Dare to Compare in Arby's® Chicken Salad Taste-Off

/PRNewswire/ -- In years past, Americans have faced off in cola wars and burger battles, but few would have guessed that chicken salad could stir up a similar passion. Summer 2011 is poised to be the season of this sumptuous salad, and Arby's is confident that its Market Fresh® Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad Sandwich and Wrap are the best in the business. From May 9-22, Arby's will offer consumers a chance to try its sandwich or wrap free, with the purchase of any 22 oz. beverage.* People can then dare to compare Arby's Market Fresh Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad Sandwich and Wrap to the Subway® Orchard Chicken Salad sub and cast a vote for their favorite at www.facebook.com/arbys.

To encourage voter participation, for every vote cast, Arby's will donate $1, up to a total of $25,000, to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign, a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015.

"The Arby's Chicken Salad Taste-Off is on, and we're so confident in the taste of our Market Fresh Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad Sandwich and Wrap, that we're giving consumers one to try for themselves," said Chef Brian Kolodziej, vice president, product development, Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. "This friendly game of chicken is for a good cause, and we're proud to be able to support Share Our Strength in its fight against childhood hunger."

Arby's Market Fresh Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad is freshly prepared daily in-store, and starts with 100% whole chicken breast, marinated and grilled to seal in the juices and add flavor, and hand-diced fresh produce, including crisp red apples, celery, juicy red grapes and crunchy pecans. The chicken salad ingredients are blended with mayonnaise and served on either honey wheat Market Fresh bread or Arby's new, whole-grain flatbread wrap, both of which earned the Whole Grain Council's stamp of approval. Arby's new wrap contains 23 grams of whole grains, or nearly half of the daily minimum of whole grains, while the honey wheat bread offers a significant 18 grams of whole grains. The sandwich and wrap are available nationwide through mid-August.

To participate in Arby's Chicken Salad Taste-Off:

* "Like" Arby's on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/arbys) and print a coupon for a free Market Fresh Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad Sandwich or Wrap with the purchase of any 22 oz. beverage
* Compare Arby's Market Fresh Grilled Chicken & Pecan Salad Sandwich or Wrap to the competition, then
* Return to Arby's Facebook page by May 22 and cast a vote for the best tasting Chicken Salad Sandwich


Arby's will announce the outcome of the vote on May 23.

For more information about Arby's Chicken Salad Taste-Off, please visit http://www.facebook.com/arbys.

*Available at participating Arby's locations. The offer is valid only with coupon, one coupon per customer, while supplies last.

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Association for Dressings and Sauces Gives Creative Salad Recipe Ideas On Saladaday.org

/PRNewswire/ -- Eating a salad every day with your favorite salad dressing is an easy way to add valuable nutrients to your diet – nutrients that promote good health and may ward off disease. Visit www.saladaday.org to find creative salad recipes and learn the health benefits of eating salads with your favorite dressing. You will find salad recipes with chicken, salad recipes with pasta and vegetable salads, all with great salad dressing recommendations.

Salad eaters tend to have higher intakes of key nutrients, such as Vitamins C and E and folate. The healthy oils found in salad dressings help to promote the absorption of key nutrients, including many important antioxidants that are found in leafy greens and other vegetables and fruits. In addition, the majority of salad dressings are free of trans fat.

What's the key to a healthy salad? According to Sarah Wally, M.S., R.D., "The nutritional value of your salad depends on what ingredients you choose." Selecting a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables for salads ensures you're eating a wide range of beneficial nutrients.

Saladaday.org is a program of The Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS), the international trade association that represents salad dressing, mayonnaise and condiment sauce manufacturers and suppliers to the industry. Since 1992, ADS has celebrated May as National Salad Month.

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'Renegade Lunch Lady' and Whole Foods Market® Invite Schools to Apply for Grants to Fund Salad Bars at www.saladbarproject.org

/PRNewswire/ -- With an ambitious vision to place a healthy salad bar in every public school in America, Chef Ann Cooper's Food, Family, Farming Foundation (F3) and America's leading natural and organic foods supermarket, Whole Foods Market®, announced today that the Great American Salad Bar Project's grant application is now open for schools to apply for a free salad bar kit. The window to apply for the grant at www.saladbarproject.org is Sept. 1 through Nov. 1, 2010. Applicants must participate in the National School Lunch Program and demonstrate a commitment to sustaining a healthy cafeteria salad bar. This project is an initiative of TheLunchBox.org which provides tangible solutions for making healthier, fresh and made-from-scratch food available to schoolchildren across the country.

