Beans are a Vegetable: Who Knew?

Many people are surprised to learn that beans are actually a vegetable. Whether it's black, pinto, cannellini, or garbanzo beans, they're a good source of fiber, protein, iron, potassium and folate. Beans are versatile and can be added to soups, salads, pasta dishes, salsas, dips ... even desserts! Here's a recipe featuring beans that we created just this week.

Farfalle Salad with Chick Peas & Broccoli
Makes 5 to 6 Servings

8 ounces dried farfalle pasta
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
One 7 3/4-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Two to three minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli. Bring back to a boil and cook until the pasta is done. Drain and place in a large bowl.

2. While the pasta is still warm, add the tomatoes, chickpeas, feta cheese, salad dressing, and basil and stir to combine. Serve warm or refrigerate for a cold salad. Garnish with basil leaves as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 280 calories, 5g fat (2.5g saturated, 0.3g omega-3), 350g sodium, 42g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 11g protein, 20% vitamin A, 45% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 10% iron

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Share your favorite bean recipe by posting it to our blog.

Get Your Kids to Eat Right (Part 2)

Encouraging children to eat vegetables without complaint can be a tall order, but according to Diane P., fellow dietitian and mother of three from Johnston, RI, getting veggies on the table and into kids' tummies may be easier than you think! Here's her secret:

"When my children were 3, 5 and 7 years old I began to serve vegetables in a fancy side dish to only my husband and myself. One time they asked if they too could have some of the beautiful (expensive) asparagus. My husband and I looked at each other acted as though we were giving away a treasure and carefully portioned out a few delicate spears. My children now 19, 21 and 23 still love asparagus."

What kid can turn down a treasure!? By using this simple strategy, Diane and her husband made vegetables impossible to resist. Let us know how you get your family to eat and enjoy vegetables.

Get Your Kids to Eat Right (Part 1)

This is our first entry in a series of posts featuring creative ways to get your kids to eat a healthier diet. These suggestions are not our original ideas, but were sent to us by our Meal Makeover Moms' Club members! A few weeks ago, we sent our club members an email asking for tips, suggestions and strategies and the response was overwhelming. Over the next few weeks, we'll share your ideas right here on our blog, so be sure to visit often! Here's what Deb S. from Springfield, Ohio had to say:

"My kids must pack their own lunch every day. They started in first grade. They come home from school, pick a snack (usually pretzels, popcorn, toast, apple, etc) then start homework. As soon as homework is done they put their lunch together and stick it in the frig. They must include at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable, a serving of whole grain (usually whole wheat bread, Triscuits, or dry cereal like raisin bran) and a serving of protein (usually lunch meat or peanut butter). A small water bottle goes in each lunch. They may also pick one small "snack" (pudding, jello, etc).

By making them pack their own lunch, they are learning how to look for and create a well balanced meal. I randomly check their lunches just to make sure they are sticking to the plan and I will sneak a special note in the lunch telling them what a great job they did packing that day. They are now very good at looking for a variety of food choices to satisfy each requirement. At the store, they check labels to see if the first ingredient is whole wheat or to look for the amount of fiber & protein in a dry cereal. I no longer have to make them eat vegetables or whole grains...they LOOK FOR IT. My older two kids are now in 3rd grade and 5th grade and it is just the way they eat. Of course, they get a McDonalds trip with their aunt and cousins every so often and they love candy, but I really feel like they limit it, not because I am standing over their shoulders, but because they have learned to make good choices on their own, and it all started from packing their own lunches!"

Thanks Deb. We love your tip and plan to try it with our kids (grades 2, 3, 7, 10). Stay tuned for more clever ideas coming soon ....

A Sneak Preview

When our website, MealMakeoverMoms.com, launched back in 2003, it was one of the coolest food websites out there (in our humble opinions). But now, even we must admit that it's in dire need of an extreme makeover! For our new site design, we've teamed up with Atlanta-based artist Laura Coyle, the same artist who illustrated our cookbook. Though we can't show you the new website just yet, we decided to give you a sneak preview of our new Meal Makeover Moms logo.

We'd love to know what you think of it. And while you're at it, feel free to share your thoughts on a few other aspects of our soon-to-be launched website. Here's what we'd like to know:

1. What kinds of recipes do you hope to see on our new website? Whether it's lunch box ideas, slow cooker, desserts or snacks, let us know.

2. On May 7th, we will be launching our weekly radio podcast, Cooking with the Moms. During each show, we'll tackle a different mealtime challenge -- fast weeknight dinners, healthy snacks for kids, brunch ideas -- and share two new recipes with our listeners. What are your mealtime challenges? What would you like to hear us talk about?

3. We're all about healthy recipe makeovers, so if you have a favorite family recipe you'd like us to tweak, send it our way.We look forward to reading your comments.

