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/ Healthy Eating Tips, Monthly Harvest, Recipes

September Harvest: Eggplant


Did you know that the eggplant is a member of the potato family? These vegetables come in many colors and sizes and have quite a few health benefits; they can be purple, green, white or striped and range from the size of a golf ball to a football!

Eggplants are a rich source of fiber, which can aid in digestion and in helping to keep you full. They also contain vitamin C and vitamin K, both of which help with the body’s healing processes. They are rich in potassium, which supports heart health, as well as magnesium for bone health. Eggplant also contains folate, which is important for women of child-bearing age. In fact, many useful medicines were derived from the same family as the eggplant. Additionally appealing is their low-calorie count-one cup of eggplant is just 20 calories! Many people use eggplants as a meat substitute in recipes. Any eggplant parmesan fans out there?

When picking out an eggplant, it is important to note that you should choose eggplants that are heavy for their size-these have the substance you are craving for minimal calories! Also avoid those with cracks or blemishes, as they may be older.

Pro tip: If you are looking for sweeter, more tender eggplants, choose the smaller ones. You should also make sure to store eggplants in the refrigerator crisper drawer if not preparing them right away and use them within 5-7 days.

Since eggplant is a summer harvest vegetable, one of the best ways to prepare it is on the grill!

 

Print
Grilled Baby Eggplant
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds baby eggplant halved
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush eggplant with oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. 

  2. Grill the eggplant, turning once, until softened and lightly charred, 6 to 10 minutes. 

/ Healthy Eating Tips, Monthly Harvest, Recipes

August Harvest: Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas are one of the two varieties of pea pods. Unlike their flat snow pea counterpart – snap peas have plump pods containing juicy peas inside. Snap peas have a string along their edge that can be removed by holding the leafy stem and pulling from end to end.

Each one cup serving contains 35 calories and 2 grams of fiber. They are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and folate.

When food shopping – look for pea pods that are firm, plump, and bright green in color. They should be stored in the refrigerator. Snap peas can also be purchased frozen and steamed before use. The nutrition content is identical in frozen vegetables. The best part is they last a year in the freezer instead of a week or two like they would in the refrigerator.

Here are our favorite ways to use them!
– Add to a stir fry with chicken or shrimp and mixed vegetables, serve with 1/2 cup brown rice.
– Boil for 3 minutes and immediately immerse in ice water. Serve with 2 tbsp hummus.
– Mix into to a quinoa or mixed green salad for a crunchy addition.

Print
Sautéed Snap Peas with Mint
Ingredients
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3/4 pound sugar snap peas trimmed
  • 10 ea baby carrots julienned
  • 3 ea green onions chopped
  • 1/2 ea garlic clove
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar snap peas, green onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for 4 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the mint leaves.

/ Healthy Eating Tips

Do Fats Make you Fat?

Dietary fat gets a bad rap for contributing to unwanted weight gain and heart disease, but is it as bad as we have all learned to believe? In this post we hope to clear up any confusion related to the idea that all fats are bad. When eaten in moderation with appropriate choices, fat can be incorporated into a balanced and healthy diet.

Fats are an essential source of energy for our bodies. Below is a list of some of its many functions within the body:

  • Supports healthy growth
  • Protects our organs
  • Keeps our bodies warm
  • Helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins
  • Produces important hormones.

Keep in mind: There are 9 calories for every gram of fat. This makes it more energy dense than carbohydrates (4 kcal/g) and protein (4 kcal/g). Consume in moderation! Fats should make up approximately 20-35% of your daily calories.

The types of fat you should limit:

Saturated: Fat molecules are saturated with hydrogen and contain no double bonds between carbon molecules. Eating foods with saturated fats raises your brisk of heart disease and stroke by increasing the level of cholesterol in your blood. Most are solid at room temperature (butter, coconut oil, lard)

Trans Fat: Formed through a process called hydrogenation to increase shelf life and improve texture. Associated with higher risks of CVD by raising LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreasing HDL (good cholesterol). Look for ‘hydrogenated oils’ or ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ on the label.Sources include cakes, cookies, donuts, deep fried foods, crackers.

Cholesterol:  Found in animal products only. Dietary cholesterol alone doesn’t contribute to high serum cholesterol. Studies have shown that high saturated fat and high carbohydrate diets can increase cholesterol.

 

 

 

The types of fat you should eat in moderation:

Unsaturated Fats: Fat molecules with one or more points of unsaturation. Typically liquid at room temperature (olive oil). Can help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Found in most cooking oils, avocados, nuts and seeds and fatty fish.

Omega-3: Type of polyunsaturated fat. Useful in reducing inflammation, heart disease and stroke risk. American Heart Association recommends 2 servings of fatty fish per week such as salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines to help obtain the recommended amount. Omega-3s are also found in walnuts and flaxseeds.

 

 

Fats play an important role in the function of the body. They also contribute a slower to digest form of energy which can aid in satiety. However, because they are so energy dense – portion control is key. Be sure to check portion sizes on labels and stick to those to make sure you’re getting the appropriate amount.

Below is a little cheat sheet for you to summarize what we’ve discussed! Enjoy!

