What am I?Don't make me blush, but I'm very popular. Even if people say they don't like me, I'm in most meals you like. I'm usually bright red, but I can be green, yellow, orange, and even purple. Sometimes even a mixture of those colors in one fruit. Can you guess what I am? Where I grow grow on a vine on the ground. My plant has green leaves and yellow flowers, and I'm usually found hanging from vines. I'm a warm-weather lover, so you'll spot me in abundance during the summer months. I'm technically a fruit because I grow on a flowering plant (even though people often think I'm a vegetable). After I'm pickedPick me from the vine and pop me in your mouth! Or, you can add me to salad, soup, salsa, and sauce... for your pizza. The options are unlimited with me. Did you guess... TomatoEspañol: tomate That's right! There are over 7,500 kinds of tomatoes! If you haven't tried one you like, keep trying different tomatoes or ones cooked in different ways! Learn more about TomatoesTomatoes are used to make some of your favorite dishes! It can be found in almost all parts of the world, but it was first grown in South America. Worldwide there are 7,500 varieties of tomatoes. HOW IT GROWS Tomatoes grow on the ground on a plant with vines. Tomatoes love the heat, but they are picky plants. If they get too much heat or not enough, the plant will die. Tomatoes produce a yellow flower that grows the tomato fruit. If the flower dies, the plant won't grow a tomato. The majority of tomatoes that we eat are processed into sauces and salsa. DID YOU KNOW
HOW TO EAT IT Eat tomatoes fresh, chop it and add to salads, salsa, bread and more! Cook it and add it to soups or make sauces. Or freeze it to cook it later. Get more facts like this on the Snackster Sam app.
Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Get it where you get apps! Spring is in the air! It always arrives a little later than the calendar date in my neck of the woods. We are excited to see critters crawling and flying as trees bud, and life emerges from winter's grasp. What better way to discuss how creatures change than a lesson on caterpillars and butterflies! This lesson is reinforced with a Snackster Sam approved snack! Caterpillars and Watermelon Butterflies are incredibly easy to make (no worries about Pinterest fails) and will get children excited about eating and trying new fruits and vegetables. Things you'll need: Round Toothpicks Watermelon Grapes or Cherry Tomatoes Blueberries or Raisins
Feed your food curiosity! Snackster Sam provides fun and educational content about food that grows. Join the adventure. Download the Snackster Sam app from Google Play or the App Store!
I love sweet potatoes... they are nutritious, affordable, filling, and can spice (or sweeten) any meal. One day, I thought it might be fun to add sweet potatoes to a Mexican dish, and now it's a must-have ingredient! What I love about this meal is it's so versatile. I call it a taco, but you can serve it in a variety of ways!
I find that it makes enough for a couple of meals, and you can change the recipe every time you eat it! You can wrap it into a tortilla, leave it plain on the plate (as shown), add different ingredients, and my personal favorite is to add egg and have it for lunch the next day! Try experimenting with sweet potatoes! What culinary creations will you create? I hope you share! As you may know, I rarely go to the grocery store with a plan. I'm looking for good deals, in-season produce, and inspiration. This week, there was one eggplant left (and on sale), and I just had to do make a meal with it! I grabbed that, along with a few other winter vegetables on sale, and I had a meal plan. I whipped up this very simple pasta, and oh-m-gee was it ever delicious. It's packed with flavor (oh, and nutrients), and it was so good, you forgot it was actually meat-less. Say what?! No complaints from the hubby, because it is still full of meaty-like vegetables that make you feel full (without the guilt). The best part is the kids loved picking out each vegetable and talking about what it was, where it grows, and how it tastes. This is a part of the dinner-table-talk that needs to happen with every family. Discussing how your food grows can fill a conversation and spark so many other interesting learning opportunities (like different states, countries, climates, culture, and so much more)! And it's a conversation that is engaging for a wide range of ages. Ok back to the recipe. There are so many variations to this, but I hope you try new vegetables and give it a try! Easy Vegetable PastaIngredients 1 eggplant, peeled and diced 1 zucchini, diced Fresh diced tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes 1 pint fresh mushrooms (any kind) 1 onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic, minced and chopped 1 can tomato sauce Penne noodles (or your preference or none! Make it your own!) Olive oil Basil Parsley Directions Heat oil in a frying pan. Add diced onions and sauté until translucent (a few minutes). Add mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes. Add diced eggplant and zucchini. Stir frequently and let cook for about 5 minutes or until zucchini starts to soften (it shouldn't be wilted, but you'll notice the seeds start to loosen). Add diced tomatoes, garlic, seasoning, and sauce. Stir and cover pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. While your vegetable mixture is cooking, cook your noodles according to the directions. You do not need to use a noodle, and you could certainly use a spaghetti squash or other vegetable instead. I like to keep my sauce to noodle ratio 3:1. You don't need a lot of noodles... the sauce is the main part of the meal! ;) When noodles are finished, add the noodles to the sauce. And serve! p.s. This is possibly even better the second day! Please share your comments below! Did you try it? Tell us! Danielle S is the mother of two and creator of Snackster Sam. She has been concerned about healthy habits and nutrition for over a decade, and conducted an award-winning scientific study on portion control. She created Snackster Sam to make eating healthy more fun for parents and children. Learn more about the mission here.