Cooking Videos While You Wait

Last week while Janice endured the bitter cold springtime weather here in Boston, Liz got on a plane and hightailed it down to Atlanta where the sun was shining and the flowers blooming. Though her trip was not for pleasure, it was a nice escape from the icy grip of New England, albeit for just one day. The reason for Liz's sojourn to the south: a video shoot for EverWell, a TV show that now airs in doctor's office waiting rooms nationwide. Liz is the show's cooking guru, showing viewers how to whip up fast and healthy meals, snacks and desserts. For the shoot, she demonstrated four recipes: Garden Turkey Meatballs (see recipe below), Grab-and-Go Breakfast Bars, Apple Butterscotch Cake, and Shrimp & Mango Rice Salad.

To watch some of her other EverWell cooking segments -- Teriyaki Salmon in Foil, Tuscan Minestrone Soup, Confetti Chicken Wraps, and Apple Blueberry Walnut Crisp -- simply click here.

Garden Turkey Meatballs
Makes about 24 meatballs (6 Servings)

This simple weeknight dish is packed with great taste and great nutrition. Serve over spaghetti (we like Barilla Plus whole wheat blend pasta) and dinner is served!

1 pound ground turkey breast
2 to 3 medium carrots (6 ounces), peeled and finely grated (about 2/3 cup)
1 large omega-3 egg
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning or 1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
One 26-ounce jar pasta sauce

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Combine the turkey, carrots, egg, oats, Parmesan cheese, flaxseed, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix until ingredients are just combined. Shape the meat mixture into twenty four 1 ½-inch balls. Place them on the baking sheet and cook until lightly browned, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the pasta sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer. When the turkey meatballs come out of the oven, add them to the sauce, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
230 calories, 10g fat (3g saturated; 0.5g omega-3), 730mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 22g protein, 60% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 15% iron

Helping Kids Eat Better

It's no surprise kids love fruit, but last week, when we spoke to a few hundred 7th graders and their parents from Acton, MA, we discovered that a staggering number don't come anywhere close to the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. The teens we talked to are no different from other kids across the country -- they're on the go, busy with homework and sports, and more likely to grab a bagel or a brownie than an apple.

To show them how easy it can be to incorporate fruit into their diets, we held a smoothie blend-off at our workshop. Two kid "chefs," each with an assistant, were given various ingredients to choose from including 100% orange, apple, mango, and strawberry/kiwi juices, frozen strawberries, blueberries, and mango, lowfat vanilla and strawberry yogurt and ripe bananas. They then all created their own signature smoothie which was judged by three of their peers. All the smoothies were delicious, proving you don't need to be a Food Network celebrity chef to whip up your own healthy recipes. Click here to watch a video of Janice and her daughter Leah making our Moms' Mango Smoothie. If you have a favorite smoothie recipe you'd like to share, please post it to our blog by clicking on the comments button below.

Juiced Over Jigglers

We recently received a blog post asking us if we had any makeover ideas for Jell-O Jigglers. We've had a lot of fun in the kitchen the past couple of weeks and wanted to share what we came up with. In case you don't know, traditional Jell-O Jigglers, according to the directions on the back of the box, are made with four packages of fruit-flavored Jell-O and water or apple juice. When you crunch the numbers, it turns out that each small, hand-held Jiggler square has 3 teaspoons of added sugar plus a laundry list of artificial colors. To make this recipe healthier and all natural, we used plain gelatine, real, 100% fruit juice, frozen fruit and just 1 tablespoon of sugar for the entire recipe (our squares have just 1/8 teaspoon of added sugar).

We made two versions: one with frozen mango and mango juice and the other with strawberry kiwi juice and frozen strawberries. Here's what our kids had to say about the recipe:

Leah: "Absolutely, super fab-u-lo-so. They're just too good."

Simon: "These are addicting. Can I have them for a snack in my lunch box tomorrow?"

If your kids love Jigglers you'll love this easy makeover. With real fruit in every squishy, squiggly, bite this is one recipe where you'll want your kids to ask for more!

Juicy Strawberry Jigglers

Makes 24 Jiggler Squares

1 1/2 cups strawberry kiwi juice, divided

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 envelopes unflavored gelatine

1 tablespoon sugar

In a blender, blend together 1 cup of juice and the frozen fruit until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to break up any frothy bubbles. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/2 cup juice in a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine over the juice and let stand 1 minute. Add the hot juice and stir until the gelatine completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Pour the mixture into an 8 X 8-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, cut into squares (use an off-set spatula).

Nutrition Information per Serving:
10 calories, 0g fat, 0mg sodium, 2g carbohydrate, 2g sugar, 1g protein, 10% vitamin C

Juicy Mango Jigglers

Makes 24 Jiggler Squares

1 1/2 cups tropical mango juice blend, divided

1 cup frozen mango

2 envelopes unflavored gelatine

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

In a blender, blend together 1 cup of juice and the frozen fruit until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to break up any frothy bubbles. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/2 cup juice in a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine over the juice and let stand 1 minute. Add the hot juice and stir until the gelatine completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Pour the mixture into an 8 X 8-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, cut into squares (use an off-set spatula).

Nutrition Information per Serving:
15 calories, 0g fat, 0mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate, 3g sugar, 1g protein, 10% vitamin C