Marvelous Mexican Casserole

Ingredients

10-12 corn tortillas (cut in half)

1 yellow onion

1 bell pepper

1 can black beans

1 can enchilada sauce

1 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Left over chicken breast, shredded (optional)

Toppings of your choice

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350.

2. Chop the onion and pepper. Saute' in a little vegetable oil until soft.

3. Lightly grease a baking dish and layer the corn tortilla wedges on the bottom (they can overlap - this doesn't have to be perfect!).

4. Spread beans on top. Layer sauteed onion and pepper and shredded chicken, if you are using this ingredient.

5. Top with shredded cheese and pour some of the enchilada sauce over the whole thing.

6. Creating these layers until you have used all of the ingredients.

7. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  When there is 10 minutes left on the timer, take the foil off the top and bake for the last 10 minutes.

8. Serve with toppings of your choice.  Enjoy!

This wraps up our celebration of National Nutrition Month!  We hope you have enjoyed the videos we created and that you can use some of these recipes for your family!

*The Rappahannock WIC Program is only responsible for YouTube videos posted by rahdWIC.  We are not affiliated with any other YouTube videos that may appear next to our videos.

Liquid Gold

Breast milk is often referred to as liquid gold because it has long been considered the “gold standard” for infant nutrition.  Being considered the “gold standard” of anything simply means it is the best. 

One thing that makes human milk so great it that it is constantly changing to meet your baby’s needs. Your milk changes throughout a feeding and the type of milk you make changes as your baby grows.  So, the milk your body makes for your newborn is different from the milk you make when your baby is older because his needs are changing as he is growing. 

Human milk goes through 3 stages: colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk.

Colostrum (first few days)

 This is the first milk that is produced.  It is thick, high in protein, and has a yellowish tint because of the high levels of Vitamin A.  This milk also carries an abundance of antibodies to boost your baby’s immune system early. You may notice that you don’t make very much of this milk in the beginning which is okay because your baby’s belly is only about the size of a marble at birth and grows to about ping pong ball size in the first few days.  Your body knows to make enough to keep up with your baby.

Transitional Milk (the next milk)

You will often hear about women waiting for their milk to “come in”.  Transitional milk is what your body makes during that time. It is thinner and lighter in color.  Transitional milk has more fat to keep your baby satisfied as she grows.

Mature Milk

Mature milk provides everything your baby needs.  It is rich in vitamins and nutrients and provides plenty of water.  The carbohydrate, fat, and protein content of this milk continues to change over time.  This milk also continues to provide antibodies and white blood cells that protect against infection.

It's the gold standard for many reasons, and these were just a few!

-Valerie Marcellus, Nutritionist

Fantastic Fiber

Gotta go but can't?

Constipation is a common problem in both children and pregnant women.  Although the cause of the problem may be different depending on the individual, adding fiber, water and physical activity to the equation can usually help.

Fiber

• How does it help?

There are two types of fiber and they both aid in digestion.  There is soluble fiber that absorbs water, which helps to soften stool.  This is also the type of fiber that helps you to stay feeling full.  Then there is insoluble fiber that helps with adding bulk to stool which helps things to move along more quickly. You want to make sure you're adding fiber to your (child's) diet slowly, to prevent any uncomfortable side effects like gassiness and bloating.

• Where to find it:                                    

Fruits, dried fruits, vegatables, beans, peas, lentils, bran and whole grains are all great sources of fiber.  Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables provide more fiber when you leave the skin on and when they are not cooked. Try apples or celery with peanut butter for a snack with fiber that is fun to eat.

Water:

Drinking water everyday is always important.  Adding fiber to your diet makes this even more important.  Drink plenty of water to make sure you are staying hydrated and keeping everything balanced in your body.  Offer your child water between meals as opposed to other drinks.

Exercise:

Moving your body as another factor that keeps your digestive system healthy.  Make sure you're moving your body everyday whether it's by dancing, jumping rope, or or going for a walk. 

 -Valerie Marcellus, Nutritionist

Create a Better Convenience Meal

One of the most healthy things you can start doing with your family is to start having regular, family meals. A family meal means everyone sitting at the table and enjoying the same food at the same time (it does NOT have to mean an elaborate 4 course dinner). Whoever is in charge of the cooking (it might be mom, dad, or someone else) has a big responsibility to get a good tasting, healthy meal on the table. A lot of times this can seem like too much work and pressure and it is easy to give up on family meals. However, the benefits of family meals are worth some trouble to get everyone together to eat at the same time.

