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Recipes
Avocado, Sardine, and Veggie Sandwich
by Adam Ried
Not only do sardines taste great—they really do!—they’re very healthy, too. These little fish are packed with protein, calcium, vitamins B12 and D, and a nutrient called Omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for your heart and your brain. Sardines are also “sustainable”—which means that they’re quick to grow and reproduce, so we won’t run out of them or make them become extinct by eating them.
There are lots of varieties to choose from: Some are plain and packed in water or olive oil, some are smoked, some are spicy, and some come packed in different kinds of sauce, like tomato or mustard. Try a few different kinds to find out which one you like best.
Baked Vegetable Frittata
A frittata is like a cross between an omelet and a quiche, and you can eat it hot or cold, which makes it a great do-ahead breakfast. Plus, the protein in those eggs is going to give you lots of energy for your day!
Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
By Adam Ried
It’s a Mexican grilled cheese sandwich—with tortillas instead of bread. We like whole-grain or corn tortillas better than white flour tortillas because they have lots of flavor and more nutrients! (Corn tortillas are smaller: if you use them here, use 2 per quesadilla, sandwiching the cheese in the middle between them instead of folding them.)
Bolder Tuna!
Tuna with mayo is tasty, but here’s a fresh idea with apples, pickles and celery. If you like big flavor, this is for you!
Broccoli Makeover Sally Challenge
Dear Sally:
I hate broccoli, okay? I know it's good for me. I challenge you to make it taste good. Sally Says:
My “broc” rocks! Try this tasty recipe. You'll be begging for more! 
Carrot Apple Soup
The apple in this simple, scrumptious soup will make the sweet carrots and onions even sweeter. These are all fall ingredients—which makes this the perfect back-to-school lunch.
Confetti Orzo Salad
Doesn’t the word “confetti” give you a happy kind of parade feeling? Us too. Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta that’s fun to eat. Get whole-wheat orzo if you can find it, since it’s more flavorful and healthy.
Crispy Peanut Tofu
This recipe comes from Sally’s friend Will Viederman, and it’s great for kids who are scared of tofu (tofu chickens! ha ha) because the peanut butter in the sauce makes it taste so familiar and good.
Crunchy Chicken Thighs
This recipe is yummy and easy: The oven does most of the work for you.
Curried Tofu Fingers
The biggest tofu myth is that it has no taste. It quickly takes on the most delicious flavors. Serve this dish plain or with mango chutney* mixed with yogurt.
Deviled Eggs
This dish got its name from the traditional addition of hot spices—but deviled eggs aren’t simply spicy anymore. Nowadays almost anything tasty is considered fair game in deviled eggs: capers, pickles, relish, mustard. If you want to make these eggs truly devilish, just add a little bit of hot sauce.
Double-Green Soup
Broccoli and spinach are like the Batman and Robin of the vegetable world—a totally dynamic duo that makes a soup with nutritional super powers and fantastic flavor. Pow!
Every Shade of Green Salad
Salad goes great with any kind of meal. We’ve added some unusual tastes to this one. Tell us what you think!
Garlicky Green Beans
This is one of those amazing vegetable recipes that makes something so delicious you can’t stop eating it—and you don’t need to! This makes a great side dish for just about anything, and the beans are good at room-temperature or cold too.
Ginger-Garlic Tofu
For a family-pleasing (and very balanced!) meal, serve this flavorful dish with brown rice and steamed broccoli.
Gonzo Garbanzo
This delicious bean salad is easy to prepare. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate one hour to allow flavors to mingle. We know it’s hard to be so patient, but it really is better this way.
Green-and-Bean Quesadilla
A quesadilla (KAY-SAH-DEE-YA) is a Mexican snack. It’s a lot like a grilled cheese sandwich made on flat, round bread, called a tortilla (TOR-TEE-YUH).
Homemade Peanut Butter
You will be amazed how easy it is to make your own peanut butter from whole peanuts. It tastes great because it’s so fresh, and it doesn’t have any of the not-so-great-for-you ingredients—like lots of sugar, salt, and oil—that most store-bought peanut butter contains. If you like, try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper for spice, or a pinch of cinnamon for warmth. By Adam Ried
Lemony Hummus
Recipe by Cris Comerford.
This lemony hummus is protein-packed and easy to make, and it’s an ingredient
in two of the other recipes—but you could also just pack it up in your lunchbox with
some raw veggies and whole-grain crackers for dipping.
Matzo Brei
Matzo brei is made from matzo, the unleavened bread of the Jewish holiday Passover. Like French toast, it’s soaked in egg and fried. You can make it like a pancake and eat it with jam or syrup. Or make it like we do here, more like scrambled eggs, and eat it with salt and pepper. Either way it’s delicious.
ChopChop Mission
ChopChop’s mission is to educate kids to cook and be nutritionally literate, empower them to actively participate as health partners with their families, and help establish and support better eating habits for a lifetime of good nutrition. ChopChop is published by ChopChopKids, Inc., a nonprofit corporation.
The ChopChop
Food Philosophy
- We believe in the simple values of cooking together as family and sharing healthy meals.
- We don’t do calorie counts or post nutrition content, but everything in this publication is reviewed and approved by our medical and nutrition advisors.
- We don’t demonize any individual foods.
- We believe that consuming healthy, wholesome meals is a vital step toward a resolution of America’s obesity epidemic.