We’re on to our second edition of Back to School recipes. While our summer days are becoming limited as time goes by, there’s still some time to plan ahead for the school year. We started off our series with Chicken and Vegetable Wraps, which make a convenient and nutritious lunch item for kids who are off to school. Drawing back from our own past childhood, we know that many kids are notoriously picky eaters. Just getting them to eat their vegetables in place of their preferred macaroni and cheese is like an uphill struggle. For children with a more selective palette, the secret is to make them forget they’re eating vegetables.
Nothing says quick, easy and delicious like pasta salad. And with so many different ingredients you can use, it’s easy to tweak a pasta salad to best suit your child’s taste. A hot meal during lunch time can be wonderful, but if a microwave isn’t available for students, it’s best to pack something that tastes perfectly delicious when cold. Packed with fresh vegetables and protein, this pasta salad is both scrumptious and nutritious.
Pasta Salad
Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound of whole-wheat pasta
1 cup of cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1/2 cup of black olives, halved
4 tablespoons of basil, chopped
2/3 cup of Italian dressing, fat-free
1. Boil the pasta until al-dente. Drain the water and rinse under cold water.
2. While the pasta is boiling, chop the chicken breast, red bell peppers, black olives, and basil. Mince the garlic.
3. Put the pasta and chopped vegetables into a large bowl and add half of the dressing. Toss the pasta in the dressing, cover and place the bowl in the refrigerator.
4. When the pasta salad is ready to be served or packed, add in the rest of the dressing and toss.