This mashed chickpea salad is a vegetarian version of the classic tuna salad! The perfect no-cook meal that you can easily make in minutes. When served on lettuce “boats,” this quick meal instantly becomes extra fun for littles to eat as well as getting some extra veggies in!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas
  
• 1 stalk celery, diced
  
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or to taste
  
• 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  
• 1/4 cup mayo or Greek yogurt, or to taste
  
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
  
• Salt & pepper, to taste
  
• Lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour the cooked and drained chickpeas into a medium bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the chickpeas until there are no more whole beans and to your desired consistency.
   
2. Add diced celery, lemon juice/apple cider vinegar, mustard, mayo/Greek yogurt, onion powder, salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix well.
   
3. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add more mayo/yogurt for a creamier salad.
   
4. Arrange the prepped lettuce leaves (these will become your “boats”) on a serving platter or individual plates. Fill each one with a scoop or two of the mashed chickpea salad.
   
5. Enjoy as is or top with sliced tomatoes, shredded carrots or diced avocado.

Enjoy this crunchy and sweet Waldorf Salad that's on the lighter side because of the creamy yogurt dressing! This recipe is a great introduction to celery and salad to children if they're apprehensive about both. Be sure to have them assist you with chopping the celery and apples using a kid-safe knife or butter knife and have them mix up the sweet dressing!

Breakfast is an important meal that gives you energy to get your day started. But often a major food group is missing from your breakfast plate or bowl... veggies! Join us for our #veggiebudsbreakfastclub challenge for the month of February: include at least one veggie in your first meal of the day. To give you some inspiration we've compiled some of our favorite veggie-packed breakfasts! We've broken them down into 3 categories: Savory, Baked Goods, and Smoothies. Each recipe below includes veggies, is delicious, and is simple to make!

Sweet Potato Quiche: This tasty quiche is packed with veggies and bacon (optional) and swaps the standard crust with shredded sweet potato instead for an extra veggie boost.
Savory Corn Pancakes: These savory pancakes from Happy Kids Kitchen are great with avocado or spread with a little cream cheese and made into sandwiches. Yum!
Sweet Potato Toasts​: These sweet potato toasts from Eat Pretty Darling are so versatile because they are delicious both sweet and savory. That’s what makes them the perfect toast substitute!
Rainbow Fried Rice: This rainbow fried rice from Happy Kids Kitchen is colorful, easy, healthy, and delicious for breakfast!
Vegetable Frittata: Healthy Little Foodies has a great kid-approved and veggie-packed frittata recipe, make it ahead and reheat in the morning.
Cauliflower & Cheese Muffins: Be sure to let your kiddos know that their yummy egg muffins have some "hidden" cauliflower inside, recipe from My Kids Lick The Bowl.
5-Ingredient Bacon & Broccoli Egg Cups: These are a great grab-and-go breakfast option from The Natural Nurturer.
Carrot Banana Protein Oatmeal: This oatmeal from The Natural Nurturer is full of nothing but the good stuff and is super easy to make!
Veggie Oatmeal: Happy Healthy Casa has some great options for veggie-packed oatmeal including how to incorporate zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, squash, sweet potato, and spinach!

Carrot Cake Muffin Tops: The top of the muffin is the best part, right? These wholesome treats are a combination of a tender muffin and an oatmeal breakfast cookie. Recipe by Happy Kids Kitchen.
One-Bowl Sweet Potato Pancakes: These pancakes from Happy Kids Kitchen are a great way to add some extra nutrients into your morning!
No-Bake Pumpkin Energy Balls: These no-bake pumpkin energy balls from Stephanie Middleberg are tasty, and they freeze well so they're a perfect on-the-go breakfast or snack for your kiddos.
Green French Toast Sticks: Enjoy this delicious kid-friendly way to "sneak" in some spinach from Happy Kids Kitchen! Little chefs will know that greens are in this fun breakfast, but they sure won't be able to taste them.
Outrageous Orange Granola: This granola from Eat Pretty Darling is packed with pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrots- so much orange veggie goodness!
Sweet Spinach Muffins: These kid-favorite muffins from Super Healthy Kids are 100% whole wheat, refined-sugar-free, and packed with fresh spinach!
Banana Spinach Pancake Pizza: This pancake pizza from The Natural Nurturer is a perfectly delicious way to serve up veggies for breakfast! Sweetened entirely with fruit and loaded with spinach.