And cooking does not have to be hard! Convenience meals are a great way to get a meal on the table quickly. Here are some ideas to take typical convenience foods to a higher level. These tips add extra nutrition and variety to common convenience foods:

Boxed Mac & Cheese: Add cooked chicken, turkey or ham leftovers and veggies like broccoli, peas, or bell peppers. If you don’t have any leftover meats to add, open and drain a can of tuna and add chopped tomatoes. Now you have a complete meal instead of a side!

Frozen Pizza: Buy a plain cheese frozen pizza and top with your favorite veggies (broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, olives, etc…) You know they never put enough toppings on frozen pizzas…

Stir Fry Dinner Kit: Add extra veggies and protein (like chicken breast) to stretch the meal further and cut down on sodium.

Frozen waffles or pancakes: Top waffles or pancakes with ½ cup berries or cut up bananas, fat free whipped cream, and lite syrup. My favorite version is pancakes with peanut butter, bananas, and syrup.

Frozen ravioli or tortellini: Mix with your favorite prepared marinara sauce and add in some frozen veggies.

And finally, the mother of all convenience foods….

Ramen noodles: These noodles are pretty much just starch and fat- they do not have a lot of staying power. To make a meal, add some protein like cooked meats or egg. Add in some fresh or frozen veggies and don’t use the entire seasoning packet and you have yourself a pretty decent meal.

- Allison Leonard RD

Fluffy Fruit Salad!

Now that the warmer weather has rolled in, here is a great recipe to try. It is also a delicious, inexpensive dish to take to those summer cookouts!

Fluffy Fruit Salad can be made according to what fruits you and your family enjoy and the fruit portion of this recipe can be purchased with your WIC vouchers!

What you will need:

• Canned fruit of your choice (usually 4-5 cans)
• Fat-free or sugar-free Cool Whip (1-2 containers)
• 1 bag of mini marshmallows

I will let you know what I do and then you can substitute any fruit you prefer.

1. You want to start out with a colander in the sink so you can drain all the excess syrup and water off.
2. I usually combine 1 can of pineapple, 1 can of fruit cocktail, 1 or 2 cans of peaches, 2 cans of Mandarin oranges and occasionally cut up grapes if I have them on hand, into the colander. (the number of cans you will need will depend on how many servings you want). Rinse if desired to remove excess sugar.
3. Let the fruit drain for about 30 mins, frequently stirring the fruit around to drain all liquid possible.
4. In the meantime be sure your Cool Whip is thawed and ready to add. I will buy the sugar- free Cool Whip or the fat-free Cool Whip as opposed to the regular Cool Whip, there is no taste difference! The number of containers of Cool Whip you will need depends on your servings of fruit. I only need one for the amount I make.
4. After your fruit is fully drained, in a large bowl combine your fruit with your container(s) of Cool Whip.
5. Stir until Cool Whip is throughout
6. Add desired amount of mini marshmallows to mixture
7. This dish can be eaten at room temperature immediately, but is delicious chilled! Remember.. Cool Whip contains milk so this dish will need to be refrigeratored if not eaten right away.

*Keep in mind when storing in refrigerator for longer than 24-48 hours, the fruit may pool juice in the bottom of the bowl, just pour off excess juice and serve. Also, the marshmallows may get soggy during this time period so plan accordingly.

This dish makes a great dessert or snack during the day! Enjoy!

Christy Redmond, Nutritionist

Cool Dishes Using Canned Beans

WIC recently announced that canned beans will be added as a choice on your WIC vouchers. With the weather warming up so quickly around here, chilli and soups do not sound so great anymore!

Check out some of these recipes for warm weather dishes using canned beans. Remember that you can use cooked, dried beans as well (about 2 cups of beans equals 1 can in these recipes).

Easy Corn and Black Bean Salsa

 

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 jar of salsa (16 oz, chunky style)

Drain corn and beans (rinse with water to decrease sodium if desired) and combine with salsa. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tuna and Bean Salad

1 can tuna, drained

1 can white beans (navy or cannellini), drained

½ pint chopped grape or cherry tomatoes

1 T capers (omit if you like)

Italian salad dressing or balsamic vinaigrette

Combine first four ingredients gently to avoid mashing the beans. Serve over lettuce mix or cold, cooked pasta. Top with salad dressing.

Canned Bean Salad

1 can each kidney beans, black beans and chick peas, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn, canned or frozen

1 red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 jalepeno pepper, finely minced

½ cup vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup sugar (add less or more depending on your desired amount of sweetness)

Mix all ingredients and chill. Add salt and pepper as desired.

- Allison Leonard RD

Terrific Tuna Wrap

Terrific Tuna Wrap

Ingredients

Whole-wheat tortillas

1 can low sodium canned tuna in water

2 tablespoons light mayo

2 green onions
Sliced cucumber
Salad mix or lettuce
Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Chop green onions and set aside.
2. Drain tuna and place into a medium mixing bowl.  Flake tuna apart with fork.
3. Add light mayonnaise and green onions and season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread the tuna mixture onto a whole wheat tortilla.  Top with cucumbers and lettuce.
5. Roll tortilla to create a wrap.
6. Enjoy!

