It's back to school time, and we all want the same thing—healthy, happy children who are learning and on their way to becoming productive members of their communities. Studies show that well-fed children are ready to learn and have fewer discipline problems than those who are not well-fed.

How do we do that? Make the healthy choice the easy choice:

• Remember to eat the MyPlate.gov way—fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, and dairy
• Need some help with meal prep? Visit online at go.illinois.edu/foodpreparation  
• Frozen veggies and canned fruit are just as nutritious as fresh—keep them on hand
• When making casseroles or soups, double the recipe and freeze the duplicate
• Use leftovers (planned overs) in stir fry, wraps, and soups for an easy, quick meal
• Breakfast for supper is nutritious, cheap, and easy to prepare
• Be wary of "healthy snacks"—granola bars, veggie straws, flavored yogurt
• Nuts, dried fruit, and whole grain cereal make a much better snack than anything you can buy premade
• Cut up veggies, wash fruit and store them in a visible place in your fridge
• Pop popcorn on the stove and store it in single-serving plastic bags

Try this easy recipe: great for breakfast or supper!

VEGGIECAKES                                                                        

2 cups pancake mix (use the "add water only" kind)

½ cup shredded carrots 

½ cup shredded zucchini, summer squash, or any garden vegetable

1 cup water

1-2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

1. Wash your hands 
2. Shred vegetables, then place in a colander and squeeze out excess water and set aside (you can also put vegetables, 1/2 cup at a time, in between layers of paper towel and squeeze) 
3. Measure mix and put into a medium-sized bowl, add brown sugar, and stir
4. Pour liquids into dry ingredients, stir until just moistened—do not over-mix, or your pancakes will be tough
5. Fold in vegetables, mix until combined
6. Turn the stove to medium-high heat and pour one tablespoon of oil into a nonstick skillet
7. When the skillet is hot (drip one drop of water into the skillet, if it sizzles, then it is ready), pour ¼ cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake, do not let them touch; give yourself room to turn them
8. When there are bubbles on the surface of the pancake, turn it over, cook for 1-2 minutes more and then remove it from the pan and continue adding batter until it is gone
9. Keep pancakes warm on a cookie sheet in a 250° oven (place them on a rack for crispier pancakes)
10. Serve with nut butter and low sugar syrup or canned fruit or applesauce 

For recipes and how-to videos, visit online at go.illinois.edu/ILfood, or on Facebook @uiextensioncce, or @BeeWellEdgar.   

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