(Family Features) With a return to busy fall routines, it can be challenging for many families to find the time to sit down at the table for nutritious meals.

Adding an option like Florida Orange Juice to your family’s routine can help fuel them throughout the day. Whether drinking it on its own or by adding it to recipes like Grilled Turkey Club with Orange Juice-Infused Aioli or Orange Cream Smoothies, you can feel good about incorporating a beverage with essential vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune system support and no added sugars.

Diet and nutritional benefits: Both nutritious and delicious, drinking 100% orange juice can increase fruit intake as well as provide key nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, folate, thiamin and magnesium, as well as vitamin D and calcium in fortified juice. Research has found children whose diets include orange juice tend to have healthier diets and higher levels of physical activity compared to those whose do not. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting 100% fruit juice to no more than 4-6 ounces daily for children ages 2-6 and no more than 8 ounces for children ages 7 and older.

Immune support: 100% orange juice can help support the immune system by providing a variety of vitamins and minerals. For example, an 8-ounce glass of 100% orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps protect cells and promote the production and function of immune cells. An 8-ounce serving of fortified 100% orange juice is a good source of vitamin D, which plays an important role in regulating immune response to help fight off bacteria and viruses that get into the body. Additionally, 100% orange juice has many beneficial plant compounds, flavonoids and colorful carotenoids, which work to support the immune system by fighting inflammation and helping cells communicate with each other.

No added sugar: Unlike many foods and beverages that contain added sugars, the natural sugar in 100% orange juice comes with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In fact, a study published in “Frontiers in Nutrition” found children and adults who consumed 100% orange juice had lower intakes of added sugar compared to those who did not.

“Today, children are consuming fewer fruits and vegetables and missing out on key vitamins and minerals,” said Dr. Rosa Walsh, scientific research director at the Florida Department of Citrus. “Many children have inadequate intake of folate, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin C, vitamin D, potassium, iron and zinc. This doesn’t have to be the case. A glass of 100% orange juice is a convenient option, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, that counts toward fruit intake and one I know children love. Parents should make sure to look for 100% orange juice on the container. This ensures you are serving a nutrient-dense beverage with no added sugar.”

Visit floridajuice.com to find more nutritious recipes.

Grilled Turkey Club with Orange Juice-Infused Aioli

Orange Juice-Infused Aioli:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Florida Orange Juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Turkey Club:

• 8 slices multi-grain bread
• 1 cup watercress
• 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• nonstick cooking spray

1. To make aioli: In small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, orange juice, parsley, garlic and Dijon mustard.
2. To make turkey club: Spread 2-3 teaspoons aioli on four bread slices. Spread watercress on top of aioli. Top watercress with turkey, cheese and remaining bread slices.
3. Spray grill pan, electric skillet or cast-iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray and warm over medium heat. When pan is hot, add sandwiches, cheese side down, and cook until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted, about 4 minutes. Gently flip and cook 2-3 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.
4. Serve with remaining aioli as dipping sauce.

Orange Cream Smoothies

• 1 1/2 cups Florida Orange Juice
• 2 cups ice
• 6 ounces non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond or soy milk

1. In blender on medium speed, blend orange juice, ice, Greek yogurt and vanilla almond or soy milk until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour into two tall glasses.

Source: Florida Department of Citrus

(Family Features) Healthful eating starts with the ingredients you use, so it’s important to use fresh, seasonal ingredients that pack a nutritional punch. One of the easiest ways to meet your daily nutrient needs is to eat a variety of whole foods like fruit (which about 80% of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough of, according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans), because they provide a unique mix of beneficial nutrients that can’t always be found in a supplement. 