Tropical Carrot Smoothie: ​Happy Kids Kitchen has developed a tropical vacation in a glass! Kids will love measuring and adding ingredients to the blender, helping to chop the carrot, and pressing the buttons on the blender.
Spinach Superhero Smoothie: This recipe from Motherhood and Meals is called "superhero smoothie" because just as superheroes in stories fight crime, the spinach in this smoothie helps fight off illness!
​Ants on a Log Smoothie: Adding celery to a smoothie with the addition of peanut butter in a tasty protein-and-veggie packed breakfast! Recipe from Motherhood and Meals.
Vitamin C Immune Boosting Smoothie: This smoothie from The Natural Nurturer is made with strawberry, banana, red bell pepper and is the perfect way to start your day!
Cauliflower Strawberry Banana Smoothie: Just 4 ingredients! Enjoy this simple and delicious smoothie from Live Eat Learn.

We are excited to bring you this month's post from Katie Blauser, the creator of Eat Pretty Darling: "Celery-brate Celery with Celery Bugs!". 
You can join in on lots of celery fun with our "Celery-brate Celery!" Veggie Buds Club box. This fun box is guaranteed to make celery fun for your kiddos! Learn more and purchase here.

Do you remember growing up with ants on a log? Why not get a little more creative and make a whole assortment of bugs instead! Celery is the perfect vessel to make some fun food art. Do you ever try food art at your house? It’s a great way to get kids exposure to new foods without the pressure. They can touch it and explore it and even make it into a little masterpiece.
We love getting crafty in the kitchen and these celery bugs are just as fun to make as they are to eat! The great thing about celery is it can go both sweet or savory. Venture out from the typical peanut butter and fill it with cream cheese or Greek yogurt ranch. Let your kids make their bugs and you might just be surprised by their creativity. From snakes to snails, ladybugs to butterflies, the possibilities are endless. My toddler was super obsessed with the grape snake!

Materials Needed

• Celery
• Filling (peanut butter, cream cheese, Greek yogurt ranch, etc.)
• Additional fruits and veggies for decorating

Instructions

1. Cut the celery stalks into different lengths. Spread your filling of choice to fill the middle of the celery.
2. Turn your celery into bugs by adding heads, wings, shells, antennae, or eyes. You can even create your own made up bugs!

Get kids involved in the kitchen- peeling carrots, adding veggies to the pot, and
stirring in those fun alphabet noodles with this veggie-packed, comforting soup.
​
Ingredients
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-½ small onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
-1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
-1 stalk celery, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice
-¼ teaspoon Kosher or coarse sea salt, plus more to season
-1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 medium sized waxy potato (red or yellow skinned), cut into ¼-inch dice
-¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
-½ 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes (about ¾ cup)
-3 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
-Handful of green beans, trimmed and cut into small rounds
-½ cup frozen peas, frozen corn, or a combination of both
-½ cup alphabet shaped pasta*
-1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or micro basil
-Freshly ground pepper
-Parmesan cheese, for the top (optional)
​
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook until vegetables have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and potatoes. Stir an additional minute.
3. Add tomatoes, broth or water, green beans, and alphabet pasta. Bring pot up to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender and pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in frozen peas then turn off heat and stir in fresh basil.
5. Taste soup for seasoning then add in pepper and additional salt, as needed.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of  extra basil, if desired.

*Cooked pasta will absorb lots of liquid if left in the soup for an extended period of time. If you’d like to make this soup in advance or freeze a portion to enjoy another time, you will want to cook your pasta in a separate pot, drain, then add to the portion of the soup you will be eating right away.