Look for more video tutorials throughout the month of March to celebrate National Nutrition Month!

*The Rappahannock WIC Program is only responsible for YouTube videos posted by rahdWIC.  We are not affiliated with any other YouTube videos that may appear next to our videos.

Store Tours in Fredericksburg

We will start Shopping Matters for WIC Parents tours at the Central Park Wal Mart beginning in April. Come learn how to save money, get the best value out of your WIC checks, and earn your FREE $10 gift card!

All tours will take place at 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM on

April 13

May 11

June 15

July 13

August 17

Be sure to sign up for a tour while spots are available! Call Allison Leonard at 540-322-5948 to sign up for your tour today!

Awesome Apple Wraps

  

Awesome Apple Wraps

Ingredients

2 medium, ripe bananas

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

1 large apple

2 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

Directions

1.  Peel bananas and use your fingers to break them up into a bowl. Mash with a fork or your fingers until creamy and smooth.

2.   Measure and add the peanut butter to the mashed banana. Stir well to blend.

3.   Rinse and cut apple in half, lengthwise. Remove any stems and cut out center core that contains the seeds. Do not peel.

4.   Lay apple halves flat side down and cut into ¼ inch thick slices. Cut slices into small cubes.

5.   Cut each tortilla in half.  Spread peanut butter mixture over one side of each tortilla.

6.   Sprinkle diced apple over each tortilla. Tightly roll or fold each tortilla.

7.   Enjoy!

Look for more video tutorials throughout the month of March to celebrate National Nutrition Month!

*The Rappahannock WIC Program is only responsible for YouTube videos posted by rahdWIC.  We are not affiliated with any other YouTube videos that may appear next to our videos.

Yummy Yogurt Parfait

Yummy Yogurt Parfait with Homemade Granola
Serves 6, 1 parfait per serving

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 Tablespoons sliced or chopped nuts (for granola)
Non-stick cooking spray
1/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates, or prunes)
1 chopped apple

1 chopped banana

3 cups fat-free vanilla yogurt

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix honey, canola oil, and cinnamon in a large bowl, using a whisk or fork.
3. Add the oats and 2 Tablespoons chopped nuts, and stir until coated throroughly with the honey mixture.
4. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cookng spray, and spread oat mixture evenly onto the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10-20 minutes until lightly browned, stirring every 5 minutes to cook granola evenly.  Remove from oven and cool completely, before placing in a bowl.
6. Stir dried fruit into cooled granola.
7. Layer 1/4 cup yogurt into each of six parfait cups or bowls, followed by 1/4 cup chopped fruit, and 2 Tablespoons granola.

Look for more video tutorials throughout the month of March to celebrate National Nutrition Month!

*The Rappahannock WIC Program is only responsible for YouTube videos posted by rahdWIC.  We are not affiliated with any other YouTube videos that may appear next to our videos.

Get Your Plate In Shape, Round 6

The last stop on our MyPlate journey is the....

Grain Group!

What is a grain?

To be considered a grain the food must be made up of rice, wheat, oats, cornmeal or barley. The grain group is split into two groups: Whole Grain and Refined Grains. Let's take a look at the whole grains first!

• Whole Grains contain the entire grain kernel this includes- the bran, germ and endosperm. Some examples are: whole wheat flour, oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa and popcorn.
• Refined Grains have been processed to remove the bran and germ which means it will have a longer shelf life and finer texture. But, it also means that dietary fiber, iron and B vitamins have been removed.

Remember to make half your grains whole grains! 

How much do I need? 

Just like with many other foods, the amount you need depends on your age, gender and activity. Click here to find out how much you need!

What counts as a serving?

1 slice of bread, 1 cup of cereal or 1/2 cup of cooked rice/pasta is considered 1 ounce. Check here for more examples regarding serving sizes.

Why do I need grains?

Eating grains, especially whole grains is linked to health benefits. Whole grains may reduce the risk of heart disease and help with weight management. Whole grains contain fiber and can reduce constipation. And if you are pregnant, grains that are fortified folate can prevent neural tube defects during fetal development. The dietary fiber from whole grains may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and could lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Whole grains are also a source of magnesium and selenium which are important for building bones and protecting cells from oxidation.

Tips for getting more whole grains in your diet:

Making half of your grains whole grains should be easy and not a chore. Try these tips!