In an earlier post, I shared a recipe for Not Your Average Chili. I created that recipe based on ingredients that were on sale and in season at the grocery store, but I didn't have a recipe in mind prior to going to the store. As I stated in that post, "I like to go to the store with little or no plans for meals for the week. I know it's a foreign concept to many of my meal-planning friends, but if I go in with a set plan, I may miss out on discounts, fresh and in-season produce, and new recipe ideas. When I shop, I start in the produce section and base all of my meals for the week on what is on sale and what looks ripe and ready to eat. If my meal plan includes avocados but they are not ready to eat, I would either be forced to use unripe avocados or change my meal plan. Going in with no plans makes shopping more fun and keeps my mind opened to possibilities!" SNACKSTER SAM'S BIG ADVENTURE - ON SALE NOW Later in the week, I had no plans for dinner again . . . but I did have several ingredients that I knew would make a great meal! Watch the video below to see what I created and keep reading to get the recipe: If you go to the grocery store with an open mind, you might find you get more creative in the kitchen, create some fresh and nutritious meals, and save money! I'm sharing the recipe I made, but I listed other ingredients you can add or subtract to it based on what is available, on sale, and in season! One Pan, No Plan DishInstructions: Choose from the vegetables, seasonings, proteins below. Use what you have on hand and don't be afraid to add more and experiment! This recipe is really just to give you an idea of what flavors go well together. VEGETABLES 4 potatoes, diced 1 green pepper (or any color variation), chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/2-1 package fresh mushrooms Handful of kale Handful of fresh spinach 1 cup tomatoes (canned or fresh) 1 can tomato sauce PROTEIN 2 chicken breasts, cooked AND/OR 1 cup red kidney beans SEASON TO YOUR TASTES Rosemary Salt/Pepper Basil Italian Seasoning DIRECTIONS Add oil to saucepan and heat to medium-high. Add hardy vegetables (potatoes, pepper, onion) and seasoning. Cook, stirring often, until potatoes are tender. Add protein of choice. Add tomato sauce and stir until sauce is thoroughly distributed. Add softer vegetables (leafy vegetables, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes). Cook for a few minutes or until leafy vegetables are tender. (If cooking chicken, either do so in another pan or fully cook in the ONE pan and set aside until directions call for you to add the chicken back to the pan. Otherwise, this is a great way to use leftover chicken!) And serve! TIP: Get children involved with prepping the vegetables. Smaller children can wash vegetables and rip up leafy vegetables while older children can open cans and stir the pan. At the dinner table, ask them to identify the different vegetables in the meal. Then discuss where the vegetables grown - is it on the ground or on trees? For older children, go further and find out the geographical location where they grow! Want to learn more about helping kids find the best foods? Get the book: SNACKSTER SAM'S BIG ADVENTURE Did you try this recipe or can't wait to? Have a comment to share? Please do below! Danielle is the mother of two, small business owner, and creator of Snackster Sam. She has been concerned about healthy habits and nutrition for over a decade, and conducted an award-winning scientific study on portion control. Danielle is an author and community activist who is passionate about helping people reach and exceed their personal and professional goals.