Consider an option like delicious California Navel and Cara Cara oranges, which are in season and available nationwide, offering a wide variety of health benefits. Oranges are best known as an excellent source of vitamin C to support a healthy immune system, because one orange can offer 70-100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C depending the varietal. However, oranges also offer other important nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, including:

• Phytonutrients (beneficial compounds produced by plant foods) like flavonoids, which can help mitigate cell damage and support brain and heart health.
• Citrus is the only type of fruit packed with hesperidin and naringin, two flavonoids that offer anti-inflammatory properties.
• Potassium, which the body can’t produce on its own, supports cell function, healthy blood pressure levels, bone health and hydration.
• California Navel and Cara Cara oranges are good sources of fiber, which supports gut health.
• Oranges are good sources of folate, which is particularly important to consume during pregnancy because of its role in cell growth, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Oranges are a versatile fruit, making them an easy addition to both sweet and savory dishes as well as beverages. Try incorporating oranges into your weekly meal plan with dishes like a lighter version of orange chicken or drinks like this Orange Moscow Mule Mocktail. To help maximize the flavor profile and nutritional benefits of California oranges, consider these tips:

• Numerous parts of citrus can be consumed, including the flesh, juice, zest and peel, meaning a single piece of fruit can go a long way.
• Next time you use citrus in a beverage or as part of a meal, bring it to room temperature before cooking to help ensure you get the most juice.
• Because vitamin C is water soluble, it’s important to eat it fresh. When using as part of a recipe, use as little water as possible and avoid overcooking.
• For storage, it’s often best to keep oranges refrigerated to help them last longer and ensure freshness.

Visit californiacitrusgrowers.com to find more information.

Orange Moscow Mule Mocktail

Recipe courtesy of Gina Homolka of “Skinnytaste”
Servings: 1

• 1          California Cara Cara orange
• 1          cup ice
• 1          bottle (6.8 ounces) light ginger beer
• fresh mint leaves, for garnish

1. Slice orange in quarters then cut 2-3 slices for garnish and set aside. Juice rest of orange and place in copper mug (or any glass). Fill glass to top with ice. Add ginger beer and garnish with orange slices and mint leaves.

Source: California Citrus Growers

(Family Features) A new year brings new opportunities for personal changes and improvement from taking steps forward in a career to bettering personal relationships and - perhaps most common - starting on a path toward better health. For many, the worthwhile challenge of enhancing physical health begins with the foods and beverages you eat and drink.

Step one is to leave behind the habit of turning to unhealthy meals and instead focus on dishes that call for fresh fruits and veggies like this Quinoa Salad with Orange Cilantro Salad Dressing. Simply start with cooked quinoa and mix together with your preferred produce like orange slices, grapefruit and diced avocado. Add feta cheese, lime juice and diced red onion to bring the flavor to life and drizzle with the light, zesty dressing.

Making nutritious choices goes beyond just your meals, however. Take your commitment to the next level with beverages that don't cancel out your effort to eat healthy. This Spiced Citrus Ginger Mocktail combines a concentrate made of orange juice, orange peel, lime juice and lime peel with zero-sugar, zero-calorie ginger ale.

These health-conscious recipes are made possible with the flavor enhancement of Zevia beverages, which are naturally sweetened with stevia and include no artificial ingredients, colors or preservatives. Ranging from sodas to organic teas, energy drinks, sparkling water and mixers for cocktails and mocktails, the zero-sugar beverages fit nearly any lifestyle including eating patterns like paleo, keto, intermittent fasting and gluten-free.

Visit zevia.com/recipes to find more nutritious food and drink solutions.

Quinoa Salad with Orange Cilantro Salad Dressing

Yield: 2 cups

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup Zevia Orange Soda
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 teaspoon garlic

Quinoa Salad:

• 1 cup quinoa
• leafy greens (optional)
• 1 orange, cut into pieces (optional)
• 1 grapefruit, cut into pieces (optional)
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1/2 avocado, diced (optional)
• 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
• 1/4 cup diced red onion (optional)

1. To make dressing: In food processor, pulse orange soda, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, avocado and garlic until consistency is smooth.
2. To make quinoa salad: Cook quinoa according to package directions and let cool.
3. Once quinoa is cool, add to bowl with orange pieces, if desired; grapefruit pieces, if desired; lime juice; avocado, if desired; feta cheese, if desired; and diced onion, if desired. Top with orange cilantro salad dressing.

