A Little Spring Green

Guest post by Shannon Cherry, Maine SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator

Healthy Acadia’s SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Team is hard at work delivering programming throughout Washington and Hancock Counties. By partnering with our local schools and community centers we delivered nutrition education to 1,463 youth and adults last month!

During the school year, much of our programming is in our local schools - the Pick a Better Snack program is one of our most popular initiatives. This program is designed to encourage students in K-3 classrooms to eat more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle. Through a combination of nutrition education, physical activity, and taste testing a fruit or vegetable of the month, students can learn about the importance of making healthy choices.

March is National Nutrition Month®, an annual campaign launched in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits.

Speaking of healthy choices, this recipe for a Healthy Shamrock Shake seems like the perfect way to celebrate the coming spring season! This recipe uses healthy, natural ingredients like spinach, avocado, and yogurt to create a wonderfully minty treat. Give it a try!

Healthy Shamrock Shake

 ¾ cup 2% milk

 ½ cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt

 1 avocado

 ½ tsp vanilla extract

 1 cup fresh or frozen spinach

 10 fresh mint leaves

 2 tbs honey

 1 cup ice (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to your blender in the order listed.

2. Blend, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high until your mixture is smooth.

3. Pour and serve immediately, top with whipped cream or dark chocolate!

Recipe inspired by joyfoodsunshine

This year's Nutrition Month theme is "Fuel for the Future." Eating with sustainability in mind is a tasty way to nourish ourselves during every phase of life and protect the environment. We can help you create healthy habits that are sustainable.

Healthy Acadia’s Maine SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educators offer year-round cooking and nutrition classes in partnership with schools and organizations throughout Hancock and Washington counties. To learn more or schedule a class, contact Mandy or Shannon in Washington County, and Isi or Lizzie in Hancock County.