Adding Green for St. Patrick’s Day

Getting into the spirit of St.Patrick’s Day and leprechauns doesn’t have to involve using loads of green food colouring. We know that artificial food colouring is not nutritious and may have health consequences for our children if consumed frequently.

There are lots of ways to add green colour “magically” while using all natural ingredients.

Here are some suggestions:

• Make pesto from fresh herbs like basil or parsley and olive oil. Stir into pasta, risotto/rice or serve as a dip for veggies.
• Make guacamole or spinach dip for corn chips and veggies.
• Make a green smoothie or ‘milkshake’ with spinach, herbs (e.g. mint) and/or avocado, but be sure to use light-coloured fruit (e.g. pear, melon, mango, kiwi, pineapple) so it doesn’t turn brown.
• Use spinach tortillas or wraps to make green quesadillas or roll ups.
• Puree lightly steamed spinach and add to mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs or pancake batter.
• Look for spinach noodles for making a pasta dish.
• Serve edamame (soy beans) in the pod or shelled. Or puree shelled edamame to make a dip like hummus.