F3 is the granting institution and will collect and approve school applications. Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and are within a 50-mile radius of any Whole Foods Market are eligible to apply. Parents and advocates dedicated to improving school lunches can encourage their local schools to apply for the grant online at www.saladbarproject.org.

"The No. 1 one thing a school can do to improve its food is to add a healthy salad bar and allow children to make their own healthy choices," said Cooper, "Renegade Lunch Lady", director of nutrition services at the Boulder Valley School District and founder of the F3 Foundation and TheLunchBox.org. "Kids have the right to a wholesome, delicious meal which includes access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy proteins, every school day."

To fund the short-term goal of donating 300 salad bars to public schools in the communities Whole Foods Market serves, its shoppers have already donated $679,093 only three weeks into the campaign. The funds to date equate to 271 salad bars. Shoppers may continue to donate until Sept. 29 at all stores or may donate online at www.saladbarproject.org. Schools selected by F3 for free salad bar kits will be announced by Jan. 15, 2011 and salad bar kits will be shipped to schools within a month.

"It is so invigorating to see our shoppers are as passionate as we are about making healthier, fresh food available to school children in one of the most tangible ways. We are so appreciative they have embraced this fundraiser and that children in our communities will soon benefit from their generosity," said Marci Frumkin, executive marketing director for Whole Foods Market. "We have already raised 90 percent of our fundraising goal of $750,000 and we invite everyone to help spread the word to school administrators about the simple grant application at saladbarproject.org."

Each school that is chosen will receive a portable, five-well Cambro® salad bar complete with utensils, pan inserts, chilling pads and training tools. TheLunchBox.org will provide the necessary training tools and ongoing support to help ensure proper management. Each applying school will need to obtain approval from its district superintendent, school principal and nutrition services director and commit to use the salad bar as part of the lunch program for two school years.

Grant awards will be based on need, potential for impact, commitment to the program and potential for future viability when the grant period has ended.

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Entertain At Home, Inexpensively--Bring An Easy Cobb Scramble To Brunch

(NAPSI)-Going out is out, eating in is in. Home entertaining has become big again, as folks look for an economical way to gather friends and family together but still stay within a budget. This easy meal in a skillet is just right for any brunch occasion--pregame, lazy Sunday or "just let's get together"--or for a weekend breakfast or weekday supper.

The cook gets a break because this unique dish is as simple as scrambled eggs plus the traditional Cobb salad ingredients: avocados, chicken or turkey, bacon, blue cheese and some green onion. Serve the scramble right from the skillet, pass whole grain rolls or crisp French bread and add a side of seasonal fruit such as apples or citrus.

This winter there's a bumper crop of beautiful Hass Avocados from Chile. The seasons down there are just the reverse of ours, so Hass Avocados from Chile complement the California supply. Use leftover chicken or turkey and select less expensive blue cheese crumbles and you'll have an impressive main dish. The food cost is low and so is the calorie count--less than 250 per serving!

Avocados are more than just pretty and tasty--they provide nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, including phytonutrients thought to help prevent many chronic diseases, and all for just 50 calories in a 1-ounce serving. They have no sodium and no cholesterol. A 1-ounce serving of avocados contains MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids)--the "good" fats.

For other eating-in events, consider a fruit plate of citrus and avocado slices sprinkled with some fresh mint, or Hass avocado slices atop a frittata, in a club sandwich, on a burger or even scattered over a hot dog--a Chilean favorite.

For plenty of great recipes, visit www.chileanavocados.org.

COBB SCRAMBLE

Makes 4 servings

All the great flavors of the famous Cobb salad--turkey, bacon, blue cheese and, of course, avocado--in an easy, easy skillet breakfast, brunch or supper. Complete the quick-to-make meal with a fruit salad and you're done.

