Produce for Kids Healthy Eating and Fightening Kids Cancer!

I know that I struggle to get my kids to eat their vegetables. I try every which way to sneak the vegetables in, but it is a constant fight in my family. If you are like me, you must check out a new program from Stop & Stop Supermarkets that not only allows children to learn the true gift of eating healthier but also helps in the fight against children’s cancer. Now through May 31, thanks to the annual Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign hosted by Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, LLC and Produce for Kids, shoppers like you can help support local children’s cancer research and get healthy at the same time.

From May 4- May 31, Stop & Shop, with the help of participating produce suppliers, will make a donation to local children’s cancer research programs. The more produce shoppers add to their grocery lists, the more hope they can give to children in the area.

“Families that incorporate fresh produce into their meals eat healthier. That is why Stop & Shop and Produce for Kids are on a mission to improve family nutrition and give families resources to do so,” said Arlene Putterman, Manager of Public and Community Relations for Stop & Shop, NY Metro Division. “In addition, the program helps aid children’s cancer research, ensuring that these kids have the best possible care.”

During the campaign, Stop & Shop will offer shoppers collectible Produce for Kids Ideal Meals- quick and easy healthy meal ideas, which are free and can be found in displays featuring LazyTown characters in the produce department. Ideal Meals offers shoppers chef-created/nutritionist-approved solutions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desert, featuring fresh fruit and vegetables as the main ingredients. Ideal meals are great for busy families who crave fast meal options that don’t require stopping at the local drive-thru.

Produce for Kids is excited to kick off the Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign this year with a new partnership with Sprout TV and their hit program, LazyTown, which educates kids about being active and eating healthy. Sprout, available in over 50 million U.S. homes, is a top network among moms of preschoolers. The popular super-hero-like LazyTown characters, Sportacus and Stephanie are featured on the in-store displays, Kids can join in the fun by visiting the new Kids Only! Section on www.produceforkids.com to partake in healthy eating games and activities, become a Super-Active Super Hero and enter to win awesome prizes!

Here are some great recipes for this Holiday weekend to get your kids to eat better:

Healthy BBQ Recipes

 

Turkey Burgers & Rainbow Salad

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

 

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, (or ⅓ Tbsp. dried) chopped fine
• 1 cup mushrooms, washed/dried, sliced
• ½ medium sweet onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 4 slices, deli style mozzarella cheese (¾ oz. each)
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 4 whole grain burger buns

 

Directions:

 

1. In large bowl, mix breadcrumbs, egg, basil, and salt. Once mixed, add ground turkey and mix well. Make patties about the size of the bun.
2. In frying pan, on medium/high heat add butter, mushrooms and onions and cook about 10 minutes until tender and brown. Turn heat to low and keep warm.
3. Pan-fry or grill, on medium heat, burgers until firm (about 4-5 minutes a side).
4. Assemble bun with burger, cheese, tomato and onion/mushroom mixture.

 

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

 

• 1 apple, cored, sliced
• 4 rainbow peppers, seeded, sliced
• ½ mango, skinned, diced
• ½ fresh lemon, juiced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

 

Directions:

 

1. Thoroughly toss apples, peppers, mango, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl.
2. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Nutrition Information:

 

Turkey Burgers & Rainbow Salad Calories 689; Fat ; Protein ; Carbohydrate ; Fiber 14g; Cholesterol 154mg; Sodium 606mg; Calcium 34%DV; Vitamin A 41%DV; Vitamin C 160%DV; Iron 25%DV

 

 

Garden Vegetable Pasta & Fresh Salad

 

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. uncooked pasta (whole wheat or multi-grain)
• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, washed/dried, chopped
• ½ cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• Salt, as needed

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Cover cookie sheet pan with parchment paper or use a non-stick pan and lay onion pieces and mushrooms on pan. Season very lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside until easy to handle.
3. While vegetables are roasting, cook pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and toss with tsp. olive or vegetable oil and set aside.
4. In large frying pan, melt butter on medium high heat, add roasted onions and mushrooms. Stir for 2 minutes. Turn heat to medium, add spinach and sliced olives and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta, stir and season with salt as needed. Turn off heat and cover if needed to keep warm.

 

 Serves 4

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

 

• 1 bag of packaged salad
• 1 apple, cored, sliced
• 4 Tbsp. red wine vinaigrette

 

Directions:

 

1. In a bowl, add packaged salad and sliced apples.
2. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Nutrition Information:

 

Garden Vegetable Pasta & Fresh Salad Calories 501; Fat ; Protein ; Carbohydrate ; Fiber 6g; Cholesterol 33mg; Sodium 545mg; Calcium 34%DV; Vitamin A 46%DV; Vitamin C 86%DV; Iron 19%DV

 

 

Chocolatey Fruit Tower

 

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

 

• 4 (6-inch) bamboo skewers
• 1 premade pound cake
• 8 strawberries, whole, leaves hulled
• 8 raspberries, whole
• 1 cup pineapple, cored, chunked
• 4 Tbsp. chocolate syrup

 

Directions:

 

1. Cut pound cake into 4 1×3-inch rectangles and 8 1×1-inch squares.
2. Place 1 1×3-inch piece cake on plate, stick skewer in middle.
3. Add strawberry, raspberry, pineapple and 1×1-inch piece of cake to skewer.  Repeat with another strawberry, raspberry, pineapple and 1×1-inch piece of cake.
4. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Nutrition Information:

Chocolatey Fruit Tower Calories 354, Fat 2.5g, Protein 12g, Carbohydrate 52.1g, Fiber 2.4g, Cholesterol 9mg, Sodium 280mg, Calcium 348mg, Vitamin A 529 IU, Vitamin C 44.4mg, Iron 1.4mg.

While this campaign with Stop and Shop ends May 31, Produce for Kids is teaming up with the following supermarkets for the same Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign:

Spring 2012 Campaign Dates

 

•           Stop n Shop, Giant, Giant/Martin’s  May 4 – May 31

•           Homeland: May 30 – June 27

•           Fred Meyer: June 14 – July 26

•           King Soopers: June 20 – July 31

•           Kroger Central: June 21 – July 18

•           Kroger Mid-Atlantic: June 14 – July 26

•           Kroger Mid-South: June 17- July 28

•           Kroger Southwest: June 13 – July 24

•           Meijer: May 27 – June 23

•           Price Choper: June 17 – July 28

•           Publix: May 31 – June 28

•           Smith’s: June 17 – July 14

 

Please help us spread the word about this campaign and not only get kids on the right track to eating heathly but also helping with cancer research! The following companies are also supporting the Get Healthy, Give Hope Campaign and local cancer’s research: Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet Pineapple, DoLE Packaged Salads, Lil Snappers Apples & Pears, Mexican Haas Avocados, Naturipe Fresh Berries, RealSweet Vidalia Onions, Sunset One Sweet Tomatoes, TopLine Seedless Cucumber & Rainbow Peppers, USA Pears.

 

To learn more about Produce for Kids and healthy eating, visit www.produceforkids.com, Produce for Kids on Facebook, Twitter, and on Pinterest. Please also check out Stop & Shop at www.stopandshop.com

 

* I worked on this campaign with Child Play PR and have received a gift card. As always, all my opinions are my own and not swayed by outside sources.