It’s August, the midpoint of summer, and also Kids Eat Right Month™. While every month is a good time to get kids in the kitchen, August presents us with some delicious in-season fruits and vegetables that kiddos will love. Fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, watermelon and cantaloupe are currently growing and being harvested in Iowa. Summer squash, zucchini, sweet corn and many varieties of peppers top the list of the freshest vegetables you’ll find right now.
This handy harvest calendar for Iowa will give you an idea of what to look for at the
grocery store or farmers’ markets when you want to be sure to get the local goods!
In addition to taking advantage of local and seasonal produce to come up with tasty meals and snacks, kids can be set up for success in their cooking endeavors by learning which tasks are appropriate for certain ages. This infographic will help you decide what your little ones should help with and which tasks they should observe.
Check out the following recipes using Iowa-fresh produce and start cooking up some fun!
Mango Kombucha Overnight Oats with Blueberry Chia Jam
Tasks for kids: measuring, mixing, mashing
Serves 5
Ingredients
For the overnight oats:
2 cups steel cut oats* or old fashioned oats
1 cup mango Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups mango kombucha
For the blueberry chia jam:
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions:
Make overnight oats by combining pats, yogurt, milk and kombucha in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Divide mixture into 5 jars or smaller bowls with lids. Place in refrigerator and let sit at least 8 hours for old fashioned oats and at least 12 hours for steel cut oats.
In a small sauce pan, combine blueberries and chia seeds. Bring to a simmer over medium-low
heat. Cover and cook until the blueberries start to break down and the jam thickens, about ten
minutes. Stir occasionally.
Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the berries to your desired texture.
Once berries are mashed, stir in maple syrup.
Allow jam to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in refrigerator up to two weeks.
Serve overnight oats with a spoonful or two of blueberry chia jam over the top, stir to combine
and enjoy!
*use steel cut oats if you’re meal prepping - and eat them 2-4 days after preparing Overnight oats recipe adapted from nataliejo.co . Blueberry chia jam recipe from superhealthykids.com .
Zucchini and Summer Squash Ribbon Salad
Tasks for kids: peeling vegetables, mixing
Grilled Sweet Corn Salad
Tasks for kids: shucking corn, zesting and juicing limes, dicing avocado
Emily Ring, RD, LD
Emily is an in-store registered dietitian at the Southridge Hy-Vee is Des Moines, Iowa. She enjoys meeting each customer where they are at in their health journey and helping them along the way by interpreting evidence-based nutrition information into practical advice and applications.
Comments