“Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right” . . . JCPH Celebrates March as National Nutrition Month

JCPH dietitians and WIC educators (Women, Infants and Children) are celebrating National Nutrition Month by offering healthy recipes for you to “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right” as this year theme encourages. Eating a variety of foods can help keep meals interesting by adding new flavors. Beginning March 17, JCPH Nutrition Services will provide food demonstrations and healthy recipes for their WIC clients in the Jeffco WIC clinics, Arvada, Lakewood and Edgewater. Visit the JCPH nutrition web page or our pinterest recipe board to get recipes for your family! Mix together a little physical activity, and you’ve got the recipe for a healthier Jefferson County!

Jefferson County Nutrition Services provides nutrition education and counseling, the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program and more. For more information or to enroll in the WIC Program, call our Lakewood office at 303-239-7143.

Here is a sample recipe from WIC Registered Dietitian, Kelsey Rivera.

Hummus

Hummus is a Middle Eastern bean dip rich in protein, iron and calcium. It makes a wonderful snack or appetizer. Serve with warm pita bread, crackers or veggies. 

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 15 Minutes

Yield: 2.5 cups

Ingredients: 1 clove garlic 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, half the liquid reserved 4 tablespoons lemon juice or orange juice for a sweeter dip

2 tablespoons tahini* 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, chop the garlic to a fine paste. Add the garbanzo beans and reserved liquid and puree. Add the lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, salt and pepper; blend until creamy and well mixed.

2. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl and serve with crackers, pita breads, or veggies. You can also store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com.

*Tahini is a ground sesame seed paste, similar to peanut butter and rich in calcium. Look for tahini in a glass jar or a can in the ethnic foods aisle of your regular grocery store.

If you cannot find tahini or choose not to use it, you can leave it out of the hummus but will have a slightly different taste and may need to add more olive oil to get a smoother product.