Healthy Choices & Nutrition
Let healthy choices become second nature
Our Nutrition Educator, Diane Celleri, creates healthy recipes for cooking demonstrations and develops nutrition education programs in partnership with community agencies such as Atlantic Health to help people prevent and/or manage health issues through proper diet.
These sessions are available Monday-Thursday at noon (30 minutes prior to distribution).
At these sessions, you can learn how to prepare food in a healthy way—anyone can benefit!
Healthy Choices Kitchen Cooking Videos and Recipes
Click below for our complete video and recipe library
Tips for Better Health
Click below to get access to helpful handouts on a variety of health topics, like heart health, bone strength, and nutrition. Each one is designed to give you simple, reliable tips you can use every day to support your health and well-being.
Health Choices Kitchen Recipes
Creamy Zucchini, Carrot & White Bean Soup
Enjoy a recipe for Creamy Zucchini & White Bean Soup that highlights several foods that support brain health. Cannellini beans provide fiber and protein, while colorful vegetables like zucchini, onions, carrots, garlic, and basil offer antioxidants that help support overall wellness. Extra-virgin olive oil and pumpkin seeds add heart-healthy fats, which are important for brain function. Fresh, flavorful, and nutrient-rich, this soup is a delicious way to nourish both body and mind!
Pumpkin Black Bean Turkey Chili
This is a quick, hearty chili. You can use leftover turkey to make it – or use ground turkey instead. Pumpkin is loaded with beta carotene and vitamin A, a nutrient that is important for vision, skin, bone health, and helps protect against infections. Canned pumpkin is an easy way to add pumpkin to your diet.
Mexican Salad Bowl
This salad is loaded with nutrients to support your eye health! There’s lutein in the corn and greens. The darker the lettuce the better! Try using spinach or romaine lettuce. The peppers and tomatoes are a source of vitamin C. The oil in the salad dressing contains vitamin E and also helps your body absorb the lutein. You’ll get zinc from the beans!
Watermelon Cucumber Salad
This refreshing salad tastes great on a hot summer day. It is easy to make and uses only a few ingredients. Feel free to add some of the suggested extras, but it is delicious with or without them!
Panzanella Salad
Panzanella is a hearty, fresh, and colorful salad.! It is a great way to use fresh summer vegetables. Almost any fresh vegetables can be added. For variety try adding summer squash, bell peppers, or corn! Lemon juice can be used instead of vinegar and other fresh or dry herbs can be used instead of basil. Hearty bread is the surprise addition!
Healthy Breakfast Choices
Breakfast Banana Split- This is a quick, easy way to enjoy whole grains, fruit, and dairy for breakfast! Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars - These make a quick breakfast! They are a little more crumbly that a store-bought granola bar. Use any kind of jelly or jam that you like.
Waldorf Salad
Try this colorful easy to make salad. You can enjoy it as a side dish or if you’d like, add some diced ham or chicken to it and use it as a sandwich filling. For variety, add some sliced grapes.
Easy Cheesy Skillet
This easy casserole is loaded with nutrients that help support your immune system.
Creamy Black Bean Dip
This dip is easy to make. It makes a good healthy snack, especially when you use fresh vegetables such as carrots, celery, peppers, and cucumbers as dippers. You can also use it as a spread on a wrap.
Black Bean Brownies
Try these brownies for a Valentine’s Day treat. They are lower in fat that a regular chocolate brownie. The black beans add protein and fiber!
Vegetable Fried Rice
Fried rice is a great way to use up any leftovers (rice, vegetables, meat) that you have in the refrigerator. This recipe includes lots of vegetables, vegetable oil, and brown rice – all heart healthy! This recipe calls for fresh vegetables, but you can also use canned, frozen, or previously cooked vegetables, just adjust the cooking time.
Southwest Rice Bowl
A rice bowl makes an easy dinner or lunch. It Includes beans, brown rice, a variety of vegetables, and is a great way to use leftovers!
Black Bean Burger
A delicious plant based burger. Makes a great lunch or dinner.
Cooking with Pumpkin
From coffee drinks to ice cream and everything in between, the delicious flavor of pumpkin finds its way into many a meal once autumn arrives. But, some pumpkin flavored products can be on the not-so-healthy side. Below are some ideas for healthy pumpkin recipes for both sweet and savory fall dishes.
