Dill Roasted Potatoes with Creamy Lemon Yogurt Dip

This summer I had the opportunity to engage with the Medical Weight Management Clinic at WVU Medicine. This clinic is multidisciplinary, giving patients with the desire to lose or maintain weight the resources to connect with physicians, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, psychologists, and social workers who can be their support on the journey.

Many of the patients come to clinic needing guidance on lifestyle changes they can make. Many of them wanted to meet with a clinical dietitian to help them meal plan, food log, shop healthy on a budget, or manage their food behaviors. Many of them were interested in bariatric surgery in the future but weren't ready to commit just yet. Many of them needed help following bariatric surgery maintaining their weight and supplying their body with the appropriate vitamins and nutrients for their newly altered gut size and physiology.

One of the projects I had the privilege to jump into was called "Munch and Move". This family-centered and pediatric program consisted of weekly 1-hour sessions focused on nutrition and physical activity for pediatric patients at the Medical Weight Management Clinic. My role in the program was to plan weekly games and exercises for a 15-minute session with the children while the dietitian chatted with the parents on barriers and ideas for child nutrition at home.

One of my favorite parts of the program was that it provided a bag of fresh vegetables and herbs to each family for each session attended. The contents of the bag include tomatoes, green beans, okra, zucchini, cucumber, parsley, mint, chives, peppers, and onions. The vegetables were grown in a community garden in Preston County, WV, which received a $10,000 grant through the Department of Medicine and paid for an irrigation system that now waters 20 raised beds.

I gave myself the challenge to take home a produce bag each week and develop a recipe as well as a video tutorial for the contents in the bag for the week. I presented them to the "Munch and Move" participants at subsequent sessions and asked for their ideas on how they prepared their garden contents. It was an awesome experience to channel my inner love for culinary medicine and creativity in the pediatric nutrition realm. I tried to give each recipe a component that children of any age could assist or customize.

Below is one of my favorite recipes from the program. It is so simple! The greek yogurt sauce is a healthier twist on a ranch dressing that perfectly pairs with potatoes or raw veggies! Please try and save these recipes. They do not disappoint.

Dill Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb petite potatoes (variety of your choice)

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Tbsp dried dill-weed

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

• Fresh herbs such as chives or parsley and green onion.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line pan with parchment paper.

2. Wash and cut potatoes in halves or quarters.

3. Combine potatoes, olive oil, dill-weed, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

4. Toss to combine. Spread potatoes evenly on parchment paper.

5. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.

6. Top with chopped herbs immediately before serving.

Creamy Lemon Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp dried dill-weed

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

• Fresh herbs such as chives, mint, or parsley and green onion

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

2. Whisk together.

3. Top with fresh herbs of your choice and green onion.

4. Serve with your favorite raw vegetable, such as cucumber, zucchini, carrots, radishes, or celery slices.