Summer Meal Plan Series: Back-to-School Bites

Ingredients

• ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup dairy or dairy-free milk of your choice
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, or ¼ cup more milk
• 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey, or your preferred
  sweetener
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds, optional
• ½ teaspoon vanilla, optional
• Pinch of sea salt
• Toppings of choice: such as fruit, nut butter, nuts or seeds

Instructions

1. Add oats, milk, yogurt, maple syrup, chia seeds, vanilla
   and sea salt into a jar or storage container with a lid. Stir
   ingredients together. Place in the fridge at least 2-4 hours or overnight.
2. When ready to eat, remove lid and give oats a big stir. If they seem too thick, you can add a little more milk to loosen the mixture. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

Recipe courtesy eatingbirdfood.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup red onion, slices
• ½ cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• ½ cup green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 12-ounce can stewed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 12 ounces whole-wheat noodles of your choice

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and
   peppers. Cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from
   skillet and set aside.
2. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder. Cook in skillet over
   medium heat until no longer pink in the center, or until
   internal cooking temperature reaches 165°F. Add sauteed
   onion and peppers back to the skillet with the chicken.
3. In a small bowl, stir together tomatoes, cornstarch, oregano and sugar. Add to chicken and vegetable mixture. Reduce heat. Cook, covered, for 25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
4. Serve hot chicken mixture over cooked noodles

Ingredients

• 1½ – 2 pounds beef stew meat (chuck works best)
• 4 cups potatoes, chopped (Yukon gold or russet)
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced (optional)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (or ketchup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water (for
  thickening)

Instructions

1. Add beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion to the slow
   cooker.
2. Pour in beef broth and tomato paste.
3. Sprinkle in salt, pepper, garlic powder and thyme.
4. Stir lightly to combine.
5. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
6. About 30 minutes before serving, mix cornstarch and water.
7. Stir slurry into stew, cover and finish cooking until thickened.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
9. Serve with whole-grain dinner rolls.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, brown ground turkey with pepper, onion and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. As the meat and veggies are cooking, sprinkle the
   seasonings over the meat (chili powder, cumin, garlic
   powder, onion powder, salt and pepper).
3. When the meat is cooked through and the veggies are
   tender, add the pumpkin puree, beans and the tomatoes with their juice to the pot. Add chicken broth.
4. Cover and simmer until ready to eat, approximately 15 minutes.
5. Serve with whole-grain crackers and cheese of choice.