November Recipe: Go Green Saute

Go green with this saute! Dark leafy greens grow all year round in California, but grow best in cold weather. Now is the perfect time to use these greens in your favorite dishes to make your meals healthier for your body.

Examples of greens include:
- Collard greens
- Swiss chard
- Spinach
- Kale

Remember, the greener the leaf, the healthier it is.

After all, green fruits and vegetables help your eyes, bones, and teeth! What other green fruits and vegetables can you think of?

Greens have so many important vitamins and minerals that help our body, including Vitamin A which helps your eyes today (and tonight!), maintains smooth skin, and to fights off cancer!

For this recipe, think like a chef! What else can you add these sauteed greens to?

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Rainbow chard or kale
1/2 pound fresh Spinach
1/2 pound (8 ounces) rainbow pasta twists
2 cloves garlic
1/4 pound queso fresco or parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
Cooked brown rice or pasta


EQUIPMENT:
Colander
Large pot with lid
Large cooking spoon or tongs

Directions:
1. Rinse rainbow chard and spinach in water.
2. Rip leaves into small pieces.
3. Ask an adult to chop garlic into small, tiny pieces.
4. Have adult turn on medium-high heat and heat olive oil. Add garlic and stir.
5. Add the torn leaves to the pot and stir. Lower heat and cover for 2 minutes or until greens turn bright green. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and take off lid.
6. Mix greens with pasta.
7. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon and crumble cheese into pasta.
8. Enjoy!

October Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Salad

This simple black bean and corn salad will build muscles, clean the stomach, and maintain a healthy immune system.

Serve with whole wheat pita bread to get the complete protein that your body needs for strong muscles!

Makes 10 servings at 1/2 cup each.





INGREDIENTS:
1(15-ounce) can low –sodium black beans
1 medium bell pepper
1 fresh tomato
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
1 clove garlic
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1/4 fresh jalapeno
2 limes
1 teaspoon chili powder
5 medium whole wheat pita pockets


EQUIPMENT:
Can opener
1 large bowl
Strainer or colander
Sharp knife (For adult use only)
Cutting board
Butter knife
Small spoon
Large spoon


1. Wash all produce and rinse beans in strainer. Put into large bowl.
2. Have an adult cut tomatoes into wedges, then cut in small pieces.
3. Have an adult cut pepper in half. Take out all of the seeds! Adult will cut the bell pepper into strips. Cut in small pieces.
4. Rip the leaves off of cilantro into small pieces. Add to bowl.
5. Ask adult to finely chop onion and deseed jalapeno and chop.
6. Have an adult cut lime in wedges. Squeeze over mixture.
7. Mix all other ingredients together.
8. Cut pita in half. Spoon salad on top of or scoop into pita. Enjoy!

October Recipe: Latin American Mixed Vegetables

Latin American Mixed Vegetables

This recipe uses butternut squash, an ingredient native to Latin America. Not only will you get a healthy dose of fiber from the squash to clean your digestive system, you will also get Vitamin C from the other ingredients.

Makes 8 Servings at 1 cup each


INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. package of frozen butternut squash
2 can of black beans
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 zucchini
1 green pepper
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: jalapeno, deseeded and minced


Equipment:
Large bowl
Frying pan
Cutting board
Knife (use with adult supervision)


Directions:

Prep:
1. With an adult's help, carefully cut the onion into smaller pieces.
2. Finely mince the garlic.
3. Cut the zucchini, tomato, and bell pepper into smaller pieces. Keep separated.
4. Rip the cilantro leaves into smaller pieces.

Cooking:
1. Heat oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Add squash and zucchini. Sauté until crisp-tender
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer until hot. Serve warm.

What can you eat this recipe with?

October Harvest of the Month: Winter Squash

October is time for harvest, and one harvest that makes October special is the Winter Squash. You may be wondering, "Winter squash? But it's not even Winter yet!", and yes, it is only Autumn, but please believe that this hard-shelled fruit is ready to help your body this season!



Many people think of pumpkins during this month. Did you know that the pumpkin is a variety of the Winter Squash? Other varieties include:
- spaghetti
- banana
- acorn
- turban
- butternut
- buttercup
- hubbard

These varieties of Winter Squash all come in different colors, from deep orange to tan to green! This means that squash can help our bodies in different ways.

ORANGE fruits and vegetables help keep eyes healthy.

TAN fruits and vegetables help keep the heart healthy.

GREEN fruits and vegetables help bones and teeth strong.

On top of all that, Winter Squash contains:

- Vitamin A to help our eyes today

- Fiber to scrub our stomachs and digestive system clean

- Vitamin C to keep us healthy and give us immunity from sickness

You can even buy butternut squash already cut and cooked in the frozen section!