1 Hass Avocado from Chile

6 eggs OR 1½ cups egg substitute

½ cup chopped turkey or chicken

2 slices turkey bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

¼ cup chopped green onions

Rinse avocado and cut in half. Spoon out pit. Spoon out flesh and cut into chunks. In medium bowl, beat eggs. Stir in avocado, turkey, bacon, blue cheese and onions.

Heat nonstick skillet sprayed with pan coating over medium-high heat. Add egg-avocado mixture and scramble, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set but still moist.

Or, scramble eggs and then top with avocado, turkey, bacon, blue cheese and onions.

Nutritional information per serving--calories 243, fat 17g, monounsaturated fat 7.8g, saturated fat 5g, protein 19g, carbohydrates 5g, cholesterol 345mg, sodium 327mg, fiber 1.4g.

With egg substitute: calories 183, fat 11.5g, monounsaturated fat 5.74g, saturated fat 3.27g, protein 17g, carbohydrates 4.5g, cholesterol 25mg, sodium 328mg, fiber 1.4g.

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Top 10 Ways To Use Leftover Holiday Turkey at EatTurkey.Com

/PRNewswire/ -- Gobble up the goodness on Thanksgiving and beyond by making use of the entire holiday turkey with National Turkey Federation's (NTF) "Top 10 Ways to Use Leftover Turkey."

"The turkey sandwich might be the perennial favorite, but visitors to NTF's Web site are finding exciting new ways to enjoy their leftover turkey," said Sherrie Rosenblatt, NTF's vice president of marketing and communications. "Whole turkey offers an endless supply of entree, appetizer, soup and salad choices."

Leftover turkey should be carved from the bone and stored in shallow containers and refrigerated or frozen within two hours of cooking. Use the refrigerated turkey in a sandwich or on top of a salad within three to four days, or freeze the leftovers to use in soups and stews for up to three months, which will last through the winter months.

Based on consumer visits to NTF's Web site recipe database, the top 10 ways to use leftover turkey are:

10. Thai Grilled Pizza
9. Turkey Monte Cristo
8. Easy Cheesy Turkey Enchiladas
7. Turkey Cranberry Croissant
6. Turkey Reuben Sandwich
5. Turkey Pot Pie
4. Slow Cooker White Turkey Chili
3. Creamy Creole Turkey Bake
2. Using it All Turkey Soup


And, the number one favorite leftover recipe is the flavorful Turkey, Mandarin and Poppy Seed Salad, which is low in fat and cholesterol - the perfect formula for balancing healthy fare with good value.

Mandarin and Poppy Seed Salad

Ingredients
1/4 Cup orange juice
1-1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-1/2 Teaspoons poppy seeds
1-1/2 Teaspoons olive oil
1 Teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
5 Cups red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, chilled and torn
2 Cups baby spinach leaves, washed, dried, chilled and torn
1/2 Pound COOKED TURKEY BREAST, cut into 1/2-inch julienne
1 Can (10-1/2 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
1 Teaspoon orange zest

1. Dressing: In small bowl combine orange juice, vinegar, poppy seeds,
oil, mustard and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
2. Salad: In large bowl toss together lettuce, spinach, turkey and
oranges. Pour dressing over turkey mixture.
3. Garnish with orange zest and serve immediately.

To view all top 10 leftover recipe ideas visit www.eatturkey.com/consumer/thanks/leftovers.html or EatTurkey.com for more than 1,000 consumer recipes.

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Making On-The-Go Days Salad Days

(NAPSI)-If you've been tossing around ways to eat more salad, it might be time to think outside the bowl.

Even when you're on the go, you can eat a salad every day. Just take favorite salad ingredients-from fresh veggies and dressing, to signature salads like chicken Caesar-and simply wrap them in low-calorie tortillas. You can take them to work, on a picnic, to a ball game or wherever else you're headed.

You might boost the salad-wrap's nutritional content by opting for dressing made with canola oil. Litehouse Foods, which makes dressings, dips and more, uses the oil exclusively in its salad dressings because it has no trans fat and is recommended by the American Heart Association as part of a heart-healthy diet.