Let's face it, the holidays are EXHAUSTING, and maybe one reason we overeat is because we are too tired to make a proper meal. That's how I felt today after coming home from a long holiday. I opened the fridge - empty. My first thought was to just order dinner or go out to eat, but I knew that would just delay the REAL solution, which was to go to the grocery store. So I bundled up, brought my shopping buddy, and ventured to our local grocery store with a couple of ideas in mind for dinner. I like to go to the store with little or no plans for meals for the week. I know it's a foreign concept to many of my meal-planning friends, but if I go in with a set plan, I may miss out on discounts, fresh and in-season produce, and new recipe ideas. When I shop, I start in the produce section and base all of my meals for the week on what is on sale and what looks ripe and ready to eat. If my meal plan includes avocados but they are not ready to eat, I would either be forced to use unripe avocados or change my meal plan. Going in with no plans makes shopping more fun and keeps my mind opened to possibilities! Luckily, there were good sales on produce that I wanted. I picked up some Portobello mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, green and orange peppers, and avocado. With these ingredients, I knew I could make a large meal that would feed my family for two meals - Vegetarian Chili. I grabbed the other ingredients I would need, along with items for other meals for the week, and headed home to get started on dinner. SNACKSTER SAM'S BIG ADVENTURE - ON SALE NOW What I love about chili is it's SO easy. You can add more of the ingredients you like, add as much or little seasoning as you want, and it's a hands off meal. It's really hard to make a mistake. After you chop all the vegetables, you can let the heat do its thing until you're ready to eat. This chili is so simple, I was on the phone throughout the preparation and cook time! I used this Vegetarian Chili Recipe for inspiration. This chili is not your average chili recipe . . . think of it more as a Mexican-influenced chili. With cilantro and avocado, this recipe takes me to the beaches of Mexico. It's packed with vegetables and is meatless, but is not lacking in flavor or protein. If you are wanting to make this but are nervous about the cost of Portobello mushrooms, compare the cost of the mushrooms to the meat you would have used for traditional chili. Or if you can, make this when you can get the ingredients on sale! Not Your Average Chili RecipeINGREDIENTS (You can add or remove ingredients to your liking) 2 tablespoons oil (olive, coconut, or canola) 1 large onion, chopped (red, yellow, or white) 1 bell pepper, chopped (orange, yellow, green, or red) 2 cloves minced garlic 2 zucchini, chopped 1 cup corn kernels (frozen or fresh) 4 portobello mushrooms, washed and cut (I just broke the mushrooms as I was washing) 3 large tomatoes, chopped CANNED GOODS 1 can black beans (you can use chili black beans or plain - drain and wash according to directions on can) 1 can tomato sauce OR 2 cans of canned tomatoes (whole or diced) 1 can vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water SEASON TO YOUR TASTES 1-2 Tbsp chili powder 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp cayenne GARNISH (optional - but good!) Chopped fresh cilantro leaves Avocado Chopped green onions Cooked brown rice (can add to finished chili or serve on the side - or use to make leftovers different!) DIRECTIONS Add oil to a large stock pot and turn heat to medium-high. Add chopped onions and peppers. Stir and let cook for about 3 minutes, or until onion starts to become translucent. Add garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, and corn (if using fresh). Stir and let cook for about 6 minutes. Add seasoning and stir until vegetables are thoroughly coated. Add canned good items and fresh tomatoes. (Add corn if frozen.) Bring chili to boil and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve and garnish as desired. Try it and post in the comments what you think of this recipe! Did you make any adjustments? Have suggestions? Tell us! Danielle is the mother of two, small business owner, and creator of Snackster Sam. She has been concerned about healthy habits and nutrition for over a decade, and conducted an award-winning scientific study on portion control. Danielle is an author and community activist who is passionate about helping people reach and exceed their personal and professional goals.
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