6 summer recipes: Transform your pantry staples with Co-op Quick Meal Cards

July 14, 2021

As much as I want to eat healthy, so much comes down to convenience.

This is why I loved “Meals that Heal,” a cookbook that showed me how to eat more anti-inflammatory foods. Author Carolyn Williams (PhD, RD) recommends having easily accessible, minimally processed meal components ready to go. She calls these “simple staples,” and for my kitchen, that means eggs and canned pinto beans for quick tacos; frozen berries for smoothies; and pre-cut veggies for … everything.

Make it tasty, make it easy.

recipe cards

This is exactly the thinking behind our Co-op Quick Meal Cards grant project, which was made possible by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE).

Student Activities Coordinator Natasha Lee came up with the concept, wrote the proposal, and managed the six-month project, which was funded by the Anthem Foundation Hunger Relief Grant Program.

With this $5,000 award, the college commissioned more than 60 laminated “quick meal cards,” which will be displayed in the Virginia Western Student Co-op, fueled by Kroger.

The recipes were created and curated by registered dietitians, including Evita Huang, a 2016 VWCC alumna who recently graduated with a master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics from Virginia Tech. (Go, Evita!)

With these recipes, students can transform pantry staples (including rice, quinoa, beans, tuna, and peanut butter) into tasty and nutritious breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or snacks. 

The co-op will rotate these cards each season, displaying 10 to 12 cards at a time inside the pantry, which is located on the top floor of the Student Life Center. Grant funding also established a card template, so the recipe catalog can be updated for years to come. 

Since the cards were created, the pantry has stocked more nutritious and less processed foods for these quick recipes. 

I was curious — and getting hungry — as I learned more about the project, so Natasha shared a bunch of recipes perfect for summer cookouts and picnics, including:

  • Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip
  • Chickpea Quinoa Bowls
  • Three Bean Salad
  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls
  • Black Bean Burger Patties
  • Blueberry Crisp

I couldn’t choose just one recipe to highlight, so you can download and print all six recipes on the Green House Grants Blog.

More funding opportunities

  • Virginia Humanities SHARP Grants: Funding through NEH provides awards to support recovery and revitalization of museums, libraries, archives, historic sites and other nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Awards range from $4,000 to $20,000 and can support humanities programming, including the expansion of outdoor and virtual programming and digital transition in support of preservation and access programs. Deadline: Aug. 16. More information.

Grant starter kit

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