Do you know how many fruits and vegetables you need daily? According to a handy online calculator by the CDC, I am supposed to have 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables every day. Even though I try to eat healthy and I'm on a constant mission to lose reach my goal weight, I'm sure there are days where I'm not getting enough fruits & veggies in my body. I remember hearing about a grilled cheese sandwich with shredded apples and carrots, and thought it sounded tasty. Yes, I know that grilled cheese is not necessarily low fat or low calorie. But, I figured If I could add some apples and carrots in place of some cheese, it has got to be a step in the right direction. And, if the kids would eat it, that's even better, right?
You just shred up 1 or 2 carrots and an apple.
Traditional grilled cheese is fried in a pan with some butter. But, in order to save fat & calories, I broiled this version. I used a fresh seeded bread, which I love. On one side of your bread, put some of the shredded apple and carrot on your bread and top with cheese. Put some cheese on the other piece of bread.
Then, broil it in the oven until all of the cheese is melted. Sprinkle on some Italian seasoning & serve. The Italian seasoning is actually key to enhancing the flavors of the other ingredients, so don't overlook it.
And, the verdict? I'd definitely make it again for myself. It was a super easy way to get in some extra fruits and vegetables. But... I think I put too much of the carrot and apple for my kids' taste. So, if you want to use this recipe to sneak more veggies into your kids, I would start out with a little bit of the shredded mixture, and gradually add more over time.
Both of my kids actually love eating raw carrots and apples anyway. So, I think, when it comes to the kids, I'll be sticking with plain carrots and apples for now.