Visit www.30salads30days.com, a Web site from Litehouse Foods, for a selection of dressings and for a new salad recipe for each day of the month, including this one for Ham and Pineapple Slaw Wraps:

Ham and Pineapple SlawÊWraps

Serves 6

2 pineapple spears cut into thin strips

2 carrots cut into thin strips

¼ cup raisins

12 ounces fully cooked lean ham, cut into strips

1 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced

¾ cup Litehouse Lite Coleslaw dressing

6 large flour tortillas

In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, carrots, raisins, ham and cabbage. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss. Divide the slaw among the tortillas and roll into wraps.

Nutrition: Calories 349, Total fat 8g, Carbohydrate 58g, Protein 16g, Fiber 10g, 21% calories from fat.

For more information, visit www.30salads30days.com or call (800) 669-3169.

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Quick And Easy Salads For Busy Families

(NAPSI)-Salads can be a tasty way to add more vegetables into your family's diet and get closer to the five to seven daily servings recommended by the USDA.

Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad is a healthful and delicious recipe to serve your active family; a light, flavorful salad packed with nutritious vegetables and drizzled with a canola oil vinaigrette.

It's easy to improvise on this basic recipe. You can substitute other vegetables that your family loves and use a different vinegar or other seasonings. For a heartier meal, add chopped, cooked chicken or cubes of cheese.

Versatile canola oil is great in salads like this because it allows the flavor of other ingredients to come through. High in omega-3s yet free of cholesterol and trans fat, canola oil is the lowest of all vegetable oils in saturated fats.

Prepare this salad the night before and store undressed until dinner. Just add the vinaigrette before serving.

Tomato and Basil Pasta Salad

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 broccoli top, cut into bite-size pieces

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

3 yellow squashes, blanched and sliced (or 2 small zucchini, chopped)

1 cup fresh basil, torn

1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients with the pasta. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

For more recipes, visit www.northerncanola.com.

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Great Grill Sides

(NAPSI)-Craving something different to serve with favorite grilled foods? These two salads deliver on flavor and satisfy a wide range of tastes. Sunny citrus complements grilled fish, pork and poultry. Savory potato is a delicious side to hamburger, sausage or lamb.

Sunny Citrus Salad

Serves 4

1 small bunch arugula, separated and stems removed (or use spinach)

2 heads endive, leaves separated and cores removed

2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented

1 avocado (preferably Hass) peeled, pit removed and quartered, cut into thin fan slices

2 ounces Jarlsberg or Jarlsberg Lite cheese, julienned

½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Arrange equal amounts of arugula and endive in pattern across top of each plate. Place avocado fan on opposite side. Arrange citrus sections on either side of avocado. Top with cheese and walnuts.

Serve with Vinaigrette: In bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons each canola oil and orange juice, 2 teaspoons minced red onion, ⅛ teaspoon each black pepper and dried basil.

New Potato-Cheese Salad

Serves 4

1 pound small new potatoes, cooked, cooled and quartered

1 tablespoon minced red onion

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1½ pounds mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh snipped chives

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ cup shredded Jarlsberg or Jarlsberg Lite cheese

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

In large mixing bowl, toss potatoes with onion and vinegar. In skillet, sauté mushrooms in oil over medium heat until tender, about 2 minutes. Add chives and saute for 1 minute more. Stir in lemon juice. Divide potatoes between four plates and top with equal amounts mushroom mixture, cheese and walnuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Upscale your barbecue, with a variety of condiments, from the traditional (pickle relish, ketchup, mayonnaise, grilled onions) to unique (artichoke or sun-dried tomato tapanades, chipotle sauce, fruit salsas, caponata). Have a few interesting cheese choices to top burgers, steaks, chicken or fish from a creamy Boursin to piquant Spanish Gran Maestre Manchego. For those with lactose sensitivity, offer fresh Chevrai or luscious goat Brie (such as Woolwich Dairy).

For more ideas, visit www.norseland.com.

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Add Salad To Your Diet Every Day

(NAPSI)-Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day can be a "berry" good idea, especially when you find a way to combine fruits such as berries and flavorful vegetables into one delicious and nutritious salad.

Enjoying a salad a day can help increase your energy level, fill you up and provide essential vitamins and minerals found in a variety of produce. Including a variety of foods helps to keep you on track to eating better and avoids the boredom that comes with some diets. And, when tossing together, the ingredients are limited only by your imagination. Think of flavors you like and try them together; the results could be surprisingly tasty.