Spiced Citrus Ginger Mocktail

Yield: 1 mocktail

Concentrate:

• 1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 orange peel
• 1 lime peel
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 cinnamon sticks, lightly crushed

Mocktail:

• 1/3 cup concentrate
• 1 can Zevia Ginger Ale
• ice
• lime wedge, for garnish (optional)
• orange wedge, for garnish (optional)

1. To make concentrate: In small saucepan, combine orange juice, lime juice, orange peel, lime peel, black peppercorns, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks. Bring to boil over high heat then turn to low; simmer until liquid has reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Let cool and strain out solids. Transfer to glass jar and store until ready to use.
2. To make mocktail: Combine concentrate with ginger ale over ice.
3. Garnish with lime wedge or orange wedge, if desired.

Source: Zevia

(Family Features) Despite a holiday season that’s practically guaranteed to feel different than any other, one constant will remain for many: enjoying the tastes of favorite foods and beverages while cozied up at home. Enhance the holiday spirit and complement the meal at your table with adult beverages that call for seasonal flavors to add to the festive vibe.

Whether you prefer your drinks with a fruity twist and plenty of mix-ins or would rather opt for a simpler combination, the options are vast. Many traditional holiday drinks require a small handful of ingredients that blend, mix or shake together to create a wintry flavor that’s worth the wait.

Regardless of personal preferences, one ingredient you can rely on when creating an at-home concoction is a mixer like those from Zevia, which are naturally sweetened with stevia and include no artificial ingredients, colors or preservatives. These non-alcoholic, zero-sugar, zero-calorie mixers for cocktails (or mocktails) are available in three different flavors: Lemon Lime with Bitters, Tonic and Ginger Beer to provide a simple yet delicious complement to the ingredients of your choosing.

For a fruit-flavored solution, this Cranberry Smash Moscow Mule offers a sweet spin on the classic cocktail. Break out your favorite copper mug and let the cranberries and cinnamon sticks add festive flair to your fusion of vodka and ginger beer.

Alternately, if the sour notes of a margarita better fit your style, go for a holiday twist with this Winter White Margarita by blending in coconut milk and garnishing with cranberries and rosemary sprigs. By rimming your glasses with granulated stevia, you can add a sweet touch to each gulp.

To find more holiday cocktail ideas, visit Zevia.com/recipes/cocktails.

Cranberry Smash Moscow Mule

Servings: 1

• 1          cup cranberries, plus additional for garnish (optional), divided
• 3/4-1    cup water, divided
• 2          ounces vodka
• 1-2       ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
• 4          ounces Zevia Ginger Beer Mixer
• ice
• rosemary, for garnish (optional)
• lime slices, for garnish (optional)
• cinnamon sticks, for garnish (optional)

1. In saucepan, boil cranberries in 1/2 cup water until they burst.
2. Use fork to smash cranberries. Boil 3-4 minutes. Keep mixture moist by adding water 1/4 cup at a time.
3. Let mixture cool to room temperature.
4. In copper mug, combine vodka, lime juice, ginger beer and smashed cranberries over ice.
5. Garnish with additional cranberries, rosemary, lime slices and cinnamon sticks, if desired.

Winter White Margarita

Servings: 6

• 12        ounces coconut milk
• 12        ounces silver tequila
• 1          tablespoon orange extract
• 2 1/2    cups ice
• 1 1/2    cans Zevia Lemon Lime with Bitters
• granulated stevia, for garnish (optional)
• cranberries, for garnish (optional)
• rosemary sprigs, for garnish (optional)

1. In blender, blend coconut milk, tequila, orange extract, ice and bitters until smooth.
2. Rim six glasses with granulated stevia.
3. Divide mixture among glasses and garnish each with cranberries and rosemary, if desired.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

Source: Zevia

(Family Features) Introducing kids to unfamiliar flavors doesn’t have to be a frightful experience. Getting creative and taking cues from some beloved characters may be all it takes for families to explore produce in a new way and discover how delicious, satisfying and enjoyable fresh fruits and vegetables can be.

A passion for produce may begin with America’s favorites, like bananas, apples, citrus, celery, carrots and broccoli, but that’s just the beginning.

Whether it’s their angry names and tough exteriors, or simply a fear of the unknown about taste and preparation, dozens more diverse and exotic fruits and vegetables like dragon fruit, horned melon and Brussels sprouts are often the sources of produce paranoia.

