Mealtime Magic: Back-to-School with Lemons

September means the beginning of fall, the changing of leaves – and yes, back to school. As schedules and calendars become more predictable and understandably more hectic, keeping meal prep easy is a staple of any smoothly-running home.

That’s where Limoneira comes in, because lemons and other citrus fruits can help. Check out Megan Roosevelt’s top tips for saving time in the kitchen here. Megan is a Registered Dietician, spokesperson for Limoneira Lemons for Life™ and the founder of Healthy Grocery Girl®.

“Citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges are great staples to keep in mind when meal planning because they’re versatile and full of nutrients,” says Megan in her latest video for Limoneira. Check out her time-saving back-to-school tips and tricks below.

1. Citrus & Apple – Apples are a great snack. To prevent them from browning once sliced, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the slices.
2. Citrus Snack Bars & Bites -  Store bought snack bars can be high in sugar, and low in fiber and other wholesome ingredients. Make your own snacks on the weekends for the week ahead.

No-Bake Cashew Lemon Cookie Bites
Ingredients:

• 1 cup soaked cashews
• 1 cup pitted dates
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• a pinch of sea salt

Pulse together until you create a batter. Roll into bites, and store in the fridge or freezer.

3. Chocolate Dipped Oranges – We all love a little treat after lunch, and chocolate-dipped orange slices are not only full of great antioxidants, but are easy to make in advance and keep stored in the fridge or freezer over the weekend.
4. Citrus Water – Lemon (or orange) water is a great way to make hydrating just a bit tastier. Keeping a jug of citrus water on hand in the fridge provides a yummy (and healthy) alternative to juices and sodas all week long.

Each month, Megan will be featuring another wonderful facet of lemon living. Subscribe to Limoneira’s Youtube channel for more information on the many ways this endlessly versatile fruit can improve life inside the home and beyond.

About Limoneira®
The Limoneira Company was founded in Ventura County, California in 1893. Today, Limoneira has evolved into a global company whose mission is to preserve and promote its tradition, heritage and legacy in agriculture and community development.   With 11,000 acres of agricultural production, Limoneira is the largest provider of lemons and avocados in the United States. In addition to agriculture, Limoneira has a long history of community building. Finally, sustainability has been woven into Limoneira’s fabric for over a century with strategic investments in water, solar, soil, and integrated pest management.  For more information, visit www.limoneira.com.

About Megan Roosevelt and Healthy Grocery Girl ®
Megan Roosevelt is an internationally published author, cooking show host and producer as well as a nutrition expert for regional and national television and magazines. In addition to being a plant-based Registered Dietitian, Roosevelt through Healthy Grocery Girl® provides her extensive audience with on-line cooking videos and says “I love helping people get healthy in ways that are realistic and fun”.
Roosevelt is the spokesperson for Limoneira’s Lemons for Life™ campaign and says “As one of the largest growers of lemons in the United States, the partnership with Limoneira made a great deal of sense”, she said. “It’s synergistic. We all know that lemons are among the healthiest products people can integrate into their diets”. Lemons for Life ™ highlights a variety of ways that lemons can be integrated into consumer’s lives. These include recipes, natural cleaning, beauty and health tips as well as lifestyle applications.