Whether you put it in a soup or a saute, Winter Squash will give you the nutrients you need to keep healthy as the weather changes. Check back for delicious and easy recipes using this harvest of the month!

Source: Harvest of the Month

Harvest of the Month: Tomatoes

Welcome back to school!

Now is the perfect time to cook with tomatoes! If you have a garden, you might have tomatoes ripe and ready to harvest now. If you don't have a garden, take a trip to the local farmer's market or the grocery store to get a taste of this delicious fruit!














Fresh tomatoes from the Schafer Park School Garden.

Tomatoes are high in Vitamin C to protect our bodies from getting sick. Vitamin C also prevents bruises and is great for your skin and your heart!

Did you know.....that the tomato is a FRUIT? Tomatoes have seeds inside, making it a fruit. What other fruits do you know with seeds inside?

If you have cooking in the classroom at your school, you might have tasted this recipe that uses fresh tomatoes and other healthy fruits:

SALSA FRESCA
(Makes about 10 1/2 cup servings)

INGREDIENTS:
6 medium tomatoes
2 bell peppers (red, yellow)
1/2 small red onion
1/2 bunch of cilantro
2 limes
1 clove garlic
1 bunch green onion
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt and pepper to taste

Using fresh ingredients is best!

EQUIPMENT:
Large bowl
Big spoon
Knife
Cutting board

Remember to have adult supervision when using a knife. Always "Claw and Saw".

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut tomatoes into small squares and add to bowl.
2. Take the seeds out of bell peppers and cut into small squares. Add to bowl.
3. Cut red onion into small squares. Add to bowl.
4. Pluck cilantro leaves from stem and rip into small pieces. Place in the bowl.
5. Squeeze limes over the bowl. Squeeze all the juice out.
6. Mince garlic and add to the bowl.
7. Have an adult cut the jalapeno and take out the seeds and add to the bowl.
8. Add salt & pepper to taste.
9. Stir, mix, and serve!

This salsa can be served with many different foods:
- tortilla chips
- tacos
- burritos
- baked fish
- steak
- rice
- pasta
- salad
- and more!

ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA
Serves 8 (4 crackers with 1 Tbsp each)
It's kind of like pizza-flavored salsa. Made with fresh tomatoes and basil, bruschetta is a popular summer Italian appetizer. Try it atop of flatbread or pizza or use it like salsa on tacos or quesadillas. Right now, tomatoes are at the peak of their season in Hayward, and the school gardens are bursting with all sorts of varieties and colors.

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh basil
1/2 small onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh pepper to taste
32 crackers, flatbread, or melba toasts

Optional: splash of balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash produce.
2. Peel and chop onions.
3. Peel and finely mince garlic cloves.
4. Finely chop tomatoes.
5. Rip basil into small pieces.
6. Sauté onions and garlic with 1 Tablespoon olive oil.
7. Mix tomatoes, basil, cooked onions and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.
8. Spoon tomato mixture onto cracker or flatbread and serve.

Adapted from Harvest of the Month

The Next Generation of Farmers

Did you know that Tennyson High School has a farm?

During the school year, under the direction of Miss Molly, farm interns help maintain the one-acre area, planting, digging, composting, and harvesting a few days a week. Interns have planted fruit trees, various seasonal fruits and vegetables, and even a native plants garden. Thanks to the farm interns, this patch of land has transformed from an empty grassy field to a place alive with beauty!

For the end of the school year, Miss Molly planned a field trip to Santa Cruz to visit two very inspirational farms. Interns had a closer look at life in agriculture...check out the photos!

After a beautiful drive down the coastline, the first stop was the Homeless Garden Project. At this farm, homeless are hired to help with farm work, giving them an opportunity to earn some money, receive job training, and have a friendly place to work and eat.


This farm had ducks roaming the grounds. Ducks are a great, natural way to keep the insects off of the crops.
Lavender is a light purple fragrant flower that can help relax anyone who smells it.

Most of the workers were harvesting lavender. Much of the lavender is dried and used for resale either in bunches or in wreaths. The interns had a chance to help harvest and they even got to take some home!


Can you guess what fruit this is?

Strawberries!! This fruit is full of Vitamin C to keep you from getting sick. These strawberries are ORGANIC, meaning that there were no harsh chemicals or pesticides used.

Farming together can build healthy bodies and healthy friendships.

Interns visiting the greenhouse, where many plants start their journey.

Frogs are kept in the greenhouse as a natural way to get rid of bugs!

After the Homeless Garden Project, interns had a healthy picnic at Natural Bridges State Beach.

Next stop: Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz.
This is where Miss Molly learned most of her farming techniques. To be an intern at this farm, one must be committed to the farm for 6 months.

