Healthy Tacos - It's Whats for Dinner!

Healthy Crockpot Chicken Tacos (Makes 8 servings):

Photo from Two Healthy Kitchens

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, raw
• 12 oz. salsa 
• 1 can diced green chilies
• 1 medium onion, chopped* 
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 6” whole wheat tortilla wraps*
• 1 c. fat free plain Greek yogurt
• 1 avocado*

*WIC-approved items

Directions:

1. Combine salsa, green chilies, onion, ground cumin, and garlic powder and place in slow cooker with chicken breasts. 
2. When chicken is tender and juices run clear, shred chicken by pulling apart with two forks.
3. Warm 6” whole wheat tortilla wraps in microwave for 15-30 seconds.
4. Fill wrap with ½ cup (4 oz.) shredded chicken mix and top with 2 tablespoons yogurt (a healthy alternative to sour cream!) and avocado.
5. For extra crunch, add lettuce.

Nutrition:
Calories: 240
Total Fat: 6.1 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrate: 15 g
Fiber: 3.3 g
Sodium: 234 mg
Protein: 30 g

Frozen Foods - Check Them Out!

By Jenna Amos, VCUHS Dietetic Intern

Filled with calorie heavy tv dinners and tempting frozen treats, the frozen food aisle is often considered a danger zone for those choosing to eat healthfully. But this section shouldn’t be avoided completely because there are lots of easy and good for you foods here! Frozen fruits and veggies are also WIC eligible!

Photo from Men's Fitness

Benefits of Frozen Foods:

• Long shelf life
•  Lots of vitamins and minerals like fresh foods
• Convenient
•  Easy to prepare
• Can be less expensive than fresh foods

Fruits and Vegetables: Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen within hours of picking and at the peak of their ripeness. The quick freezing of these products does a great job of locking in the nutrients and flavor. Plus, frozen fruits and veggies are a major time saver! They can go from the freezer to the table in minutes with almost no prep . Just make sure to check the ingredient label on these frozen foods and avoid those with added seasonings, sauces and sugar.

Photo from Spoon University

Juice: Frozen juice concentrates are a good alternative to bottled juices. They have all the same vitamins and minerals of juice in a bottle but in a more compact form which can be a big space saver. Choose 100% juice varieties without added sugar. Just make sure to follow the directions to make sure your juice tastes like it should!

Cheese: You may not find cheese in the freezer section but it can be frozen at home. Sometimes cheese can go bad before you use the entire block. If you know that you will not use all of your cheese before it will spoil, try wrapping it in plastic and freezing it until you are ready to use it.

Photo from Andrea Dekker

Next time you make a grocery trip, pick up some frozen staples to have on hand to make healthy choices simple choices even on the busiest of days!