5 healthy meals to share with your family

February can be a funny old month. The festive season is a distant memory, but there are still weeks to go until the carefree days of spring. This means it is more important than ever to keep your spirits high by spending quality time with family members. Not only is eating together one of the best ways to relax and catch-up on what everyone has been doing, but it’s also a chance to share a healthy and nutritious meal. That’s why we recommend these five fantastic family dishes made with Zespri Green kiwifruit. With 16 essential vitamins and minerals, including fibre and vitamin C¹, it’s exactly what your family needs to stay warm and well this February.

Chickpea and millet bean burger with avocado and Zespri kiwifruit

What family doesn’t love burger night? The good news is that this crowd-pleasing dish can be served in a healthy way, by adding plant-based foods such as chickpeas and avocado. In this recipe, meat is replaced with beans for a vegetarian option that is both sophisticated and tasty.

Quinoa salad with Zespri Green kiwifruit and beans

Family meals should be fun and colourful. Not only is this salad packed full of superfoods, but it looks as good as it tastes. Why not get the kids involved in the cooking process by letting them choose how to layer up the ingredients in the most eye-catching way? Experience tells us that for children, what is fun to make is also fun to eat!

Chunky pepper and tomato soup with Zespri Green kiwifruit

It’s important to take care of your emotional and physical wellbeing as winter comes to an end. And what is more comforting to body and mind then a cup of warm soup? This recipe is the perfect February pick me up, with smoky paprika to beat off the February chill, and tomatoes and peppers to get you looking forward to sunnier days ahead. We recommend placing the saucepan of soup in the centre of the table, along with some crusty bread rolls, and each member of the family serve themselves.

Egg pudding with spinach and Zespri kiwifruit

This colourful layered starter is a real family favourite: it looks exciting, and it tastes even better. Zespri kiwifruit perfectly contrast with the other flavours in the dish, creating a surprising sensation that will please everybody’s palate. Furthermore, it is also rich in folate, which can bring a host of health benefits for the whole family^2-3.

Lamb, beetroot and green kiwifruit meatballs

You might not have considered combining kiwifruit with meat before, but actually the flavours make a great partnership. This recipe is an ingenious way to get pickier members of the family to eat fruits and vegetables. The secret? Zespri Green kiwifruit adds a sweet and juicy texture to the meatballs. Just make sure there is enough for second servings!

References

1. New Zealand Ministry of Health. New Zealand FOODfiles 2014 Version 01. Available from: www.foodcomposition.co.nz/ (accessed 10 January 2017)
2. European Commission. EU register on nutrition and health claims (2012).
3. EU Commission. (2018) Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. Retrieved July 10, 2018 from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32011R1169