• Switch a slice of white bread for whole grain bread or make half of your rice with brown rice. It will leave you filling full for longer!
• Try whole wheat flour in your morning pancake or muffin mix.
• Oatmeal is a tasty and quick breakfast, pair it with your favorite fruit! 
• Snack on ready-to-eat whole grain cereals or butter with little salt or butter
• Be a good role-model for your kids, if you eat whole grains they will more likely try them!
• Remember color is not an indicator you must read the ingredients. Look for "whole wheat" should be the first ingredient!

We hope you have learn some new information on MyPlate. If you have any questions on any of the MyPlate series leave us a comment or check out http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for more information!

Megan Mauer, Nutritionist

Get Your Plate in Shape, Round 5 

The next part of the plate supplies a lot of nutritients including: Vitamins B & E, Iron, Zinc and Magnesium. What could it be?

PROTEIN!!

                                           What is a protein?

All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans, peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts and seeds are all considered part of the protein group. Please note that beans and peas are also part of the vegetable group. Starting April 1st on your WIC vouchers you will get a choice of dried or canned beans! You can also have a choice of peanut butter!

How much do I need?

This depends on your age, gender and your activity level.  Click here to find out exactly how much you need. Most Americans actually get enough protein, but need to choose leaner meats. 

What counts as a serving?

In general, one ounce of meat, poultry or fish, 1/4 cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon or 1/2 ounce of nuts counts as one ounce in the protein food group. Click here for more examples.

Why do I need protein?

Eating protein provide nutrients that are important for your health and maintenance for your overall body. Protein functions as building blocks for bones, muscles, skin and blood. As well as building blocks for enzymes, hormones and vitamins. B vitamins are also found in this food group and release energy, playing a vital role in the nervous system. Iron is also found in a lot of protein products. Having the correct iron levels is important because iron carries oxygen in the blood. It is important for all populations to eat heme-iron (meats) and non-heme iron foods with Vitamins C, especially women of child bearing age.

Tips for making smart choices:
Go Lean! Trim away any extra fat from meat and poultry before cooking. Broil, grill, roast or bake your meats instead of frying. Drain off any extra fat that may appear after cooking. Stay away from extra sauces or gravies.

Variety, Variety, Variety! There are so many choices you can make when it comes to protein. Try some fish such as salom or trout. Make beans or soy products the main dish try bean burrito, beans and rice, lentil soup or hummus!

Check the label. We want to limit our sodium intake as much as possible. Be sure to check the sodium on processed meats such as hotdogs. Meats can also be bought lean, when possible select the leaner meats for less saturated fat.

Remember to try a variety of new foods from the protein group each week! Make it fun for the whole family and get your kids involved with picking out the protein at your next meal!  

Megan Mauer, Nutritionist

Changes coming in 2012!



This spring some of the foods you can purchase with your WIC benefits will change. If the following foods are listed on your WIC food instrument, here are some changes you should be aware of:

BABY FOOD: You will be able to buy any brand of baby food that matches the container size listed on your food instrument.

BEANS: You will be able to buy any brand of single ingredient canned (14-16oz.) or dry (16oz.) beans, peas or lentils starting APRIL 1, 2012!

CEREAL: New adult cereal choices will be allowed (12oz.)

CHEESE: Kraft Deli Deluxe Reduced Fat sliced cheese will no longer be allowed.

FROZEN JUICE: New frozen juice brands will be allowed (12oz.)

LIQUID JUICE: New liquid juice brands will be allowed (64oz.). Cranberry juice will no longer be allowed.

SOY MILK: A new container size (32oz.) of 8th Continent Soymilk Original and Vanilla will also be allowed.

WHOLE GRAINS: New whole wheat bread brands, wheat and corn tortilla brands will be allowed.

We will continue to update you on any new foods and when they will become available. If you have questions please contact your local WIC office. In the meantime, keep a lookout for the canned beans option available to you starting APRIL 1, 2012!

In addition, coming this year will be the redesign of the "WIC DESIGNATED" sticker you normally see around the allowable foods you can purchase with your vouchers.

We will let everyone know when to start looking for the "new" stickers. For now, nothing has changed so keep looking for the yellow and red WIC DESIGNATED ("old") sticker.




Finally, in addition to your new Approved Food List you will be receiving, if you have a child that is drinking formula or Pediasure, you will be given a pamphlet detailing what formulas are approved, along with a picture to better show you what you are looking for once you get into the store. Below is a picture similar to what you will recieve.

We will let you know more information about all of these changes once we know! Check back frequently for updates and news!

-Christy Redmond, Nutritionist



Smart Shopping with WIC

Check back frequently for more video tutorials throughout the month of March!

*The Rappahannock WIC Program is only responsible for YouTube videos posted by rahdWIC.  We are not affiliated with any other YouTube videos that may appear next to our videos.