An initiative from Dole, in collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc., is helping to take the scare out of specialty fruits and vegetables and widen America’s produce horizons. That’s because, like a good book or the characters in a beloved film, you can’t judge a fruit or vegetable by its appearance; nature’s true beauty often lies within.

The campaign offers character-inspired recipes, serving suggestions, digital and social activations, family-friendly activities, fun trivia and influencer partnerships that celebrate the not-so-scary world of the planet’s more unusual fresh bounty.

One easy way to introduce new flavors is by trying a variation of a familiar fruit or veggie. For example, there are more than 500 edible banana varieties in the world. You might sample a red banana or a Manzano, or even an ice cream banana, with a taste resembling vanilla custard.

These fun and kid-friendly Green Slime Nacho Cups feature plantains, for example, a member of the banana family with a different taste and texture than everyday yellow bananas – more firm and starchy like a potato. Increase your family’s produce intake even further with a Slippery Slimy Smoothie and Chicken Stuffed Roz Heads, which call for green grapes, celery, avocados, strawberries and blueberries.

Find more recipes and other not-so-scary fun at dole.com/Disney, and follow #Dole and #DoleRecipes.

Chicken Stuffed Roz Heads

Prep time: 15 minutes
Servings: 3

• 1          cup cubed, cooked chicken breast
• 1/2       cup DOLE® Green Grapes, halved
• 1/4       cup chopped Dole Celery
• 1/3       cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4       teaspoon salt
• 1/4       teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2    Dole Avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
• 6          whole-wheat pretzel twists
• 18        whole-wheat pretzel sticks
• 1          Dole Strawberry, sliced
• 3          dried, sweetened blueberries

1. In bowl, stir together chicken, grapes, celery, yogurt, salt and pepper.
2. Scoop three equal portions onto serving plate. Shape each into oval.
3. Top each with upside down avocado half.
4. Decorate each avocado half to resemble Roz’s face. Using sharp paring knife, trim each pretzel twist to create horn-rimmed glasses lens by cutting off double loop section of each pretzel twist and discarding or enjoying as snack, keeping single loop portion, which will become one lens. Two lenses are needed per Roz Head.
5. Place two pretzel lenses on each avocado to form glasses. Add pretzel stick to each side of avocado to form arms of glasses. Push four pretzel sticks into top of each avocado to form hair. Add strawberry slice, trimmed to look like lips for her mouth, and place blueberry on lower left side of face to form mole.

Green Slime Nacho Cups

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

• 1          green starting to turn yellow DOLE® Plantain, peeled and thinly sliced on bias
• 1 1/2    teaspoons canola oil
• 1/4       teaspoon salt, divided
• 1          Dole Avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
• 1          tablespoon lime juice
• 1          clove garlic, minced
• 1/2       cup thinly shredded Dole Purple Cabbage

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss plantain slices with canola oil and season with pinch of salt. On parchment paper-lined baking sheet, arrange slices in single layer with no overlapping.
2. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until crispy and lightly golden. Cool completely and set aside.
3. Using spoon, scoop flesh of avocado into small bowl and mash, reserving one half avocado shell. Stir mashed avocado with lime juice, garlic and remaining salt. Stir in slaw, reserving some for garnish. Scoop into reserved avocado shell and smooth top with back of spoon. Stick reserved cabbage shreds out of avocado mixture to look like hair.
4. Serve slime nacho cups with plantain chips.

Slippery Slimy Smoothie

Prep time:10 minutes
Servings: 2 (8 ounces each)

• 1/2       cup DOLE® Spinach
• 1          Dole Banana, peeled and frozen
• 1/2       cup Dole Green Grapes, frozen
• 1/3       cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2       cup Dole Pineapple
• 1/2       cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2       cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 5          ice cubes

1. In blender, blend spinach, banana, grapes, cucumber, pineapple, almond milk, Greek yogurt and ice cubes until smooth.
2. Pour smoothie into two glasses and serve.

©2020 Disney/Pixar (Roz)

Source: Dole