/ Healthy Eating Tips, Monthly Harvest, Recipes

July Harvest: Blueberries

At just 41 calories per half cup, these little guys pack a powerful punch when it comes to antioxidant and nutrient power. They contain fiber, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin K and copper. Blueberries are also high in phytonutrients including flavonols and anthocyancins which can help decrease inflammation and reduce cancer risk.

Blueberries grow on flowering bushes and will be ready for picking in late July through mid August. They have a wide range of flavors and can range from mildly sweet to tart and tangy in taste. Their colors can vary from many subtle shades of blue to maroon to very dark purple.

Choose blueberries that are firm and have a bright and uniform hue colored with a whitish bloom. Avoid berries that appear dull in color or are soft and watery in texture. The blueberries should move freely in the container. Little movement could indicate damage or mold. Blueberries should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Wash just prior to eating to avoid spoilage.

Blueberries are a versatile fruit. They can be added to baked goods like muffins and pies, added to a smoothie, added to a salad, or even made into jams.

 

Print
Mixed Berry Chicken Salad
Ingredients
  • 1 5oz bag spring mix greens
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries washed
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries washed and sliced
  • 1/2 cup mandarin orange slices
  • 1/2 ea english cucumber sliced
  • 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 cup rotisserie chicken chopped
Dressing
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries washed
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions

  1. For the dressing, in a food processor or blender combine the second group of ingredients except for the avocado oil. Blend until the blueberries are pureed. Add avocado oil.

  2. Wash and dry your greens and combine with the remaining ingredients. Top with dressing and serve!

/ Healthy Eating Tips, Monthly Harvest, Recipes

June Harvest: Asparagus


Asparagus is a spring growing vegetable that you’ve probably started to see at your local farmers market or inside CSA boxes. This stalky vegetable will bloom typically from April to June. You will see green varieties more often but there are also white and purple varieties available as well.

Stem thickness can indicate the age of the plant. Thinner stalks tend to be younger and less woody where as thicker stalks are older and tend to have a woody top layer. Asparagus is very versatile and can be eaten in numerous ways. It can be chopped into 2 inch pieces and mixed into a stir fry, baked into a quiche, or cooked into a soup. The stalks can also be left long and lightly seasoned, then cooked on the grill a or roasted in the oven with garlic and lemon.

And now to the answer to the question you’ve all been thinking: “Why does my pee smell after eating asparagus?”. Asparagus contains a chemical called asaparagusic acid that when consumed, converts into a a sulfur containing molecule which convey’s an unpleasant scent. These sulfuric molecules are volatile which allows them to vaporize and travel into the
air and into your nose!

Print
Flavorful Grilled Asparagus Spears
Ingredients
  • 1 pound asparagus
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions

  1. In a small bowl mix together vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salat, pepper.

  2. Snap ends off asparagus, wash to remove soil and debris and place in a zip lock bag. Pour the vinegar mixture over the asparagus and let sit for 30 minutes.

  3. Place on hot grill and grill each side about 5 minutes or until stalks are tender.

Recipe Notes

*Tip: To help prevent stalks from falling through the grates of the grill, bunch 5 stalks side by side and stick a toothpick through the bottom and top to hold them in place.

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Go Further With Food

Each year during March, we celebrate National Nutrition Month by focusing on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme, Go Further with Food encourages us to achieve the numerous benefits healthy eating habits offer, but it also urges us to find ways to cut back on food waste.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food waste occurs when an edible item goes unconsumed. This can happen at grocery stores when produce looks less than perfect and is discarded, or consumers leaving food on their plates and it winds up in the trash. Has anyone brought fresh fruits and vegetables with the best intentions just to have half of it spoil before you can use it? Unfortunately this is another example of food waste.

Not all food that is wasted can be saved and eaten, but a lot of food waste can be prevented, especially at home. Reducing the occurrence of food waste can save you money, can help save the environment, and can help the prevalence of those who are food insecure. Check out the fact sheet below to see just how much food we waste every year in the United States.

 

Food waste.png

What you can do to reduce food waste:

 Plan and Prep: Create a list of meals you are likely to have that week. Make a shopping list based off of that plan rather than winging it at the grocery store.

Keep track of what’s in your fridge and pantry: Pay attention to what you have so extra isn’t purchased. Look at expiration dates to determine what meals you can create with the items that will be thrown away soon.

Love your leftovers: Instead of tossing extra food from dinner pack them as a lunch for the next day. Extra meat can be added to a salad for an easy protein source. Leftovers should be eaten within 3-4 days.

Freeze it: Utilize your freezer for a day when you’re too busy to cook. Remember those extra meatballs from your pasta dinner the other night? Reheat them and make meatball subs tonight! Frozen foods can be frozen up to 3-4 months.

Avoid big grocery hauls: Instead, try to stick to only items you need that week. Try not to over purchase produce as this has a shorter shelf life than pantry foods. Foods that spoil quickly should be stored so they are easy to be seen.

Be mindful of portion sizes: Choose smaller sizes of foods and drinks when eating away from home. Ask for a to-go container at the start of a meal. This will help you eat less. Plus, you’ll have a leftover to enjoy the next day.