Miss Leah, who used to work for HNLCP, now is a farm intern. Here she shows the interns the CSA box.

CSA stands for:
Community Supported Agriculture

Since the farm harvests so many fruits and vegetables, locals in Santa Cruz can sign up and pay for a CSA box which they can pick up every week! This means that the participants are getting fresh, local, seasonal, and organic produce and they know where it comes from!

This is what was in the CSA box at that time. What could you make with those ingredients?

A few interns looking at the big field.

It wouldn't be a farm field trip without getting a little work done. Here students are plating Quinoa, a protein-packed plant that has edible seeds. Protein helps builds strong muscles! The seeds can be cooked just like rice.

These students are planting amaranth, another plant with edible seeds. You can even cook amaranth leaves!

A fresh burgundy amaranth plant in the ground.

Do you want to learn more about farming? The center is opened daily from 8-6PM, so if you happen to be in Santa Cruz, stop by for a visit!

Remember, you don't need a huge plot of land to grow your own vegetables. All you need is a few small containers, seeds, soil, water, and most important....patience!

A Soda Free Summer

As the weather gets warmer, keep your body cool with plenty of liquids.
An ice-cold tall glass of water will always do the job to keep you feeling refreshed.
But if you feel the need for something cold and sweet, don't pick up a can of soda...
because this summer is a SODA FREE SUMMER!



Are you up for the challenge?

Visit the Soda Free Summer website. There you can find healthier drinks to keep your body cool and some sugar facts that will make you rethink your drink.

Did you know that one 20 oz. bottle of Coca-Cola has 16 teaspoons of sugar in it? Try to measure that one out!

Drinking too much sugar in soda can:
- make you feel quickly energized until your body "crashes"
- cause weight gain
- ruin your teeth
- even cause diabetes!

Stay healthy by drinking:
- WATER!
- low-fat milk
- soy milk
- 100% fruit juice (juice has plenty of sugar too, so don't drink too much!)
- fresh fruit smoothies
- and more!

Keeping your body healthy isn't the only reason to stay away from soda this summer. If you commit to a soda free summer, you could win a $500 healthy grocery shopping spree! Click here to fill out the commitment and raffle form. Think about all the fruits and vegetables you could get! Good luck!

What's Cooking at the Farmer's Market

Farmer Eleazar with farm-fresh strawberries.

Farmer's markets are the best places to find the tastiest seasonal produce growing right now in California. When you shop at the farmer's market, you are not only buying the freshest and most nutritious produce around, but you are directly supporting local farmers!

Longwood, Burbank, and Park schools are lucky enough to have a certified farmer's market on campus, making it easy for students, families, and even teachers to buy fresh, organic produce.

Chef Eva and Chef Shira made the following quick and easy recipe with produce all from the farmer’s market at Longwood Elementary School! Click on the link below for the recipe.

Summer Swiss Chard Rolls

Look at these photos from the Burbank farmer's market:

Chard...as colorful as a rainbow!

We got the beet!

What can you cook with this produce?

Check out the farmer's market closest to you:

Hayward Farmer's Markets

Downtown Hayward Market
Saturdays 9AM - 1PM
Main Street, between A and B Streets

Kaiser Farmer's Market
Wednesdays 10AM - 2PM
27400 Hesperian Blvd.

Park Elementary School (beginning mid-July - August)
Tuesdays 1-4 PM
411 Larchmont Street

Longwood Elementary School (during school year)
Tuesdays 1-4 PM
850 Longwood Avenue

Burbank Elementary School (during school year)
Tuesdays 1-4 PM
353 B Street

Burbank Smoothies

To celebrate warmer weather, healthy bodies, and the end of the school year, students from Burbank made Tootie-Fruitie Smoothies in cooking class. While the smoothies were blending up, cooking teams worked together to come up with their own smoothie recipes, complete with creative smoothie names. There were many interesting, healthy ingredients, including grapes, watermelon, carrot, and cantaloupe.

If Burbank school had a smoothie shop, here's what the menu would look like:

My Fruitie Smoothie
Coodee
Strawberry Blast
Tennyson Smoothie
Fruit Passion
Blueberry Blast
Universe Smoothie
Super Fruit Splash
Groovy Smoothie
Pink Fruitie Smoothie
Tropical Smoothie
Pink Skittle
Super Super Crazy Smoothies

Do any of these smoothies sound yummy to you? Can you guess what ingredients are in each recipe?

Did your cooking team come up with one of these recipes?

International Night at Schafer Park

On Wednesday, May 7, Schafer Park Elementary held an International Night to celebrate diversity. Students performed multicultural dances (teachers danced to High School Musical too!), and families brought desserts from all over the globe. This event was the perfect opportunity for HNLCP to show that desserts can be healthy too!

