\nWhole Wheat Mediterranean Couscous
\nBy: Asia Egan<\/p>\n
This is one of my favorite go-to recipes. It is quick, delicious, and fresh. This is a wonderful recipe for “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right” as it incorporates colorful vegetables and whole grains for a fun side dish with ease. The use of locally grown grape tomatoes makes all the difference! I was brought up on different Mediterranean foods with my Lebanese roots, and have often enjoyed this dish with family and friends. I also teach a weekly cooking class, and this dish has been such a crowd pleaser. The best part is that it takes only about 10 minutes to prepare.<\/p>\n
Time: 10 minutes
\nYield: 6 servings<\/p>\n
Ingredients:
\n1 1\/2 cups water
\n1 cup whole wheat couscous
\n1 cup halved UTAH GROWN grape tomatoes
\n1\/2 cup chopped, seeded cucumber
\n1\/4 cup diced red onion
\n1\/4 cup feta cheese
\n1 T lemon zest
\n2 T fresh lemon juice
\n1\/4 cup olive oil
\n1 T balsamic vinegar
\nSalt and pepper to taste<\/p>\n
Instructions:
\n1. Bring water to a boil over high heat. As water boils, stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Allow couscous to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
\n2. Transfer fluffed couscous to a large bowl. Add tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and feta cheese. Combine ingredients.
\n3. Add remaining ingredients of lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine all ingredients.
\n4. Serve and enjoy!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In addition to our recipe contest, here are some of the great photos of how National Nutrition Month was celebrated through the state:<\/p>\n
Jordan School District & Katie Bastian, MDA, RDN, CD, SNS<\/strong><\/p>\n To promote National Nutrition Month\u00ae, the Jordan School District held a poster contest in each of their 34 elementary schools with the NNM theme “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right”. The posters were displayed in the cafeteria for the month of March, kitchen staff selected a winner, and the winner received a NNM classroom kit (a healthy snack of apple slices and homemade caramel sauce made by the schools) in addition, the winning poster is displayed on the school district website and Facebook page. Here it is!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Davis School District, Northridge High:<\/strong><\/p>\n They introduced a healthy cooking competition modeled after the T.V. show \u201cChopped.\u201d\u00a0During lunch time, four students made a healthy meal that included a secret ingredient.\u00a0\u00a0The secret ingredient will either be a fruit, vegetable or dairy item. Small samples of the secret ingredient was also available to the entire student body. Many other food items and kitchen equipment were provided. At the end of the allotted time, a panel of judges picked the best recipe based on taste, visual appearance and creativity. The three students will proceed to the next round and so on until one winner is declared. Nutrition information and health benefits was posted about the secret ingredient. The winning recipe will be served for school lunch. “We are hoping this activity will increase participation in school lunch, create a fun and uplifting environment during lunchtime and get students excited about trying new things. Additionally, students will understand the health benefits of fruits, vegetables and dairy.”<\/p>\n Brigham Young University, Student Dietetic Association<\/strong><\/p>\n Our plan is to have one large event hosted for 5 hours, covering the lunch hour in a high traffic area. \u00a0We anticipated reaching 300-400 students during this event in the BYU Wilkinson Center (Student Center).\u00a0 We had four student committees formed\u00a0to oversee each booth: grains, fruits & vegetables, dairy, and fitness.\u00a0 Each booth included a handout, food\u00a0sample, and a related activity.\u00a0 The junior and senior classes staffed the booths to reach as many\u00a0students as possible. \u00a0With the \u201cSavor the Flavor of Eating Right\u201d theme, we want to offer our\u00a0campus sound nutrition advice and easy food tips.\u00a0 We love providing our students with opportunities to\u00a0interact with the community and share their excitement for their future careers.<\/p>\n Utah State University Dietetics Student\u00a0Association<\/strong><\/p>\n The Utah State University Dietetics Student Association celebrated National Nutrition Month throughout the entire month of March by doing a month long challenge! Each week there were various challenges that each student completed and uploaded on social media. In addition to the month long challenge we promoted nutrition by\u00a0having an RD panel to invite various RD professionals to come and speak to the prospective students at USU.<\/p>\n Intermountain Healthcare, Central Region<\/strong><\/p>\n Intermountain Medical Center, Alta View Hospital, Riverton Hospital, The Orthopedic Specialty\u00a0Hospital, LDS Hospital<\/p>\n For our 2016 NNM celebrations we hosted fairs at each of our five hospitals with a booth during the lunch hours to catch the crowds.\u00a0 This\u00a0will include an interactive nutrition wheel game, prizes, some great NNM handouts, recipe ideas, ways to\u00a0use herbs\/spices, nutrition resources, cooking demonstrations\/samples of our LiveWell plates, and\u00a0promotion of RDN services to encourage our employees and general public visitors to Savor the Flavor of\u00a0Eating Right.\u00a0 We wanted to inspire our target audience to enjoy nutritious food within their\u00a0cultural\/social preferences, feel empowered to make wise lifestyle choices, and to seek out sound nutrition\u00a0information from reliable sources, like RDNs.\u00a0 Throughout the month of March we had blank\u00a0posters\/markers set up at each hospital with a prompt for people to share ways they Savor the Flavor of\u00a0Eating Right.\u00a0 We will also published weekly articles about National Nutrition Month in our employee\u00a0newsletter, written by dietitians in the region.<\/p>\n University of Utah, Student Activities Group<\/strong><\/p>\n In celebration of National Nutrition Month 2016, the Student Activities Group of the Nutrition Department at the University of Utah brainstormed together on the phrase \u201csavor the flavor\u201d.\u00a0 The group featured different flavors of popcorn (without salt) at a table outside the student recreation center.\u00a0 They knew from experience that college and graduate students alike love popcorn, but wanted to create a healthier, flavorful version.\u00a0 They created and tested two flavors \u2013 one savory flavor of garlic, onion, and turmeric powder and the other a sweeter flavor featuring cinnamon, cayenne, and ginger.\u00a0 They offered samples of the two types of flavored popcorn and gave away bags of popcorn kernels plus a spice packet.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/eatrightutah.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Screen-Shot-2016-05-11-at-10.45.22-AM.png\" "\\"Screen")
<\/a>
\nhere are other posters students made:<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/a>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n