My name is Rebecca Holmes, and I will be the class manager for the Operation Frontline class at Loaves and Fishes this winter. As an NCSU Nutrition Science student I have become more involved with community nutrition and health programming. I am excited about this chance to get involved, and to have the opportunity to fulfill a graduation requirement at IFFS. The youth who participate in the Power of Eating Right will learn the basics about the food pyramid, and get to help prepare fun recipes that correspond to the lesson of each week. The first week the youth were introduced to each group of the food pyramid, then made a Tex-Mex Skillet that included each food group. The children were just as excited, as I was to be involved in the class. It was really refreshing to have such a smooth running first class. Megan, our nutrition instructor, gave the youth an excellent first lesson. She outlined each food group of mypyramid, and the children jumped in to provide the benefits of eating a variety of different foods. They already knew that we get protein and iron from eating meats and beans, and that we get calcium from drinking milk. After the lesson, and a short game to emphasize the importance of exercise, it was time to cook! Our chef, Susan, was excellent with the children. They were involved the full time: from cutting, to cooking, cleaning, and then of course eating. I didn’t see anyone standing around for more than a minute before they were thrown back in to the food making frenzy. Matt from the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle helped the children make guacamole, and they all seemed a little apprehensive about eating it. Later, while I was still in the kitchen I heard one of the children say, “I want some more of that green stuff, you know the guacamole”. I thought that was great because I remember refusing to try guacamole as a child. At the beginning of the lesson, Matt asked the children to take a “courtesy bite” of each recipe that we prepare. Dana from Loaves and Fishes also gave them a little pep talk about how important it is to try different foods. While the youth were eating Dana from Loaves and Fishes rejoined the group to see how the lesson went. I heard one of the youth tell her that she had to at least have one “courtesy bite” of the food they had prepared. Below is the recipe we used in class for you to try at home.
Stay tuned for next weeks update from the Loaves and Fishes Power of Eating Right OFL team.
Tex-Mex Skillet
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of lean ground turkey
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cans of corn
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 jar of salsa
- ½ cup water
- 4 teaspoons of taco seasoning
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 6-inch flour tortillas
Extras we added: shredded lettuce, low-fat sour cream, and jalapeno
Directions-
- Brown Meat, once fully cooked drain liquid.
- Add Garlic and mix.
- Add beans and Corn, mix.
- Add Water and Seasoning and let simmer for 5min.
- Add salsa, mix.
- Serve in tortillas and top with cheese and additional toppings, or Add cheese and serve with chips.
Chefs Tips:
Chef Susan taught how to cut tomatoes properly in sections, smash garlic with the knife before you mince it, and something new to me was to slam the bottom of the head of lettuce so its easier to get the stalk out.