Special thanks to our friends at the National Mango Board for sponsoring this learning opportunity!
Confession: I am not a foodie.
I mean, I like food but developing recipes and throwing together elaborate meals with exotic ingredients is not my forte. I once gave up at the grocery store because I didn’t know where I could find pimentos. I wasn’t about to buy a jar of green olives and dissect the pimentos from the jar – that’s far too much work – so I just quit shopping. Then I decided that any recipe that called for pimentos was not a recipe for me.
I also really struggle with coming up with meal ideas for my family. Meal planning is like pulling teeth for me. When I actually sit down to make a weekly menu, I draw a complete blank. Can’t think of a thing. I then hit up Pinterest for some inspiration but even then, I often feel like I resort to the same ‘ol same ‘ol. We have 4 go-to meals that we have on rotation at our house and every week, it seems like we’re eating the same thing. By the way, these meals are tacos, spaghetti, stroganoff and breakfast if you’re in the market for some fresh dinner ideas. And yes, we eat breakfast for dinner. A lot.
Another confession: my kid eats a lot of Goldfish crackers. Our go-to toddler snack.
My oldest daughter is a big snacker. She pretty much has her snack cup within reach all day long. Like any normal person, she gets tired of being offered the same snack day in and day out. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to take Gracyn to a cooking demonstration at The Culinary Center of Kansas City hosted by the National Mango Board to add a few more snack ideas to our repertoire. Ashley from the National Mango Board was there to introduce us to the mango and all its super powers.
I say “introduce” because I literally had never purchased a mango from the store before this class. And I say “super powers” because the mango is seriously good for you. One cup of mangos is only 100 calories, each serving is fat free, sodium free and cholesterol free and contains over 20 different vitamins and minerals. The best part is that is actually tastes good. My two-year-old agreed as well!
The National Mango Board has information on their site including how to find a ripe mango, cut a mango, and recipes with fun ways to eat the six varieties of mangos. Did you know there were SIX different kinds of mangos? Me neither. Mangos are also in season pretty much year round which means you can eat them any time you want.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to make and try few recipes featuring the mango. These were delicious and easy enough that my two-year-old could help me throw them together. And cooking anything that can entertain the kiddos AND has a simple ingredient list is a total win in my mom handbook.
First up, we enjoyed mango smoothies. We are big smoothie drinkers in my house but we usually only have one flavor – strawberry. Not anymore. These mango and banana smoothies are definitely on the menu this week. Combine three mangos (peeled, pitted and chopped), 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 banana, 1 teaspoon honey and 1 cup of ice in a blender and pulse until desired consistency. Done.
The main course consisted of Cinco De Mango Quesadillas topped with mango salsa. Again, super easy and quick to put together if you’re looking for a fast dinner idea. Like I mentioned above, we have tacos pretty much once a week so this is a good alternative if we’re still feeling like eating Mexican-inspired fare. The mango salsa was amazingly fresh tasting.
And don’t forget dessert. Gracyn asks for dessert every night, and she usually ends up getting an Oreo cookie or a piece of chocolate. Not the healthiest, but what dessert is actually healthy? None worth eating, I can tell you that. All delectable desserts are totally bad for you and high in calories. That’s what makes them so yummy. If you’re looking for a sweet treat after dinner, consider incorporating the mango for a healthier option that will still satisfy that sweet tooth.
We enjoyed Frozen Yogurt Dipped Mango Pops (mangos on a stick dipped in greek yogurt and topped with sprinkles), one of more than 50 recipes in the dessert category alone on the website that include the mango.
The mango really is a very versatile food that can be used in so many ways. This fruit wasn’t even on my radar before attending this class and now I’m so glad to know a little more about this super fruit. It’s always my first choice to offer a healthy option to my family so the mango will definitely be making an appearance in our kitchen soon.
