Many students received school meals through the summer. This coming school year, Maryland public schools will embrace a virtual learning model, so school meals will continue to be available for pick-up at designated locations.
If your child/children received school meals through distribution sites last school year and through the summer, you likely received a large amount of food items such as white and chocolate milk in cartons, whole fruit and fruit cups. Many of these food items come with expiration dates, and perishable foods need to be eaten before they go bad. Finding space and proper storage or consuming foods/beverages before they expire, can become a little tricky.
Here are some tips and creative ways to enjoy and store some of the foods you may receive:
White milk cartons – Try freezing white milk before the expiration date comes due. Thaw the milk when ready to use. Or, since the carton is pre-measured, you might find you are able to use milk from frozen cartons (once thawed) in this fun, kid-friendly recipe Ice-Cream in a Bag.
Chocolate milk cartons – Chocolate frozen popsicles can be a real treat and fun for kids to eat. Popsicle molds can often be found at local stores or made using simple containers, like paper cups you may already have at home. Click here for some homemade popsicle making ideas and inspiration.
Bagged baby carrots - Let’s not forget this kid-friendly favorite. Many kids enjoy raw carrot sticks as a healthy snack with ranch dressing or peanut butter. Cooked carrots also make a great side dish with any meal. Bagged carrots can be stored in the refrigerator and then used to make this savory Oven Roasted Vegetables recipe.
Fruit juices – Fruit juice can be poured into ice-cube trays and placed in the freezer. Once frozen, use these colorful, tasty cubes to add flavor to plain water and keep it chilled. Fruit juice can also be made into frozen fruit pops using the same methods above.
Fruit cups – Kids love fruit cups! Pre-cut/diced peaches, pears and applesauce are poplar fruit cups and can be used in a variety of creative ways. One idea is to use ½ cup (4 ounces) of diced peaches from fruit cups to make these scrumptious Peach Muffins with Oatmeal Topping.
Craisins - Craisins are dried cranberries that come in small packages and are a favorite of many kids. Due to their packaging, these snacks have a longer shelf life, so you can place them aside and use at a later time. Try enjoying some craisins in this Apple Cranberry Salad Toss or toss some into a bowl of hot oatmeal for some added flavor and sweetness.
Whole fruit - Whole oranges, apples and bananas are popular among students and commonly found in school lunches.
- Oranges: If you want to change things up, you can squeeze those juicy oranges to make fresh orange juice. Enjoy your juice right away or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Sliced oranges can be added to water to create some fruity fun and flavor.
- Bananas. Bananas ripen quickly so there are a couple of ways to extend their life. You can slice bananas and freeze them for later use like in this Banana Berry Smoothie. If you find your bananas are already ripe and have lots of little brown spots, use them to make Banana Nut Oatmeal.
- Apples. Let’s not forget about those delicious apples. If you don’t get to them right away, store apples in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For an easy and tasty dessert, make cinnamon-baked apples.
Share these creative ideas with your kids, and there is no doubt they will be excited to try new things and help put all of this healthy food to good use.
from Eat Smart, Be Fit Maryland! https://ift.tt/3kS3brq
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