Meet Manna’s New Nutrition Educator

Greetings! I am Manna’s new Nutrition Educator, Lindsey Seegers. I love to cook, and am passionate about preparing fast, nutritious meals—delicious above all else. I was a picky eater for a good eighteen years, thinking vegetables were soggy and bland.

These days, I simply cannot get enough veggies. Preparing vegetable-rich meals for skeptical audiences delights me so much. There is that instant of surprise “Holy cow, I was not expecting that flavor-explosion”, then the glance towards the fork “…and this is a vegetable?” and then the verbal acknowledgment, “I actually really, really enjoyed that.” This scene occurred over 60 times yesterday in Manna’s lobby, where I passed out samples of my favorite Tangy Apple-Carrot Salad along with Garlicky Mashed Russets and Kale. From little toddlers to sweet seniors, these flavor-packed vegetables were a smash hit.

You’ll see me at Manna demoing recipes with our seasonal ingredients, and teaching Nutrition classes throughout the community. I look forward to offering future classes at Manna around cooking techniques, budget-friendly healthy meals, and whatever topics leave you stumped in the kitchen—do leave any input here in the Comment section!

It is lovely to meet you, I so look forward to seeing you around Manna talking all things delicious and nutritious. Now I couldn’t leave without sneaking in that apple-carrot salad recipe, could I? This gets better in the fridge, and so beautiful eaten cold—perfect for these hot summer days.

Tangy Carrot-Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

adapted from Vegetarian Times ∙ serves 4 (consider doubling!) ∙ less than 20 minutes active time

1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 teaspoon)

2 cups carrots (grated or sliced with a vegetable peeler)

1/2 red apple, diced (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries (use unsweetened if possible)

1 tsp. agave nectar or honey

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups baby spinach

Combine the cider vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together carrots, apple, green onion, and cranberries in a large bowl. Whisk agave nectar and oil into the cider vinegar mixture. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and chill 2 hours or overnight. Serve the salad on a bed of spinach leaves—or just rip the spinach up and toss it in!

P.S. You can find this recipe and many more in our lobby in both English and Spanish. And of course I’m always around to answer questions!

and just in case… how to mince garlic!

About Lindsey Seegers

Lindsey Seegers is the Program Manager of Nutrition Education at Manna Food Center. Her background is in Social Work and Nutrition; her passion is cooking food always delicious and nutritious. She teaches cooking and nutrition classes, and leads grocery store tours around Montgomery County about affordable and do-able healthy cooking. Since 1983, Manna has been feeding Montgomery County’s food insecure residents. In our 30 years of service Manna has served nearly 3 million people, 668,527 households, and distributed 45 million pounds of food. As the designated food bank for Montgomery County we are the main resource people turn to when they find themselves in need of food assistance. Manna delivers emergency food assistance through its three main programs: Food for Families, Smart Sacks, and Agency Food Distribution.

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