2023 Summer Healthful Eating Tips
Start Your Summer Off Right With These 5 Simple Steps!
Five Simple Ways to use In-Season Summer Fruits & Veggies!
Cabbage
This veggie is well known in coleslaw, which has been a long time popular side dish for burgers, chicken, and fish entrees. Alternatively, cabbage is also a star in most Korean foods/dishes as a fermented veggie, and in egg and spring rolls in Chinese food.
Try making it as a side dish sautéed with ginger, sesame oil and low-salt soy sauce, or mixed into your favorite stir fry with brown rice for the extra fiber and nutrients.
Another easy way to add cabbage to your diet this summer is to add a handful to salads. It adds a cooling crunch to your salad with minimal calories. Just be sure to add a healthy protein to your salad such as nuts, shredded low fat cheese, chic peas, or grilled chicken.
Nectarines
Many people associate these sweet and juicy fruits with a peach that has no fuzz! But nectarines are their own distinct fruit and you can use them in place of peaches in your favorite hot or cold cereals, mixed with berries, bananas, or mixed in low fat yogurt for a tasty treat or snack. Another fun summery suggestion is to add chopped up nectarines to a cold summer vanilla low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. Yum!
Nectarines can be used in place of apples for a sauce to accompany lean pork chops, grilled and added to a cool and refreshing green salad, or again in place of apples in a traditional apple crisp for a summer spin on this favorite Fall treat!
These juicy fruits also offer a good dose of Vitamin C, Beta Carotene (which our bodies use to make Vitamin A), and small amounts of B Vitamins. Also, nectarines are always a healthier choice when you are craving something sweet as compared to having a muffin, candy, or juice drink etc.
Beans
Green, bush, lima, and yellow beans are a few of the varieties that grow well in Massachusetts. Beans are actually a vegetable and provide our bodies not only with
healthy protein, but minerals and vitamins such as B vitamins and zinc.
They are extremely versatile and can be added to most entrees, such as pasta, rice, barley and quinoa dishes as well as salads.
Try making a quick cold bean salad as a snack or side dish! Add a can of chickpeas to chopped up green pepper, onions, corn, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese!
Also worth noting that fava beans, chickpeas, and soybeans are all available to purchase dried or to dry on your own with a quick internet search. In dried form, these nutrition superstars are great for on the go snacking, hiking, or an easy way to boost your protein intake, especially for vegetarians.
Cherries
Cherries have a bold flavor can be easily added to a summer fruit salad, to a smoothie made with yogurt or milk, blueberries, strawberries and/or blackberries for a quick morning breakfast, or afternoon snack. They can also simply be enjoyed as is, (after rinsing them of course)!
Other ideas are to substitute them in quick breads, muffins, or cereal bars for any type of berry the recipe is calling for, or use fresh cherries to make your own homemade jam as there are many easy recipes online and in cookbooks available.
Cherries provide us with small amounts of vitamins and minerals such as fiber, Vitamin C etc., but also contain high levels of antioxidant compounds in them. For us this means that eating cherries can help to fight inflammation in the body as well as combat free radicals in our bodies, which are responsible for many types of diseases, aging, and overall cell damage.
Beets
The easiest and most delicious way I believe to enjoy beets is simply to roast these root vegetables and serve them as a side dish! Try peeling them and slicing them first. Then place beet slices onto cookie sheet with olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. That’s it! You can also peel and cube up some beets and roast in the oven with carrots, potatoes, and turnips for a hearty side dish or to serve along with roasted poultry, fish, or tofu.
Beets are low in calories, and are a good source of fiber and provide a small amount of calcium, folate (a B vitamin) and Vitamin C. However caution with portion sizes, as beets just like carrots, contain natural sugars and can be problematic for people managing diabetes.
What is the difference between Healthy and Healthful?
Healthy versus Healthful: The problem is that some people insist that you can’t say your salad is healthy; you have to say it’s healthful because only healthful can mean “conducive to good health.” The thinking is that only a living thing can be healthy—if we’re in good health, you and I can describe ourselves as healthy. Healthy is a personal characteristic, but things that are dead, things we consume, aren’t healthy anymore. If they’re good for us, they’re healthful.
This word pair, healthful and healthy, has been causing debate for over a century. The question is whether these adjectives can both be used to mean conducive to good health. This is what gets some word mavens’ blood boiling. Healthy, they say, cannot be used to mean conducive to good health. But according to the Oxford English Dictionary, healthy has been a synonym for healthful since its earliest appearance in print… in 1552.
So it’s OK to use healthy and healthful as synonyms for conducive to good health: have a healthy snack or a healthful one. But if you’re referring to someone who enjoys good health, however, use healthy because it’d be weird to call a person healthful. Save healthful for the granola and healthy for your personal trainer.
Check Out These 7 Tips To Help you Stay Healthy!
Eating right doesn’t have to be complicated. Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate or in your bowl. Choose foods that provide the nutrients you need without too many calories. Build your healthy plate with foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein foods. Try the eating right tips in the boxes below!
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables!
Make at least half your grains whole
Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese
Vary your protein choices
Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars
Enjoy your food but eat less
Cook more often at home, where you are in control of what’s in your food.
When eating out, choose lower calorie menu options. Choose dishes that include begetables, fruits and whole grains. When portions are large, share a meal or take half home for later.
Write down what you eat to keep track of how much you eat.
Be physically active your way
If you are currently inactive, start with a few minutes of activity such as walking. Gradually increase the minutes as you become stronger.
Consult a registered dietitian nutritionist if you have special dietary needs
