September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Did you know that September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month? In support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, I’d love to share with you a nutritious-yet kid friendly recipe from Executive Chef of Pritikin Longevity Center, Chef Anthony Stewart. 

Pritikin is home to family programs where health and lifestyle experts help overhaul the health of kids who lose on average 11 lbs during their stay just by learning healthy choices. Chef Stewart is a pro at helping people learn how to eat healthy without sacrificing taste and below is a perfect example of that—a recipe for Pritikin’s Vegetable Quesadillas (only 100 cals per serving!).

Do your kids like to order quesadillas when you eat out? I know that my girls do! I was shocked to find out how many calories are in some of them. Below is some information as well as a tasty recipe from Chef Anthony Stewart. 

It’s shocking how much blood-pressure-raising sodium and belly-bulging calories are in many restaurant quesadillas. Chili’s Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadilla, for example, tallies up a whopping 1,650 calories and 3,450 milligrams of sodium (that’s double the sodium that most of us should have in an entire day, say the recently-released 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. 

Our Pritikin Vegetable Quesadilla has just 100 calories and 95 milligrams of sodium.  With Pritikin cuisine, there’s a very good chance you’ll never need blood pressure medication, or extra-large clothes.

Vegetable Quesadillas

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 cups julienned (sliced in long, thin strips) fresh vegetables
1 whole-wheat, thin-thin (lavash) bread
3 tablespoons shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
¼ cup pico de gallo (no salt added) or no-salt-added salsa (such as Enrico’s brand)

Directions

1- In a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, sauté vegetables until crisp tender, about three minutes.

2-On a warm griddle or flat-top grill, place thin-thin bread and let the side facing the heat get hot.

3-Turn the bread over on the griddle or grill, and sprinkle the cheese on top side. On half of the top side, spread the sautéed vegetables and cilantro.

4-When the cheese begins to melt, fold the bread in half to cover the vegetables. Press firmly using a tool like a large firm spatula or bottom of a pan. Flip on the other side, grill for about 2 minutes, and press.

5-Remove from heat. Cut quesadilla into four pieces. Serve two pieces per person with fat-free sour cream and pico de gallo on the side.

Nutrition Information (per serving):
100 calories, 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 6g protein, 3g fiber, 95mg sodium.

Guest Chef Anthony Stewart, Executive Chef

Chef Anthony Stewart has won accolades worldwide, including five gold medals in top culinary competitions, for his masterful use of foodstuffs like fresh seafood and tropical fruit from his native Jamaica. When not in the kitchen, he’s in the classroom, and has inspired thousands of Pritikin guests “to have some fun!”

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