Let's get the kiddies to eat more veggies!  Below are 3 ideas inspired by the folks at More Matters to make vegetables taste better to your kids. 

1.       Cheese, Please!  Add low-fat mozzarella to chopped veggie salads or sprinkle Parmesan cheese on cooked veggies.

2.       Healthy Dipping.   Reinvent the veggie tray -- dip raw veggies (such as broccoli, carrots or celery) into hummus, Tzatziki sauce, French onion dip (swap mayo for Greek yogurt) or make your own spinach dip by mixing frozen spinach, onion, nonfat sour cream and light mayo with a few drops of lemon juice in a blender. 

3.       Grill 'em!  Few can resist the sweet taste of grilled veggies!  Grill zucchini sticks, eggplant discs, and bell peppers just long enough to soften, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano and Parmesan cheese. 

This month's recipe makeover request comes from a client who loves her Chinese take-out.  This great recipe from Eating Well takes out the fat and replaces it with flavor! 

Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

Seasoned with lemon, this quick and easy chicken stir-fry uses a mix of snow peas, carrots, and scallions but feel free to substitute your favorite thinly sliced vegetables (bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli).  Serve with brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat noodles.

4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each 

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 ounces mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots, (1/4 inch thick)
• 2 cups snow peas, stems and strings removed
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white and green parts divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Preparation

• Grate 1 teaspoon lemon zest and set aside. Juice the lemon and whisk 3 tablespoons of the juice with broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with tongs. Add mushrooms and carrots to the pan and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add snow peas, scallion whites, garlic and the reserved lemon zest. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add to the pan; cook, stirring, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and the chicken and any accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Have you met Justin?  If not, let me introduce you!  Justin is the creator of Justin's Nut Butter.  Those of you already in love with his famous squeeze packs in Honey Peanut, Original Peanut, and Honey Almond flavor may not know about his delicious new Natural Maple Almond Butter flavor.  I'm not even going to temp you with the Chocolate Hazelnut, Chocolate Peanut, and Chocolate Almond butter flavors.

These perfectly sized, convenient and portable, 1 and 2-tablespoon squeeze packs are the perfect accompaniment to sliced apples, a couple of crackers, a bowl of oatmeal, or your breakfast smoothie.  Of course, Justin's PB is free of hydrogenated fats, is low in sodium and added sugars.