Healthy Orange Salad

Add a healthy orange salad to your dinner meal to help you reach the minimum recommendation of 5 fruit and vegetable servings daily. Think outside of the box by enjoying both fruit and veggie-based salads. Beans, whole grains and herb add variety and flavor. Citrus goes well with greens and tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese. Experiment with fresh herbs. They pair well with many fruits and veggies and offer health benefits. For a tasty salad or side dish, top peeled sliced oranges with chopped mint. The explosive flavor of this combination is zesty and outrageously delicious.

Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Health Observances calendar,  September is the month to remind yourself to increase your intake of fruits and veggies! This health observance is sponsored by the ‘Produce for Better Health Foundation.’ The significance of the health benefits gained by consuming a diet, rich in a variety of colorful fruits and veggies, is often underestimated. You cannot get the same benefits from pills and powders.

How are Americans doing? One in three adults eat the recommended number of fruit servings daily and only one in four consume the recommended number of vegetable servings daily. When you discount potatoes and fruit juice, the picture is grimmer. So let’s dispel common myths on…fruits and veggies:

Fruits and Veggies: Too Expensive?

They are NOT too expensive! Choose fresh (on sale) or frozen fruits and veggies (in bags without sauces or added sugars). Last choice: canned as they are processed and usually contain higher amounts of sodium and/or sugars. Plus there is the nutritive value to consider. Peaches, apricots, plums and apples (with skin) are good sources of soluble fiber, a type of dietary fiber that helps lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels. Tips to save $$$: shop in season for best taste, texture, quality and value and buy ‘bags’ versus by the lb. or ‘each.’ Such as? Bagged fruits and veggies such as avocados, apples, oranges, potatoes, sweet bell peppers, carrots, etc., are a better value and go farther in meals/snacks.

Fruits and Veggies: I don’t like ’em

Try them raw, cooked, plain, ‘doctored,’ and prepared in every way (including grilled) before you make that statement. Maybe you don’t like them mushy and overcooked…who does? Eating well-prepared and seasoned (especially for veggies) makes a huge difference in flavor and texture. Like smoothies? Invest in a high-quality blender that can turn even the toughest raw veggies and fruits into a creamy, delicious, filling drink. Just watch the sugar and calories. Investigate recipes online that balance the amount of fruits and veggies in the drink and keep calories at about 150 – 200 calories (snack) and 450 – 500 (meal).

Fruits and Veggies: No room in my diet!!

Not enough room in your diet for fruits and veggies? You just might find some extra room if you decrease the amount of full-fat ice cream, cheese, bread, bagels, pizza, pasta, cookies, wraps, scones, paninis, muffins, monster sugary coffee drinks and granola bars you consume. Consider this: In 2010, Americans consumed (and likely still do)about 109 lbs. of flour…that’s not much less than the average consumption before the low-carbohydrate diet craze, which was about 116 lbs. Remember those huge low-fat bagels?!

Stay tuned to upcoming posts for easy tips on how to increase your intake of fruits and veggies…painlessly!

Snacks part 2: Best low calorie snacks

Now that we have taken a look at the best low calorie dairy snacks, it’s time to move on to part 2: Best low calorie crunchy snacks. Let’s review the basic criteria for a ‘healthy’ snack? Keep the following in mind when choosing your snacks:

• Offer between 100 and 200 calories
• Are fat-controlled (unless it’s heart-healthy unsaturated fat), providing 0 g trans fats and 3 g saturated fat or less per serving
• Are relatively low in sodium; strive to limit the sodium in your low-calorie snacks to 400 mg or less
• Are nutrient-rich: a good food source of protein, dietary fiber and/or key vitamin and minerals (such as iron, vitamins A, C or calcium)
• Offer a little something extra: are available in calorie-controlled portions, contain no high-fructose corn syrup and little added sugar; are gluten or lactose-free, have added omega-3 fatty acids, etc…

These snacks are all about convenience – they are widely available and take no preparation time/work. Another benefit of these snacks is that they are all healthy for a vegetarian/vegan.

Snacks: Top 3 low-calorie crunchy picks

Crispy snacks: Best pick

• Popcorn, Indiana Sea Salt Chip’ins: ‘Popcorn’ chips are the hottest new snacks in the chip aisle. They are made with simple, all natural ingredients: corn, sunflower oil, and sea salt. They are ‘popped’ instead of baked and have an extra crispy texture. These crunchy snacks are whole-grain based and gluten-free. They come in a variety of other flavors, such as Classic BBQ and White Cheddar. A 1-oz. serving of the Sea Salt Chip’ins provides 120 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0 g saturated/trans fats, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber and 230 mg sodium. For an extra nutrition boost, make a homemade salsa for dipping with diced tomato, red onion, jalapeno or Serrano pepper, lime juice, chopped cilantro and a dash of pepper, sea salt and cumin (optional) to taste.

Nutty snacks: Top choice

• Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Almonds: These oven roasted almond snacks come in many flavors, sweet flavors, such as butter toffee and cinnamon brown sugar and savory flavors, such as plain and sea salt. Nuts, in general, make for healthy snacks. A 1-oz. serving of the sea salt oven roasted almonds provides 170 calories, 15 g fat (only 1 g saturated fat), 5 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber and 135 mg sodium. In addition to being naturally (nearly) sugar-free, these almond snacks are nutrient-rich. One serving is a good/excellent source of vitamin E, riboflavin (B2), phosphorus, copper, magnesium and manganese.

Protein-rich vegan snacks: Nutrition beyond compare

• Steamed or boiled soybeans (in the pod) with sea salt: this snack only takes a small amount of preparation. You’ll need 1/4 lb. fresh soybeans or 4 ounces frozen (bagged); Kosher or sea salt and rice crackers (these make a nice accompaniment). In a pot of boiling water, add the soybeans and cook until they are bright green (about 5 minutes). Drain and refresh in cold water. Sprinkle with salt and serve with a couple of rice crackers. A 1-cup serving of prepared soybeans (without salt or crackers) provides 189 calories, 8 g fat (only 1 g saturated), 16 g carbohydrates, a whopping 17 g of protein and 8 g dietary fiber (roughly 1/3 of your daily requirement) and 7 mg sodium (naturally occurring). Soybeans are nutrition superstars. In addition to being an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, they are high in iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, zinc, potassium, folate, vitamins C, K and others…you can’t go wrong with soybeans as snacks are rarely this naturally nutritious!