Fiesta Tacos
Delicious healthy veggie filled tacos. A fiesta in your mouth!
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili stuffed sweeet potatoes
A delicious options for a meatless meal. Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium. The black beans and tomatoes add even more!
Hearty Sweet Potato & Carrot Bean Soup
“This hearty soup blends the natural sweetness of carrots and sweet potatoes with warm cumin and cinnamon. Olive oil and garlic enrich the savory base, while creamy beans add protein and fiber, and fresh herbs brighten the flavor. Nourishing and antioxidant-rich, it supports immune and digestive health.
Baked Oatmeal
Heart healthy Baked Oatmeal. Perfect for busy mornings or a leisurely brunch, it combines the wholesomeness of oats with the natural sweetness of fruits for a heartwarming start to your day.
Build Your Own Burrito Bowl
This easy dinner or lunch is a heart healthy choice! It includes a variety of vegetables, beans and brown rice which are good sources of fiber and whole grains. It is also low in cholesterol and saturated fat.
Grain Bowl and Green Smoothie
Start your day with a boost of nutrition with this Green Smoothie, packed with calcium and refreshing ingredients that are simple yet delicious. Pair it with a hearty Grain Bowl with Sautéed Greens for a balanced meal that’s both satisfying and nourishing!
White Beans with Tomato, Basil & Parmesan
Looking for a quick, healthy meal that’s full of flavor? Try this easy White Beans with Tomato, Basil & Parmesan recipe—perfect for a nutritious weeknight dinner that’s ready in under 15 minutes!
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Skillet
This hearty dish, packed with protein and fiber, makes a great meal or served as a burrito. Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and carotenoids, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Just one sweet potato provides you with 102% of the vitamin A you need each day. Black beans are rich in protein, fiber, and antioxidants, and can help with weight loss and promote gut health.
Protein & Fiber Energy Bites and White Bean Spread & Garlic Kale
These are a great higher fiber and protein snack to power you through the day. These protein energy bites are a delicious combination of a healthy homemade no cook snack that your family will love
This dish makes a light lunch with a salad or soup, as well as a hearty appetizer.
Chicken Hummus Bowl
This Chicken Hummus Bowl is a delicious and nutritious dish featuring tender broiled chicken served over creamy hummus, topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, red onions, and parsley. It’s a quick and easy meal that combines savory flavors with healthy ingredients, making it perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
Burrito Bowl
This hearty, easy to prepare dinner or lunch is a heart healthy choice! It includes a variety of vegetables, beans, and brown rice, packed with nutrients, good source of fiber and whole grains. Chicken is a healthy, lean source of protein and can be included if desired. It is also low in cholesterol and saturated fat.
Sweet Potato Soup
The creamy sweetness of sweet potatoes balances the earthy spinach and warming turmeric, while white beans add a creamy texture and a boost of protein and fiber for a filling and satisfying meal. The fiber supports digestion, while potassium and turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties promote heart health. It’s a nutrient-dense, flavorful meal that enhances overall wellness.
Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Spinach, Beans, Tomatoes, and Garlic Chips
This hearty pasta is full of flavor and nutrition, with fiber, protein, and healthy fats. It blends earthy spinach and beans, savory olives, sweet tomatoes, and rich garlic and Parmesan.
Grain Bowl with Sauteed Greens
This wholesome grain bowl is rich in fiber, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats. It features whole grains, garlic-sautéed kale for calcium and vitamin K, and tomatoes for vitamin C. A squeeze of lime adds brightness, while eggs provide protein along with vitamin D and additional calcium. It’s a simple, nourishing meal that supports bone health and overall wellness.
Lemon Chicken Citrus Bowl
This is a well-balanced, cholesterol-conscious meal.
Tuscan White Bean and Roasted Tomato Soup
This nourishing soup is rich in immune-boosting ingredients like garlic, tomatoes, white beans, and olive oil. It provides antioxidants, protein, fiber, and healthy fats—all of which support gut health, reduce inflammation, and strengthen the immune system.
Fall Roasted Butternut Squash
Enjoy the perfect blend of savory and sweet flavors with this Fall Roasted Butternut Squash recipe, featuring crisp apples, roasted walnuts, and a hint of maple syrup.
