For recipes, see the ISU canning pickles instructions, store.extension.iastate.edu/product/Preserve-the-Taste-of-Summer-Canning-Pickles.

Source: Taking a New Look at Fermented Foods, bit.ly/361haJI.

Strawberry S’Mores

strawberriesServing Size: 1 s’more | Serves: 1

Ingredients:

  • 2 strawberries, sliced
  • 1/8 cup yogurt, low-fat vanilla (2 tablespoons)
  • 1 graham cracker (broken in half)

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the strawberries in water.
  2. Slice the strawberries.
  3. Add the yogurt and strawberries to 1/2 of graham cracker.
  4. Top with the other 1/2 of graham cracker.
  5. Enjoy immediately.

Tips:

  • Substitute any desired low-fat yogurt flavor.
  • Try other fruits like blueberries, bananas, etc.

Nutrition information per serving: 93 calories, 2g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 2mg cholesterol, 87mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 10g sugar, 3g protein

Source: What’s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl

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