Spring time brings energy to all and we're happy to be along for the ride!  By the middle of March, peas and radishes will be planted, germinating, and showing their shoots of new life above the soil. As new life above ground spreads to new territories, so will Veggiecation. Conferences, conventions, and expos are opportunities to collaborate with others on the front lines in this battle for health, we're all in this together. We'll be absorbing new information and Veggiecating all we can!

Veggiecator Nikki Lettieri spins up some Shamrock Smoothie!

March is National Nutrition Month and we'll be celebrating in a variety of ways! Our first Veggiecation rendezvous was Saturday, March 2nd, at Bryant Park in Manhattan for the Kids Food Festival. Simply a day of fun and health, kids will be participating in all sorts of activities: food scavenger hunts, dancing, cooking, and sampling delicious healthy dishes.

Soon after on March 8th and 9th, we're crossing the border for the New Jersey PTA 2013 Convention! Talking with parents and teachers on their concerns and goals within the communities they live in is essential. Understanding what steps are needed in order to compliment their health efforts is what Veggiecation is all about!

We'll continue moving to new territories throughout the month and are excited to update everyone on our progress! Seeing children, families, and communities understanding and pursuing healthy lifestyles is the perfect reward to celebrate National Nutrition Month! Click here to see all of our upcoming Spring events.

Treat Yourself and the Environment!

Eating seasonally is one of the best ways to do this, you'll find a wealth of information at your local farmers market! This is a wonderful place to take children, it's an adventure for little ones and they'll have unlimited questions as their fascination explodes while immersed in the wonders of the market! Your local farmers will appreciate the enthusiasm and be happy to answer questions that arise. We love the produce section in a grocery store, but there's no comparison for the magic of the market!

Sweet Spring Salad: kale, navel orange, grapes, red bell pepper, squeeze of lemon, and pumpkin seeds.

Citrus season will be winding down as the days heat up, so enjoy them fresh while you can! Grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes will compliment the flavors and health of "in season" dark leafy greens. For those with nut allergens, add a nutritious crunch that provides fiber, protein, and healthy fats with pumpkin seeds!

Getting children to eat vegetables isn't always easy and we often look for new ways to make healthy eating fun for our young ones. At Veggiecation, we promote an interactive approach that involves getting the kids in the kitchen with us as we cook. Now, that's the preparation portion of the meal, but what about actually getting the kids to eat the stuff?

A study by Brian Wansink, a leading nutrition education researcher, has found that kids are more likely to eat veggies when a fun name is involved. Calling peas "power peas" almost doubled the preference in young children. Rather than tricking or hiding vegetables in your children's meal, creating a fun and descriptive name game gets them to let their guard down.

Let's take it a step further! Not only can you and your kids make naming a vegetable dish fun, you also have the chance to rename one of Veggiecation's very own recipes!

The prize for the Best Recipe Name will be: A Veggiecation Tote Bag filled with an Activity Book, Family Recipe Book and set of Informational Veggie Posters.

Recipe of the Month:

Cinnamon Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS

12 large kale leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp sugar

2 ½ tsp of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Wash the Kale leaves and dry well.  Cut each leaf in half lengthwise.  Remove stem and center rib.

Toss kale with oil in large bowl.

Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets.

Combine Cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and sprinkle over Kale leaves.

Bake until crisp, about 25 - 30 minutes.  Check after 25 minutes.  Smaller leaves take less time and should be removed first.  The larger more wrinkled leaves usually need to bake for a few extra minutes to get crisp.

Transfer leaves to rack to cool.

To Enter for your FREE Veggiecation Goodie Bag, complete one of the following or all three:

• Leave your new recipe name on this blog post with the following information: your state, grade and email address (use this format: name AT email DOT com).
• Like the Veggiecation's Facebook page for a second entry. Leave a comment on this blog post saying you did so.
• Share the URL to this contest with others via your Facebook page or email. Leave a comment saying you did so.

Contest Rules:

Only separate comment entries will be counted for extra entries. The contest closes at midnight CST end of every month. The winner will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize by responding to the email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be drawn until prizes are claimed.

