Nutrition
Sarah, Tyler and Xinlin
Current Events
Sarah
Recent observations say that if you have the opportunity to choose, it is better to work out in the afternoon than in the early morning.
Tyler
Research says that poor eating habits in obese children leads to heart problems and disease.
Xinlin
Being active everyday and being sure to get the right amount of exercise is necessary and benefits teens in many ways.
Pintrest Board
Healthy Macaroni and Cheese
http://www.marthastewart.com/343613/healthy-macaroni-and-cheese?center=0&gallery=275604&slide=259213
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup Homemade Chicken Stock
- 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
- 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Olive-oil cooking spray
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add noodles; cook until al dente, according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Lightly coat a 9-inch-square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.
Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Healthy Banana-Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat (2 percent) milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.
With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.
Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.
Nutella Fudge
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/05/21/triple-chocolate-nutella-fudge/
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut butter, melted
- 1/4 cup choc-hazelnut spread (or Nutella)
- 1-2 tsp cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 65g banana (about 1/4 a large banana)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- sweetener if desired
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. (It’s best if the coconut butter is not solid, and if you use a frozen banana be sure to thaw so it doesn’t harden the coconut butter.) After blending, taste to see if you’d like to add any sweetener. Scoop into a container or even a little pie pan, and put in the fridge or freezer so it will firm up. (Alternatively, you can eat it soft, like frosting!) If desired, top with chocolate chips and extra Healthier Nutella (recipe linked above) like I did in the top two photos. This is freezer fudge, so it needs to be kept cold. It makes a small serving, but feel free to double or triple the recipe!