Posted by Felix Gonzalez on July 7, 2015
“One day I was very hungry after my soccer practice so I was inspired to create a nutritious chicken meal that was easy to prepare,” says Felix. “I decided to make this dish as a wrap because I was thinking about the fun times when my dad wrapped me up as a burrito with a blanket when I was a small child. This recipe is versatile because I can change the chicken for fish, or just make it a salad not using the tortilla. This plate goes perfectly with a nonfat Greek yogurt with berries." - Felix Gonzalez, Age 11, Puerto Rico
Posted by Sydney Tyner on July 7, 2015
“I'm just a normal kid, so when my stepmom got breast cancer I was scared. When I found out we were going to change our eating habits to be healthier I was mad,” says Sydney. “But once we started eating healthy, I realized it wasn't a bad thing at all. I love tacos and I came up with this new version so I could still eat healthy and have my favorite food. In the summer we use vegetables out of our own garden. It tastes even better then.” - Sydney Tyner, Age 11, Pennsylvania
Posted by Phoebe Garrett on July 7, 2015
“My inspiration for this is also my favorite story. I was at a barbecue while on vacation and set my eyes on my first suckling pig,” says Phoebe. “The sight convinced me to become a vegetarian. After studying with my parents about vegetarianism and how much protein my body needs, I decided that I would eat fish and chicken, but not mammals. Making this choice has forced us to find creative protein options. Fish is both high in protein and the good types of fats we need.” - Phoebe Garrett, Age 11, Oregon
Posted by Riley Higgins on July 7, 2015
“I tried different recipes out and let my family be my taste testers and decide which one would be best,” says Riley. “My mom and dad like our family to eat healthy most of the time, but I don't always like some of the vegetables, so I hid them in the quesadilla so everyone is happy! This dish uses all of the food groups in one dish, but we added some mini fruit kabobs for extra vitamins. I hope you enjoy it!” - Riley Higgins, Age 9, Oklahoma
Posted by Sydney Mazik on July 7, 2015
“My mom and I created this recipe five years ago while having to live in Florida (my surgeon is there) for five months due to my surgery,” says Sydney. “We were always trying new recipes and cooking a lot because I was in a wheelchair then. We have always eaten spaghetti squash in our house and I had asked my doctors, nurses, and therapists if they had ever tried it, but most of them had not even heard of it. We decided to come up with a dish for them to try and they loved it! It was so popular that I made it at least once a week as well as every surgery since. My nickname is now S.S. Sydney.” (S.S. stands for spaghetti squash.) - Sydney Mazik, Age 12, Ohio
Posted by Claire Park on July 7, 2015
“My parents grew up in Korea. My father said many Koreans believe eating five colored foods a day is the best way to maintain our general health,” says Claire. “I like colored food also. The best purple food is purple potatoes, especially the ones grown on Rota, one of the Northern Mariana Islands. They are really pretty and yummy. I think I am pretty healthy because of colored foods.” - Claire Park, Age 9, Northern Mariana Islands
Posted by Carter Cassola on July 7, 2015
“This is one of my favorite dishes because there is so much color, and it's also a very healthy dish,” says Carter. “My mom is a licensed registered dietitian and always encourages healthy colorful plates. Also, in this dish you can easily get three servings of fruits and vegetables. These are the reasons and my inspiration for creating this flavorful, delicious dish.“ - Carter Cassola, Age 11, North Dakota
Posted by Alexander Tschegg on July 7, 2015
“My mom used to make white rice with curry for dinner, but I thought it would be good to make it more healthy, so I used brown rice instead and added chickpeas to the curry,” says Alexander. “I like tofu, so I decided to add baked tofu to the top layer. We usually have a salad with most of our dinners, and I think that is healthy.” - Alexander Tschegg, Age 8, North Carolina
Posted by Julia Rissberger on July 7, 2015
“I make Cheese Pennies that are a hit with everyone, but are very high in fat,” says Julia. “I decided to make a modified version of the recipe, decreasing the amount of fat and including healthy whole grains without sacrificing the delicious taste of the New York extra-sharp cheddar cheese. I love the taste of sharp cheese with fruit, so I paired them with a salad featuring apples and blueberry dressing topped with homemade cinnamon almonds.” - Julia Rissberger, Age 11, New York
Posted by Hannah Torres on July 7, 2015
“A tostada is a very popular and versatile dish! Usually served on a corn tortilla, we substituted that for a gluten-free option: a cauliflower tortilla,” says Hannah. “They are easy to make, and everyone can make their own! By replacing the corn tortilla with a cauliflower tortilla, we add more veggies to our plate. For some extra flavor, we included a red chile–turkey sauce for an authentic New Mexico taste.” - Hannah Torres, Age 10, New Mexico
