Culinary.net : Online Features - Take a Healthy Bite Out of Summer

Take a Healthy Bite
Out of Summer

Cornmeal Chicken Muffinwiches
Oatmeal Carrot Bar Cookies

(Family Features) - School's out! And the kids' summer schedules are keeping you busier than ever. So whether you're packing lunchboxes for day camp or baskets for a family picnic, you want something easy to make, safe to transport and healthy for your kids. Sound impossible? Not if you follow advice from the American Heart Association.

Nutritionists say it can be easy for school-aged kids to learn healthy eating habits. In fact, studies show that healthy habits established early in life tend to remain with people well into their adult years. The American Heart Association recommends parents lead by example. Why not take time this summer to establish smart lifestyle habits your kids will have for life?

First, be active with your family. Go for walks. Enjoy a bike ride. Toss a ball during a backyard picnic. Not only will you share extra play time with the kids, physical activity is a fun way to burn extra calories, stay fit and maintain a healthy heart!

Second, pack your and your children's lunches with nutritious low- fat, low-cholesterol foods like:

Low- or non-fat dairy products such as skim milk and low-fat string cheese (kept cold with freeze-packs or ice in a plastic bag).
Sandwiches made from whole grain breads and extra lean meats or fish.
Low-fat condiments such as mustard rather than mayonnaise.
Fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples and oranges, carrots and celery.
Baked pretzels, baked tortillas chips and salsa, and low-fat yogurts for tasty snacks.

Third, look for the American Heart Association's heart-check mark while grocery shopping. The distinctive red heart with a white check mark on food labels was created by the association's Food Certification Program to help you quickly and reliably find healthy foods that can be part of a sensible eating plan. Food packages bearing the simple logo have been evaluated to ensure they meet the American Heart Association's criteria for heart-healthy levels of saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over age 2.

For even more convenience, use the association's online Grocery List builder to create, print and take your heart-healthy shopping list with you to the store. The Web site features a complete list of certified foods. (Your kids might enjoy building their own special list!) Log on to heartcheckmark.org. It's a great way to shop smart — and fast!

To learn more about reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke through good nutrition, visit the American Heart Association Web site at americanheart.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 for your free copy of the "Shop Smart with Heart" brochure.

Shop smart. Live well.
Look for the heart-check mark.
All products bearing the red heart with a white check mark meet the American Heart Association's nutrition criteria per standard serving:

Low fat (less than or equal to 3 grams)
Low saturated fat (less than or equal to 1 gram)
Low cholesterol (less than or equal to 20 milligrams)
Moderate in sodium (less than or equal to 480 milligrams for individual foods)
Nutritious (containing at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber)
For meats to be eligible for the heart-check mark, they must meet the USDA standard for extra lean.

Cornmeal Chicken Muffinwiches
This handy sandwich in a muffin can be made in advance and stored in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer for up to two months. Simply pop a frozen muffinwich into a lunch bag in the morning and it will be thawed, ready to eat by noon.
Makes 6 muffins

1 (8 1/2-ounce) package corn muffin mix
Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg or 2 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken (cooked without skin)
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
Vegetable oil spray (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions, but use egg substitute or egg whites for eggs and skim milk for milk.

Fold chicken, green onions and sage into batter.

Spray 6 muffin cups with vegetable oil or line with paper baking cups. Spoon batter into cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool. Serve warm or chilled.

Reprinted with permission from The American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook. Copyright © 1995 by the American Heart Association. Published by Times Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Available from booksellers everywhere.

Oatmeal Carrot Bar Cookies
Making this tasty treat can be a fun activity to do with your kids.
Makes 24 cookies

Vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons acceptable stick margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
Egg substitute equivalent to 1 egg or 1 large egg
1 1/4 cups grated carrots
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.

Put raisins in small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream margarine and brown sugar until fluffy. Add applesauce and egg substitute. Beat well.

Stir in carrots, cinnamon, lemon zest, vanilla, nutmeg and raisins.

In medium bowl, stir together flour, oatmeal and baking powder. Stir into margarine mixture. Pour into baking pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Let pan cool on cooling rack.

To serve, sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar and cut into bars.

Reprinted with permission from The New American Heart Association Cookbook (7th ed.). Copyright © 2004 by the American Heart Association. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. Available from booksellers everywhere.

SOURCE: American Heart Association