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Holly's April Food Column
Holly
Swee
RD, LN |
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Keep your children at the top of the class with nutritious beef
School-aged children are in the midst of educational progress testing across the state. The South Dakota Test of Educational Progress (Dakota STEP) and ACT are just a few commonly accepted tests used to measure student proficiency. Studies show that students, who have a healthy diet including nutrient-dense foods, have higher test scores. Beef is an excellent or good source of nine essential nutrients which are important for the development of healthy brains in children. Thanks to South Dakota Beef Checkoff dollars, provided by South Dakota beef producers, we have sound scientific research to help better our children’s futures through good nutrition.
Beef is the number one food source of zinc. Research indicates that in healthy, school-aged children, an increase in zinc intake improves cognitive performance, visual memory, word recognition tasks, reasoning, psychomotor function and attention skills. These skills need to be at their peak during test time for optimal performance.
Beef is also a good source of iron. Iron is the most common nutritional deficiency in the country according to the Center for Disease Control. Approximately 60 percent of girls ages 12-19 are not meeting the Recommended Dietary Allowance for iron each day. Research shows that iron deficiencies may affect learning abilities in school- aged children, especially the ability to understand math problems. Research also indicates that young anemic women have diminished mental performance when it comes to testing.
As a mother, I want to provide all the tools possible for my children to succeed in today’s world. This includes offering healthy nutritious meals. As a working professional I understand the time constraints we have in preparing tasty and appealing nutritious meals for our family. The following recipe for beef taco wraps is a fun and healthy meal that can be made quickly anytime. Don’t be afraid to ask the kids to help prepare the meal. Utilize your time wisely by teaching basic cooking skills, sharing valuable time together and expediting the meal all at once. Have fun with this recipe and keep your children at the top of the class.
For more information concerning healthy lean beef please contact the SDBIC at 605-224-4722 or www.sdbeef.org.
Beef Taco Wrap
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Ingredients: |
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1 |
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pound beef round tip steaks, cut 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick |
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1/2 |
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cup soft cream cheese |
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1 |
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package (about 1 to 1-1/4 ounces) taco seasoning mix |
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1/2 |
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cup water |
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4 |
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medium flour tortillas (about 10-inch diameter) |
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1/2 |
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cup prepared salsa |
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Lettuce, tomatoes, sliced ripe olives |
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Instructions: |
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1. |
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Combine cream cheese and 1 teaspoon taco seasoning mix in small bowl; cover and refrigerate. |
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2. |
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Stack beef steaks; cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1-inch wide strips. Combine water and remaining taco seasoning mix in medium bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes to 2 hours. |
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3. |
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Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1/2 of beef; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining beef. |
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4. |
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Spread 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture and 2 tablespoons salsa evenly over each tortilla leaving 1-inch border around edge. Top evenly with 1/4 of beef and toppings, as desired. Roll up tightly. Cut in half before serving. |
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Makes 4 servings. |
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Nutrition information per serving: 509 calories; 22 g fat (10 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat); 105 mg cholesterol; 1513 mg sodium; 44 g carbohydrate; 2.8 g fiber; 32 g protein; 6.8 mg niacin; 0.4 mg vitamin B6; 1.3 mcg vitamin B12; 4.4 mg iron; 42.4 mcg selenium; 4.4 mg zinc |
