Rainbow Blog

Add Fruits and Vegetables!

posted by: Angela Wright

As a Food Explorer, one thing to focus on (with all those other things you’re to do!) is finding a way to incorporate fruits and/or vegetables into everything you make or prepare. Then you know every time you or your family eats, they are always getting that bit of produce goodness in every bite.What do I mean? Well, can you add spinach or salsa to scrambled eggs? Can you cook grated carrots and onions in with a big batch of brown rice? What about simply adding blueberries or chopped apples to oatmeal or pancakes for breakfast? Each little injection of goodness will add up to a whole whack of nutrition by the end of the day!

It’s great to use the strength of the fruit or veggie in the food instead of trying to hide it. Here’s a great recipe for Banana Macaroons – where the only sweetness comes from the bananas themselves!

Align Nutrition’s Banana Macaroons

Ingredients

3 large ripe bananas

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup coconut oil, melted but cooled

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded and unsweetened

½ tsp cinnamon

Scant ½ tsp Celtic sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup add-ins – raisins, cranberries, dark organic chocolate chips, etc

Directions

Preheat oven to 350oF, racks in the top third. In a large bowl, mash banana well. Add vanilla extract and coconut oil. In another bowl, mix together oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in add-ins of your choice. The dough is a bit looser than standard cookie dough. Drop dollops of the batter, about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

Enjoy as an after school or work snack to tide you over to your veggie-packed dinner! For more great whole-food recipes, visit Align’s Recipe Page.