For recipes that showcase the many imaginative ways to toss a salad, visit 30salads30days.com. The site offers a salad for every day of the month.

One of the featured recipes is a mouthwatering Berry, Walnut and Avocado Salad. Sweet berries and smooth avocados are the heroes in this fresh salad, while the berry flavors of the Litehouse salad dressings flavorfully echo the fruit found in this crunchy-sweet salad.

Berry, Walnut and Avocado Salad

Serves 4-6

1 pkg (6 oz.) spring mix salad

¾ cup fresh strawberries, quartered

⅓ cup glazed walnuts

⅓ cup golden raisins

1 large avocado, sliced

⅓ cup Litehouse Idaho Bleu cheese crumbles

¼ -½ cup Litehouse Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette, Litehouse Organic Raspberry Lime Vinaigrette or Litehouse Pomegranate Blueberry Vinaigrette

In a medium bowl, toss together the spring mix, strawberries, walnuts and golden raisins. Top with avocado and bleu cheese crumbles. Drizzle lightly with Litehouse dressing just prior to serving and pass dressing with salad.

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Fresh Blueberries for Luscious Salads

CC Note: We bit into this salad recipe and will be doing it again and again. We give it 4 chocolate covered strawberries in our rating system of new dishes.

(ARA) - Blueberries are most abundant and least expensive in the summer, making it an ideal time to get your fill of these little blue gems. Stock the fridge and freezer with blueberries to make meals, snacks and desserts that are easy on the cook. Blueberries never need to be peeled, pitted, stemmed or chopped –just a quick rinse and they’re ready to eat or add to recipes.

Try these ideas for making quick, delicious salads that are enjoyable any time:

* Toss blueberries, chopped pineapple, jalapeno pepper and cilantro with lime juice and serve beside grilled chicken breasts.

* Stir blueberries into your favorite tuna salad and scoop onto baby spinach.

* Whirl vinaigrette salad dressing and blueberries in the blender until smooth and toss with green salads.

Blueberries are not only convenient, they also provide nutrients our bodies need every day. You can find more blueberry recipes and information at www.blueberrycouncil.org.

“Blueberry-Mango Colada Salad” is cool and fresh, boasting bright colors and sweet fruit flavors. With just three ingredients, this delicious salad is a snap to make. Spoon it into stemmed glasses and enjoy as a light fruit dessert. Another option is to serve with meat sizzling from the grill or with simple chicken sandwiches.

Blueberry-Mango Colada Salad

2 cups fresh blueberries
2 mangos, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1-3/4 cups)
1/4 cup frozen pina colada mix, thawed

In a large bowl, toss blueberries, mangos and pina colada mix. Into four martini glasses or dessert dishes, spoon fruit mixture, dividing evenly. Garnish with blueberries, mango slices and thin lime slices threaded onto long toothpicks, if desired.

YIELD: 4 portions

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Time For An Oil Change: A Simple Way To Eat Healthier

NAPSI - Eating a healthier diet can be as simple as making a few tasty substitutions.

For example, you can use canola oil in any recipe that calls for vegetable, olive, corn or sunflower oil. Light in flavor, canola is the lowest in saturated fat of all cooking oils and has the healthiest balance of fatty acids. While it's cholesterol- and trans fat-free, it's high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Try this healthy, delicious salad, which combines romaine lettuce, spinach, fruits and nuts in a flavorful canola oil vinaigrette. If desired, add a little more curry.

Curried Spinach Salad With Grapes And Oranges

1 head romaine, torn into pieces

1 cup torn fresh spinach

1 11-ounce can mandarin orange sections, chilled and drained

1 cup green grapes, seeded and halved

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

1/2 cup canola oil

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced frozen chives

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, spinach, orange sections, grapes and almonds. In a jar with a screw-on lid, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, chives, curry powder, soy sauce and brown sugar. Shake well before serving. Just before serving, toss some of the dressing with the salad and serve the remaining dressing separately.

Serves 6 to 8.

For more fabulous recipes using canola oil, see the new cookbook "Canola Gourmet" (Capital Books) by Sheri Coleman and Sheilah Kaufman. It's available in bookstores and on amazon.com and other book search engines.