Guest blog: HEB Turkey Wrap recipe
How a Turkey Wrap Changed Everything
as told by Jose Garza
Hooray! I no longer have to resort to the hiding-veggies-in-the-mac-and-cheese trick.
When my mother-and-law learned about the HEB Read3 program 6 weeks ago at AVANCE-Austin, she took my 4-year-old daughter, Emma with her every week. The two of them would come home with stories about the free books they received and how they learned to make delicious meals using…only healthy ingredients. When Emma told me about the Honey Pecan Turkey Wrap with spinach she had made with her grandma, I thought to myself, “My 4-year-old and vegetables were in the same room?” Surely, this was a dream. Usually I have to hide vegetables in my children’s mac and cheese, much to their dismay.
To find out if she was pulling my leg, I asked her to prepare what she had learned for our afternoon snack. While shopping at our local HEB, she told me to buy the following ingredients:
-H-E-B Whole-Wheat Tortillas
-H-E-B Cinnamon Honey Pecan Cheese Spread
-Fresh Spinach Leaves
-Green Apples, sliced
-H-E-B Lunch Meat
When we got back to the house, she did the following all by herself:
- Heated the tortillas in a microwave until they were warm. (Her grandma said she preferred them cold). Then, she added the Cinnamon Honey Pecan Cheese Spread.
- Placed the spinach, apple slices, and turkey over cheese spread
- Finally, she rolled up the tortilla and took a big bite. Yum!
Emma gives her approval.
I’m so proud Emma is more hands-on in the kitchen, helping us prepare meals and learning how to make tortillas with her mom. She’s also become more willing to try new foods like tuna salad. Since HEB Read3 ended this week, I see her actually preferring to eat vegetables. She’s understanding that these foods are benefiting her in the long-run. And that’s all a parent ever wants.
Jose “J.J.” Garza is the Office and Finance Coordinator for AVANCE-Austin. He’s also the proud father of Emma’s 2-year-old brother, Joe Ben, a 2016 AVANCE-Austin graduate. The Garza family is looking forward to trying this recipe again during their beach vacation.
Click here to see more pictures of the HEB Read3 program at AVANCE-Austin!