       Ever since attending the opening reception for Our Global Kitchen in November, we have been excited to return and participate! Talk about a food atmosphere, my oh my was the energy high as museum guests rekindled their relationship with food. It's impossible not to, when around every corner your senses are engaged as you absorb new information about the history and future of food. By the time guests weaved their way through the exhibition, they were well educated and now ready to be Veggiecated!

 Pictured left, Veggiecation Founder, Lisa Suriano, being sweet, not snappy, as she veggiecates on our Sweet and Snappy Salad!

      Our Working Kitchen, sponsored by Whole Foods, is a functioning kitchen enclosed in glass that invites curious passersby to participate. We were in the veggie zone as we served heath to over 2000 people! Our very own Sweet and Snappy Salad, featuring Celebrity Celery was the recipe for day one. Super Spinach dazzled the crowd in an early Valentine's Day showing in our Sweetheart Smoothie on day two!

       Children, parents, teachers, and museum volunteers walked away with the skills and information needed to create these two fun, affordable, and healthy recipes. Most importantly, they understood why they should enjoy them. This is what we love, giving people the reasons and abilities to have a positive relationship with healthy eating!

Veggiecator Nina Colangelo hanging out with our friend Super Spinach!

Real Nutrients from Real Food!

       Here at Veggiecation, we're all about being real, and what's more real than the health benefits of unprocessed whole foods! Let's take a look at the two veggies utilized at the American Museum of Natural History: celery and spinach.

       The best approach to utilizing the health found in these fresh veggies... is eating them fresh! A more attractive looking plant is a healthier plant and provides you with more flavor, texture, and nutrients than a wilted gloomy veggie. When storing spinach, do not wash, simply place in a plastic bag and refrigerate, eat within 5 days. Celery will last a little longer when stored in the same fashion, but why wait, eat up!

       We all know Popeye loved his spinach, but we believe he was enjoying some celery on the side! Both of these green veggies will keep your immune system strong with their high levels of Vitamin C, while mentally sharp and happy from folate, yes, these are good mood foods! The combination of potassium, manganese, and vitamin K, provides great strength to your muscles and bones. These two veggies also have strong anti-inflammatory properties for a healthy heart and fighting the onset of many common diseases related to inflammation.

       When looking at the health benefits found in these two power veggies, we have to believe Popeye was wise enough to enjoy both, he'd be stronger, happier, and healthier!

Getting children to eat vegetables isn't always easy and we often look for new ways to make healthy eating fun for our young ones. At Veggiecation, we promote an interactive approach that involves getting the kids in the kitchen with us as we cook. Now, that's the preparation portion of the meal, but what about actually getting the kids to eat the stuff?

A study by Brian Wansink, a leading nutrition education researcher, has found that kids are more likely to eat veggies when a fun name is involved. Calling peas "power peas" almost doubled the preference in young children. Rather than tricking or hiding vegetables in your children's meal, creating a fun and descriptive name game gets them to let their guard down.

Let's take it a step further! Not only can you and your kids make naming a vegetable dish fun, you also have the chance to rename one of Veggiecation's very own recipes!

The prize for the Best Recipe Name will be: A Veggiecation Tote Bag filled with an Activity Book, Family Recipe Book and set of Informational Veggie Posters.

Recipe of the Month:

Parsley Lemon Pesto

INGREDIENTS

2 cups packed coarsely-chopped Flat Leaf Parsley

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small clove Garlic, chopped

¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Wash and pat dry the parsley with paper towels. Remove stems and chop leaves coarsely.

Measure by packing the leaves firmly down into the measuring cup.

Place the parsley, oil, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

TIP: Great with pasta, salads, or whole grain crostini

To Enter for your FREE Veggiecation Goodie Bag, complete one of the following or all three:

• Leave your new recipe name on this blog post with the following information: your state, grade and email address (use this format: name AT email DOT com).
• Like the Veggiecation's Facebook page for a second entry. Leave a comment on this blog post saying you did so.
• Share the URL to this contest with others via your Facebook page or email. Leave a comment saying you did so.

Contest Rules:

Only separate comment entries will be counted for extra entries. The contest closes at midnight CST end of every month. The winner will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize by responding to the email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be drawn until prizes are claimed.