I have a new obsession: my morning bowl of apple-walnut oatmeal. Love it, love it, love it. It is low-sugar, high fiber, and boasts a respectable amount of protein. It is a delicious, winter breakfast that, 1) keeps blood sugar levels stable, and 2) provides oodles of energy for your morning workout. Oh, and this is all “home made,” not out of a box. Here’s the recipe so that you can try it too:

1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain rolled whole grain hot cereal (a mix of whole grain oats, wheat, rye, barley, triticale, and flaxseed). I sometimes add an additional tablespoon of ground flaxseed, just for kicks ;0)

Soymilk (low-fat, plain), but certainly low-fat or fat-free milk would work. I like my oatmeal thick, so I add enough to cover the oatmeal, nuke it in the microwave for about 1 minute, and continue to add soymilk and re-nuke until I get the consistency I like.

1 organic apple, chopped, any variety will do

1-2 tablespoons crushed walnuts

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

The exact calorie count will vary depending on the amount of milk and walnuts you use, but Bob’s Red Mill 5-grain cereal has 120 calories per 1/3 cup serving, 1.5 g of fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg of sodium (yay), 24 g of carbohydrate, of which, 5 g is insoluble fiber and 1 g is soluble fiber; and finally, 5 g of protein.

Every day I pile fruit and veggies onto each of my children’s plates, and every day I ladle them, untouched, into a storage container to be eaten, by me, later. Only one of my four children, in fact, eats fruits and vegetables with any kind of enthusiasm. I’ve read (on numerous occasions) that if you put produce on their plates every day, they will eventually eat it. I’m not buying it. Marin and Addison used to like vegetables, if served cold and with hummus or salad dressing. They even loved salad…for about one month. Now, all bets are of. On a good day, they’ll eat a banana AND sliced apples. It drives me nuts, and naturally, I worry whether they are getting adequate nutrition. But enough about me – I’m writing this because I bumped into a resource that might just “trick” kids into eating their fruits and veggies – by way of charity!

Produce for Kids is an organization that works with both the produce industry and grociers to promote healthy eating for kids. The organization also raises funds and awareness for non-profits (Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and PBS Kids.)

How it works: For every produce item purchased at one of these stores: Public, Meijer, Giant, Price Chopper, Kroger, and ACME, PFK sponsors make a donation to your local Children’s Miracle Network. It’s simple, and a worthwhile cause kids and parents can both sink their teeth into (no pun intended.)

The PFK website also has fun games for kids, resources for parents and teachers, and lots of healthy recipes to test on your picky little eaters.

Hummus

You can purchase store-bought hummus, and it is quite tasty, but it is also very easy to make your own. Kids love veggies dipped in hummus. I like Kashi 7-grain crackers dipped in hummus. It also can replace condiments in most sandwiches.

• 1 can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), drained
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves raw or roasted garlic, crushed or diced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Up to ½ cup water
Combine all of the ingredients except the water in a blender or food processor.
Reserve the water – you’ll need to add it gradually to get a consistency you desire in the hummus.
Pulse or blend the hummus ingredients for several mins until you get e a thick, but fluffy paste. Make sure that the chickpeas and garlic cloves are pureed entirely.
Add the water.
One tablespoon at a time, add the water to the hummus. Blend or process thoroughly after each addition until you’ve added enough water to achieve the consistency you want. The hummus should be very smooth. Serve or store.

Greek Salmon

Fresh, wild-caught Salmon is hard to come by these days, but when you can find it, it is a better choice than the farm-raised variety. Check your local fish market or health food store for better deals than the neighborhood grocery stores.

1 ¼ cups Greek Yogurt (Oikos or similar brand)
3 lbs fresh Salmon (preferably not farm-raised)
20 Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
15 cherry tomatoes, preferably organic, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, stems discarded, divided
6 sprigs fresh oregano for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Line strainer w/ a double layer of paper coffee filters. Set strainer over sink. Place yogurt into strainer and allow water to drain (if you use Greek yogurt, this step probably won’t be necessary)
3. Cover a baking dish with parchment paper. Place salmon onto pan. Set aside.
4. In small bowl, mix olives, tomatoes, dried oregano and garlic. Remove ¼ cup of yogurt and transfer to small bowl. Mix in tablespoon of chopped dill. Spread dilled yogurt in thin layer over salmon. Top with olive/tomato mixture, evenly covering all of salmon. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Stir remaining tablespoon of dill with remaining yogurt.
6. To serve, slice salmon and transfer to plates. Garnish with dollop of dill sauce and fresh oregano sprig.

Makes 6 servings (12 oz per serving)

Crunchy Zucchini Rounds with
Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

This vegetarian appetizer is perfect for summer and is chock-full of nutritious ingredients.

2 zucchini
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
3 oz goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Slice zucchini into ¼ inch thick rounds. Lay out on large platter; season with salt and pepper
2. Place a sun-dried tomato on each slice, then top each tomato with a pinch of goat cheese. Sprinkle top with chopped chives, and drizzle w/ extra-virgin olive oil; serve.

Calories: 86; Fat: 7g (sat: 2g, mono: 4g, poly: 1g); cholesterol: 5mg; protein: 3g; carbohydrate: 4g; sugars: 1g; fiber: 1g; Iron: 1mg; Sodium: 103 mg; calcium: 27 mg