Sauces for Spring

Spring is here and it’s time for fresh ideas. Have you ever considered redressing your veggies? Good sauces enhance a vegetables natural flavor while keeping the veggie the ‘star’ side dish. Buttery cheese sauces are tasty but hardly the only option. Why not try these uncooked sauces for a tasty veggie topping or dip:

• Orange sauce: 3 TB fresh orange juice, 1 TB olive oil, 1/2 tsp grated orange zest, freshly ground salt and pepper to taste. Serve atop cooked carrots, asparagus, beets, sweet potato wedges and other veggies.

• Yogurt mint sauce/dip: great for drizzling on cooked potatoes and carrots, or serving as a dip for raw veggies. Combine 1 c low-fat Greek yogurt with the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 minced garlic clove. Stir in 4 sprigs of finely chopped mint.

• Pesto sauce: In a blender, combine 3 cloves garlic with 2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves (may use 1/2 basil, 1/2 spinach, if desired) and 1 TB walnuts or pine nuts. With motor running, slowly add 1/4 cup low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth and 1 TB each olive oil and lemon juice. Finish with 1 TB fresh parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper to taste. Blend again until smooth. Serve over any veggie.

Holiday Health Tips

December is typically a jam-packed month with holiday celebrations, shopping, end of year duties (personal and/or professional) among other things. Like most people, you are trying to maintain your sanity, weight and peace of mind. Physical activity, stress management and nutrition are 3 major players in maintaining a healthy body and mind. Consider a the following tips to help you keep up the momentum through the end of the year.

• Experiment with in-season produce and new, healthy holiday recipes. Search the internet for healthy recipes including ingredients such as winter squash, root vegetables, cabbage, pears, and apples, for example. These pair well with warm, sweet spices such as nutmeg, allspice and cloves.
• To stay active, consider signing up for a local/community walk or run. See what holiday-themed offerings are taking place in your community. Recruit the family for an after-dinner stroll to check out the Christmas decorations.
• Managing stress takes planning and consistency but not as much time as you might think. Incorporate laughter into your life, every day. A joke, funny video or story can put a smile on your face and lighten your heart. Have 5 minutes? Try progressive muscle relaxation at night when you hit the sack.

Easy ways to add pumpkin puree to your diet

Pumpkin is a delicious and very nutritious fall squash. Sweet and mild, if you don’t want to cut, seed and cook a pumpkin look for unsweetened pumpkin puree, which is full of beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A, and dietary fiber. Adding seasonal, colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet is an easy way to improve diet quality, ensure freshness and better quality. Increasing the variety of a food group encourages you to consume more foods within that group overall. Different types of produce offer unique health benefits. Experimenting keeps you from getting bored. Try these 3 suggestions for using pumpkin puree. It’s not just for pies!

• Add it into batter for baked goods such as muffins, loaf cakes and cookies. It can replace some of the oil, experiment with your recipes.
• Add it to chilis, soups and stews. After all, it is a squash with a slightly sweet and mild flavor. Much like adding sweet potato to these recipes.
• Add it to smoothies. A spoonful is enough to enjoy the health benefits and subtle flavor of this favorite fall vegetable.