While the world may feel a little less stable with COVID-19, Buckeye Food Alliance (BFA) continues to be a staple in offering students a selection of food and personal care items. Check out the following ideas of what you can do with a pre-made bag of grocery goodies from BFA!
Frozen blueberries can be mixed into smoothies, oatmeal, and pancake mix, or topped on cereal, pancakes or waffles. One of my fave smoothies is this Creamy Chocolate Blueberry Shake by Hummusapien, a former OSU student and Columbus-based food blogger and restaurateur. For this recipe, consider swapping the cocoa for a chocolate-flavored protein powder to add a boost of protein and satiety to this blend.
Plenty of canned peaches abound in BFA so for ways to enjoy this juicy fruit, consider adding it to smoothies, topping it on oatmeal or yogurt, or even making a breakfast crisp which you can swap out with other fruits like apples, pears and berries (recipe below).
Nuts and dried fruit can be added to meals like a salad or used to make a trail mix for a snack. Check out this trail mix handout with a variety of ways to spice up your mix!
Beans can be used in a variety of ways by adding them to meals like chili, tacos or salads. Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, can be roasted or made with hummus to have as part of a snack. Other savory recipes include this Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowl with Peanut Sauce, black bean hummus and salsa (recipes below).
Vegetables like zucchini can be spiralized to make “zoodles” (zucchini noodles) in lieu of or to have with pasta. Zucchini can even be used to make these Flourless Peanut Butter Zucchini Brownies for a delectable treat. Stir-fry is another option for incorporating veggies such as broccoli, bell peppers, onions, and more! You can either use fresh or frozen, with most grocery stores having different blends of stir-fry veggies to choose from.
For meals with pasta, consider how you can include a mix of macronutrients to ensure you’re getting a variety of nutrients that will help to satisfy and sustain you. For instance, with spaghetti, add a protein source such as chicken, lean ground beef or turkey, or a meat alternative such as soy crumbles (textured vegetable protein). Add a sauce like marinara with cheese or nutritional yeast, pesto or alfredo for a little fat. Additionally, add a vegetable with your meal, such as having a side salad, mixing in broccoli or spinach (if it’s a dish with alfredo sauce), or having roasted veggies on the side like asparagus, broccoli, zucchini or squash.
Canned fish can be used in dishes like tuna noodle casserole, tuna salad, or salmon burgers. Canned chicken can be used to make chicken salad for a sandwich or served with whole wheat crackers, added to meals like tacos or quesadillas, or used in a buffalo chicken dip (recipe below).
Stay tuned for more ideas on how Buckeye Food Alliance can support you!
RECIPES
Black Bean & Corn Salsa
- 2-3 tablespoons Caribbean Jerk seasoning
- 1 can (15 oz) canned peaches, in its own juice, drained
- ½ cup orange marmalade
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed in colander
- 1 cup corn, frozen (thawed) or canned (drained)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juice
- 1 lemon, juice
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate in an airtight container. Serve with pita chips or whole wheat tortilla chips.
Black Bean Hummus
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
- 1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil (depending on how soft you like your hummus, or you can add some juice from the can of garbanzo beans)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Blend ingredients together using a food processor and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat with pita chips, pretzels, and vegetables (i.e. baby carrots, sliced bell peppers).
Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower Dip
- 3 cups frozen cauliflower florets, cooked according to package directions
- 8 ounces canned chicken, drained
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup cream cheese, reduced fat
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, low-fat
- ¼ cup hot sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cauliflower, chicken, 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and hot sauce in a large mixing bowl. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and pour mixture into casserole dish. Sprinkle top of casserole with remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes. Eat with whole wheat tortilla chips.
Fruit Crisp
- 4-6 cups fruit (i.e. apples, blueberries, peaches, pears)
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup regular rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 dish with cooking spray or rub with margarine. Prep fruit by washing (if needed for produce like apples) and chopping into bite-size pieces. No need to peel fruit, such as apples, peaches or pears. Place in cooking dish. In a separate bowl, mix flour, oats, sugar, and oil until crumbly and sprinkle over fruit. Bake for 40 minutes, uncovered. Can enjoy having with vanilla yogurt or on its own.