Chef Shira, Shafer Park's nutrition education cooking teacher, and Chef Tiffany, cooking teacher from Burbank, set up a table full of cookbooks, aprons, and desserts, of course!

With the help of Chef Yadira, cooking teacher at Treeview & Bidwell, Chef Shira made Aguas Frescas from watermelon and strawberries. Agua fresca is a refreshing drink made from fresh fruits. It is commonly found in Mexico, but other Latin American and Caribbean countries make aguas frescas too. This version was packed with Vitamin C to fight colds and heal cuts and bruises.

Watermelon and strawberries can keep you healthy with Vitamin C!

Chef Tiffany made a dessert called "bibingka", which is a sweet, sticky rice cake made with coconut milk and brown sugar, topped off with slices of fresh mango. By eating mango, you can get a healthy dose of Vitamin A to help your eyes! She served it on banana leaves to make a tropical presentation. This version came from the Philippines, but sticky rice and mango can be found all throughout Southeast Asia in countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

Mangoes contain Vitamin A to help your eyes!

One family brought other varieties of aguas frescas, horchata and jamaica.

It was great to see fresh fruit on the dessert table. Watermelon makes a wonderful dessert!

Always remember, fresh fruits contain natural sugars that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Fruits are perfect for breakfast, snack, and of course, DESSERT!

Cheers from HNLCP!

Tootie- Fruitie Smoothies

Drinking a cool smoothie on a hot day is a wonderful treat! Smoothies are also great for an energizing breakfast, or even a sweet dessert.

Click here for a fast and easy smoothie recipe:
Tootie Fruitie Smoothies

It's May which means strawberry season!

May's Harvest of the Month is strawberries!
Strawberries are in season right now abounding at farmer's markets and ripening in our school gardens.

What's so great about STRAWBERRIES??
(Aside from the fact that they taste DELICIOUS!)

Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C. Vitamin C helps keep you from getting sick, prevents bruises, is great for your skin and your heart. A strawberry even looks like a heart! What do you know!

Strawberries are the only fruit to have its seeds on the outside of the fruit (rather than the inside).

Most of the strawberries grown in the United States are grown right here in California!

Have a Berry Nice Day!!

WHAT CAN YOU MAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES?
Strawberry salad, strawberry pie,
Strawberry jam on wheat, sourdough or rye.
Strawberries with yogurt taste like a dream,
So sweet and refreshing just like ice cream,
Throw 'em in smoothies, to make a healthy shake,
Or in your batter for a sweet pancake,
Strawberries on your cereal add quite a zing,
Strawberries in your oatmeal will make your taste buds sing,
Strawberries for breakfast, strawberries for lunch,
Strawberries for dinner or even just to munch!
There is no end to what you can create
When strawberries are what is on your plate!
Poem by Chef Shira

Pizza...with FRUIT on it!

One of the recipes for April is the Fancy Fruit Pizza. This is one of the more popular recipes....
with fresh banana, strawberries, and apples....no wonder it's a hit!

Check out the recipes below:
Fancy Fruit Pizza
Fancy Fruit Pizza (Spanish)

If you made a fruit pizza at home, what changes did you make?
Don't forget....any leftover fruit can be tossed together for a quick and easy fruit salad!

You can even make a fruit pizza station at your next party, where friends can build their own pizza just the way they like it.

Number Wraps

Number Wraps....Number Wraps....

How do you make a number wrap?

Check out the recipe here:

NUMBER WRAP RECIPE (English)

NUMBER WRAP RECIPE (Spanish)

Peas Out Ruus!

Ruus School....

Peas out everyone!

Please continue to make healthy choices over the break and for the rest of the school year (and forever, of course).

Did you get a bag of peas?

Some ideas for recipes:

Orange Glazed Vegetables
Lettuce Wraps
Garden Salad
Stir-Fry (Pancit)
or....just eat them fresh!

What did you do with your peas?

Please let everyone know how you ate the peas.

Peas out!

- Miss Tiffany

Spring Changes: Cooking Classes are moving!

Hello Healthy Hayward!

Spring is here and that means time for change!!

Your nutrition education cooking teachers are leaving their Winter schools to come to these schools for Spring:

Burbank
Markham
Treeview
Bidwell
Schafer Park

February Recipes

Did you like the recipe we made in the classroom?
Do you want to cook it at home?

Here are the recipes for February:
Super Green Pesto Pasta
Broccoli Salad

What's Cooking in Hayward?

Check out these schools where nutrition education cooking classes are going on right now:

Ruus Elementary
Park Elementary
Cherryland Elementary
Bowman Elementary