Greek Dinner Night
Okay, so here are my goals: to make healthier food choices for my family, to expose my kids to a wide variety of foods and to limit the amount of food prep I make for a single meal (meaning I am tired of being a short order cook!) Last night I made a Greek themed dinner using pretty much the same ingredients served differently.
Kid’s Meal
- orzo
- baked chicken
- lemon & spinach hummus
- pita chips
- cucumber slices
- feta cheese
- kalamata olives
- yogurt- as a last ditch effort for my daughter- the pickiest eater of them all!
Orzo. Why had I never thought of serving orzo before? My kids love rice and love noodles even more. A noodle that looks like rice? They loved it!!
I actually made the hummus at home but obviously you can get the protein and fiber rich benefits from the store bought hummus. I sneakily asked my 3 year old to help me in the kitchen and put her on chickpea peeling duty. Little did she know, I just exposed her to a vegetable. She’s not eating it but she’s not afraid to touch it either.
Did you know that some kids need exposed to a vegetable over 200 times before willingly trying it?? They may not eat everything on their plate, but each time you serve that broccoli, they are becoming more comfortable with it. Also, explaining what a food is, where it comes from and what it does for their body helps kids become more accepting of a food. We just started the rainbow benefit program. For example, did you know that red fruits and vegetables are good for your heart? They’ll help you run super fast! (My kids are really into superheroes.) Purple foods are good for your brain. They will make you super smart. So, here are some Nerdy Facts about our Greek meal.
Nerdy Facts
- Hummus is made all over the world especially in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries.
- Chickpeas are packed with protein, fiber and vitamins as well as iron, magnesium, zinc and potassium. All things that are healthy for your body. Protein makes your muscles strong!!
- Kalamata olives are a purple fruit that have to be hand picked. They are considered one of the healthiest foods on earth, full of healthy fats and packed with antioxidants.
- Feta is a cheese made from sheep. It is full of probiotics and calcium which makes your bones strong.
Adult’s Meal
- Greek chicken wraps with a side of orzo.
Greek Chicken Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/2 cup hummus
- 1 english cucumber, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 whole wheat flour tortillas
Instructions
- Put chicken in a pan and cover with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, lemon pepper and oregano. Cover and marinate for 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
- Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155. Pull and let rest for 8 minutes, then slice.
- Meanwhile, stir together the olives, cucumber, onion and feta. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix.
- Heat tortillas in a pan over low to medium heat. Spread hummus on each one. Fill with grilled chicken slices and greek salad mixture. Eat with joy!
Nerdy Tip
- make a few extra chicken breasts and use them for lunches or dinner the next day.
