It can be difficult to find a healthy lunch that is easy to make and still delicious. Wraps are a perfect summer lunch that can be made with a variety of ingredients. You can change them up all the time to find what you like. Many wraps include all five food groups. Wraps also are a wallet saver, as most of the ingredients used can be found for a low price. Today, we are going to give you three summer wrap recipes that will keep you satisfied while being delicious. Remember, you can modify these wraps to your liking and add ingredients that you like! Here are a few recipes to get you started, but remember there is an endless variety you can make.

 

Zucchinis are a very versatile summer vegetable. Zucchini can be eaten raw by adding it to salads or by cutting it up and eating it as vegetable sticks. Zucchinis can also be cooked or grilled by itself or with other vegetables. They can even be incorporated in baked goods, such as muffins and breads.

The flower of the zucchini is also edible. The flower of zucchini is often enjoyed by stuffing it with cheese and other mix-ins. Zucchini can also be spiralized to create zoodles (zucchini noodles)! Zoodles are a great replacement for pasta in order to add in more vegetables to your diet. Bonus: it’s lower in calories than pasta!

There are various types of zucchinis; one example is summer squash. Zucchinis contain a lot of vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Additionally, they have no fats, sodium or cholesterol. The largest US producer of Zucchini is Iowa. Zucchinis grow quickly and have a high crop yield.

 

Written by: Kailee Bar-Nadav

Sources:

https://hhs.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/portals/1/userfiles/94/school%20grant%20program/fact%20sheets/zucchini%202015%20.pdf

https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/spiralizing-gives-veggies-a-new-twist/

https://www.eatright.org/recipes/desserts/chocolate-zucchini-cupcakes-recipe

Yogurt can make for a great snack, breakfast, or brunch food! When you eat yogurt, you are eating a food that is rich in protein, calcium, and potassium. Also, a huge benefit of yogurt is that it contains live active bacteria cultures. Cultures are also known as probiotics and are considered “good bacteria” especially for the gut and digestive systems.

There are many benefits to yogurt as it is in the dairy group. Dairy can help build and maintain strong bones and contains other nutrients besides calcium and potassium. However, calcium is important for building bones and teeth, and potassium is important to eat to maintain healthy blood pressure! Yogurt also contains vitamin D which helps the body maintain appropriate levels of calcium and phosphorous.

Not only are there a variety of health benefits to yogurt, but there are also a variety of flavors and styles of yogurt. It is best to choose a low fat or fat-free yogurt and skip the added sugars that are in many flavored yogurts by choosing plain, unflavored yogurt. Greek yogurt is also a great choice because it has double the protein of traditional yogurt. It’s important to note, however, that Greek yogurt does not contain as much calcium as other yogurt.

What if you can’t or choose not to eat dairy?  You can also try plant-based yogurt like fortified soy-based yogurt. Make sure, though, that the yogurt is fortified with calcium and vitamin D when trying a plant-based yogurt.

There are a great number of ways to enjoy yogurt. You can dip fruits like strawberries into it. You can add oats, granola, or natural sugars from fresh fruit to make it sweet. You can also blend it into smoothies to drink it, or even freeze it for frozen yogurt treats.

Here is a fun recipe that involves yogurt:

 

Written By: Kendall Henry

Sources:

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/dairy

https://www.eatright.org/food/food-groups/dairy-and-alternatives/what-to-look-for-in-yogurt

https://www.eatright.org/recipes/desserts/yogurt-parfait-shots-recipe

The next food we will be exploring while we ‘Eat the Alphabet’ is xigua or watermelon! Watermelon is a part of the fruit food group. When looking for watermelon, you should pick it up to look for bruises and cuts. Try to avoid watermelons that have a lot of dents and choose one that is firm! When you turn the watermelon over, there should be a yellow spot from where the watermelon sat in the sun. Watermelon should be stored at room temperature when uncut, but when you decide to dig in, you should refrigerate the cut pieces in a separate container. Additionally, watermelon is a very healthy option. It is fat-free, sodium-free, and a great source of vitamin C. All these qualities are important to creating a well-rounded and healthy diet.

Here is a fun watermelon recipe below!

 

Written By: Allison Herendeen

Sources:

https://fruitsandveggies.org/fruits-and-veggies/watermelon/

https://fruitsandveggies.org/recipes/watermelon-zapper/

Instead of using your regular noodles, try replacing them with some yummy vermicelli noodles! Vermicelli noodles are a very thin, long type of noodles that are made from rice grains. Grains are especially important to include in your diet because grains provide us with many essential nutrients, such as complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, several B vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are vital for the health and functioning of our bodies. Also, people who eat grains regularly have a reduced risk of heart disease. Therefore, grains are essential to our everyday diet. Next time you are cooking your favorite pasta dish, try substituting vermicelli noodles for the pasta you regularly use. Additionally, try adding some vermicelli noodles into other meals, such as spring rolls! Check out the recipe below for a fresh strawberry spring roll paired with vermicelli noodles:

 

Written by: Bella Regna

Source:

https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/everyday-chef-5-unique-ways-strawberries/

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/grains

Up next in our ‘Eat the Alphabet’ journey is ume (plums). Ume is the Japanese word for plum. Plums are a part of the MyPlate fruit food group and are very nutritious. They are fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free, which are all important for a healthy diet. Limiting these things can reduce your risk of disease and help you live a healthier lifestyle.

