(ARA) – Summertime brings out the best in family meals — fresh vegetables and fruit, fresh-air dining and a fresh opportunity for parents to maintain their commitment to feeding their kids well.

According to a recent study by Ohio State University and published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, of children ages 2 to 5, less than 22 percent meet recommendations for their daily vegetable intake and for children ages 6 to 11, it’s less than 16 percent.

“With a little creative know-how, it’s easy to create summer meals that are full of veggies, value, variety and versatility,” says Sylvia Klinger, a registered dietitian, mother of two and member of the Ragu nutrition advisory panel.

Klinger offers some tips for adding more of the good stuff to your kids’ diets this summer.

* Eat out … side: Spend less time in the kitchen with quick and easy recipes like Chicken Margherita. Once the meal is ready to go, dine together on the patio, or spread a picnic blanket on your lawn for a special summer celebration.

* Nurture natural nutrition: Use the summer break to teach your kids about satisfying and nutritious meals. Bring them along to the farmers market, or take a special trip to a local farm. Let them select from among the fresh, brightly colored vegetables, then decide as family how to prepare them.

“One of the easiest ways to incorporate veggies into children’s diets is to use a great tasting tomato sauce like Ragu Old World Style pasta sauce, which provides more than a full serving of vegetables in every half-cup of sauce,” says Klinger. “It also contains vitamins A and C, anti-oxidants and lycopene. Add even more vegetables by combining with your farm-fresh suggestions for a delicious veggie pizza.”

* Skip the sweets, but delight in dessert: Keeping dinner healthy doesn’t have to mean sacrificing dessert. Take advantage of the abundance of fruits in the summer to make dessert as healthy as the main course. Slice up a juicy watermelon or freeze fruit juice in a cup with fresh fruit for your own homemade ice pops.

* Switch up summer snacking: Being out of school means kids have more free time to snack. While eating frequent, small meals is a good idea, it’s important to keep kids focused on the good stuff. Get in the habit of switching from junk food to healthy bites by preparing good-for-you snacks in advance.

For nutritious meal inspiration and delicious recipes visit www.Ragu.com.

Try these kid-friendly recipes the whole family is sure to love:

Chicken Margherita

Makes four servings. Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups Ragu Old World Style Margherita Smooth Pasta Sauce
4 slices fresh or packaged mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Season chicken, if desired, with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown chicken, turning once, about 5 minutes. Add sauce and simmer covered 5 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Top chicken with cheese, then let stand until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Garnish with basil. Serve, if desired, with hot cooked penne pasta topped with additional sauce, heated.

Meatball Hero Sandwiches

Makes four servings. Prep Time: 10 minutes. Cook Time: 25 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 pound. lean ground beef
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1 jar (1 pound,10 ounces.) Ragu Old World Style Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
4 Italian rolls (about 6 inches long each), halved lengthwise
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Directions:

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs and egg in medium bowl; shape into 12 meatballs. Bring Pasta Sauce to a boil in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Gently stir in uncooked meatballs. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until meatballs are done. Serve meatballs and sauce in rolls, topped with cheese.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Ever since I started drinking (and loving) virgin mojitos about a year ago, my husband and I have been on the quest to perfect our virgin mojito-making skills at home.

We tried them with sugar. We tried simple syrup. With mint and without. Real limes and RealLime.

Some have been too fizzy, some too sweet, some too strong, and some, well, some so terrible that they were immediately poured down the drain.

We tried almost every recipe we came across, too, and nothing seemed to replicate the delicious virgin mojito of my dreams.

Until now, that is. (And we owe our friends Paul & Beverly dearly for teaching is how to make the perfect virgin mojito at home!)

Without further ado, here’s the recipe for DIY Virgin Mojitos–get your blender ready!

Ingredients:
Water
Ice
Mint
Limes
Baker’s Sugar (very fine sugar)
Club Soda

Directions:

Blend one cup of baker’s sugar, two cups of water and two limes cut into quarters (skin and all) on high for about 30 seconds.

Strain mixture (to remove large lime chunks) into a pitcher.

Add ice to glasses (fill to the top), and then pour club soda into 1/3 of glass. Top with blended mixture, and, if you desire, add plenty of crushed mint leaves.

These are addictive, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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Preparation Time: 5 min. Microwave Time: 4 min.

2 cans (85 g each) Clover Leaf Garlic and Hot Pepper Flaked Light Tuna

1 cup (250 mL) canned diced tomatoes, with juices

1/2 cup (125 mL) canned mixed beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup (50 mL) corn kernels

1 tsp (5 mL) chili powder

1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cumin

sour cream (optional)

sliced green onion (optional)

whole wheat toast, buns, or dinner rolls

(optional)

Stir the tuna with the tomatoes, beans, corn, chili powder and cumin in a microwave safe bowl until well combined. Heat in the microwave on High, stirring twice, for 4 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top with a dollop of sour cream and sliced green onion; serve with bun (if using). Makes 2 servings.

Tips:

. For a milder, kid-friendly chili, substitute Clover Leaf Tomato and Onion Light Flaked Tuna for the Garlic and Hot Pepper flavour.

. Combine more tuna and the beans leftover from the can with your favourite salad ingredients to make a hearty lunch or supper for the next day.

Look for more recipe ideas online at www.cloverleaf.ca.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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