Park Party Fun with Michigan Apples
We have been having a great time at Maranda’s Park Parties this summer! At our Meijer booth we give out over 2,000 apples per party. Of course they are delicious to eat immediately but if you take a few home and are looking for some easy and healthy recipes, give these a try. Yummm!
Wholesome Apple Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
These muffins combine nutrient-rich apples and whole grain flour into hearty muffins that make a perfect breakfast on-the-go!
1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
½ cup Meijer sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup Meijer apple juice
1/3 cup Meijer canola oil
1 egg
1-1/4 cup Michigan Apples*, cored, peeled and finely chopped
*Try Cortland, Gala, Ida Red, Johnathan, McIntosh, Northern Spy, Paula Red or Rome apples
Topping
Mix together 1 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.
- Heat oven to 375°. Spray muffin pan with vegetable cooking spray or line with baking cups.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon; blend well.
- In a small bowl, combine apple juice, oil and egg; mix well. Add apple juice mixture to dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Fold in chopped apples.
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle muffins with cinnamon sugar topping mixture; bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 to 2 minutes before removing from pan.
Nutrition facts per muffin: 160 Calories; 7g Fat; 24g Carbohydrate; 2.5g Protein; 68mg Sodium; 17mg Cholesterol; 2.5g Fiber
Cheesy Apple Pizza
Makes 8 servings
Have the kids help make this delicious pizza for a quick and nutritious afterschool snack. Serve it with a cold glass of apple juice!
1 regular prepared pizza crust (such as Boboli)
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
2-3 Michigan Apples*, cored and sliced thin
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tbsp. butter or margarine
*Try Cortland, Empire, Gala, Golden Delicious, Ida Red, Jonathan, Northern Spy or Rome apples
- Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and flour in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Sprinkle cheese over prepared pizza crust. Arrange apple slices on top of cheese. Sprinkle apples with brown sugar mixture and dot with butter or margarine.
- Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until apples are soft and brown sugar has melted.
Nutrition facts per serving (with margarine): 270 Calories; 9g Fat; 39g Carbohydrate; 8g Protein; 393mg Sodium; 12mg Cholesterol; 2g Fiber
I always had an interest in food and nutrition and attended Central Michigan University to earn a Bachelors Degree in Dietetics. Several years later, I went back to college to obtain my Masters degree in Human Nutrition from Andrews University. I have been a Registered Dietitian for 27 years and have spent the last 20 years working with Supermarkets. I discovered years ago that grocery stores were a great place to reach consumers and help them obtain accurate nutrition information. I also realized that busy families are looking for quick, affordable, and healthy ideas for meals. In my position as Healthy Living Manager at Meijer I spend a lot of time working with food manufacturers and commodity groups to search out and create easy recipes that can become part of family-pleasing menus. Although my two daughters are now grown and married, my husband and I continue to enjoy cooking together and creating new recipes with nutritious ingredients. I hope my information provides you and your family with easy ideas to live a healthy life!