When looking for plums at the grocery store or market, you should try to look for fresh plums that are plump with smooth skin. Also, try to avoid plums with bruises and soft spots. When storing your plums, you should store them in a paper bag until they are ripe. Once ripe, you can refrigerate them.

Here is a recipe for ‘Plumpkins’!

 

Written By: Allison Herendeen

Sources:

https://fruitsandveggies.org/fruits-and-veggies/plum/

https://fruitsandveggies.org/recipes/plumpkins-pumpkin-and-prune-muffins/

Tortillas are part of the whole grain food group. Whole grains play a key role in our diet. They are an important source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals. Tortillas contain minerals like iron and magnesium. Magnesium is important in building bones and iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Eating foods higher in iron help resist anemia.

Eating tortillas can help reduce the risk of getting heart disease, support healthy digestion, and help with weight management. One way to enjoy tortillas is to cut them into chip-like shapes and heat them up in the oven. Tortilla chips are a healthier alternative to potato chips. They have less fat and calories than fried chips if you bake them.

 

Here is a fun recipe for tortilla pizza that only takes 20 minutes:

 

Written By: Kendall Henry

Sources: https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/12baked-tortilla-chips-have-less-fat-and-calories-than-fried-chips-and-non-fat-refried-beans-and-salsa-are-tasty-and-filling/

https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/grains

https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/t-rex-tortilla-pizza/

As we eat through the alphabet we come to sweet potatoes! It might be surprising but sweet potatoes are classified as vegetables. One large baked sweet potato is equivalent to one cup of vegetables.

Sweet potatoes are a great source for vitamin E and are low fat. Sweet potatoes are also different from white potatoes because they have more vitamins and minerals. They contain a lot of beta-carotene, even more than a carrot, and they are a great source of fiber.

Sweet potatoes can be a great substitute for regular potatoes when making fries, potato salad, roasted, boiled, or mashed potatoes. Flavors that go well with sweet potatoes include orange, pineapple, apple, pecan, brown sugar, nutmeg, maple syrup, or cinnamon.

Sweet potatoes are a great food to incorporate into dishes and to bake with because they provide many health benefits and a fun flavor.

These are five ways to cook sweet potatoes:

• Boiling – peel the sweet potato and cut into chunks. Boil for about 25-30 minutes.
• Roasting – peel the potatoes and cut them into wedges. Toss in olive oil and optional herbs. Roast at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
• Bake – put fork into several places of potato to create holes. Bake on baking sheet for 15 minutes at 400 degrees and then 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
• Microwave – fast and easy. Pierce potato with fork and bake on high for 5-9 minutes.
• Grill – peel sweet potatoes and slice them. Grill for 4 minutes on each side.

Sweet Potato Cornbread Muffins Recipe

Sweet potatoes can make a great addition to cornbread because of being high in vitamins A and C. This recipe would be great to bring to gatherings or eat as a side with dinner.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• .5 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 5 teaspoons salt
• .5 baking soda
• .25 teaspoon ground ginger
• 75 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato (1 large)
• 4 large eggs, beat lightly
• .25 cup butter, melted

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and ginger in a large bowl.
3. Combine buttermilk, sweet potato and eggs, whisk until smooth.
4. Add sweet potato mixture to cornmeal mixture stirring until moistened, then stir in melted butter.
5. Transfer batter to greased muffin pans, fill three-quarters full.
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes and let cool for 5 minutes.

Serving size: 1 muffin

Written by: Kendall Henry

Sources:

https://www.eatright.org/recipes/snacks-and-sides/sweet-potato-cornbread-muffins-recipe

https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/iv-for-010312-allison-yoder/

https://www.myplate.gov/

Our next food in the ‘Eat the Alphabet’ journey is raisins! Although raisins are not everyone’s preference, they are a very nutritious snack. Did you know there is more than one type of raisin? There are a ton of different varieties of raisins including sun-dried, golden, and jumbo. Raisins are free of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Eating foods with limited or no amount of these nutrients is important to having a balanced diet. Additionally, raisins can reduce your risk of high blood pressure! It is important to keep your blood pressure at a normal level in order to prevent your heart from becoming damaged. Raisins should be stored at room temperature in a closed container.

Here are a few ways to enjoy raisins:

 

Written By: Allison Herendeen

Sources:

https://fruitsandveggies.org/fruits-and-veggies/raisins/

https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/top-10-ways-to-enjoy-raisins/

Quince is a tangy tasting fruit, that sort of looks like some other fruits you may know of. At first glance, you might mistake Quince for a lemon, an orange, or even an apple! However, Quince is its own fruit that is fat-free, cholesterol free, sodium free, and high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for our growing bodies. This vitamin helps heal our cuts and wounds and keeps our teeth and gums healthy! So, to keep your body healthy and your wounds all healed, try adding some quince into your diet. Here are the top ten ways you can add this nutrient-packed fruit into your meals:

 

Written by: Bella Regna

Sources: https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/key-nutrients-that-protect/

https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/top-10-ways-to-enjoy-quince/