Summer has been a scorcher in our neck of the woods this past week, and it’s started me thinking about cool, healthy foods. Like many Baby Boomers and older adults, I’m always looking for something new, fresh, and easy to prepare. And being a dietitian, these foods must also have some kind of nutritional benefit!
Here are 5 foods I’ll be eating more of these upcoming weeks:
Smoothies
I like to make a meal out of my smoothie, which means lots of fruits and vegetables, along with a protein and fiber source. Today for lunch I had a base of almond milk with peanut butter, protein powder, spinach, blueberries, banana, and oatmeal (uncooked, of course). While I have to admit it blended up to be an ugly greyish color, it was very tasty and healthy!
Experiment with your own smoothies–you can add almost any fruit or vegetable, protein source (nut butter, milk, yogurt, and/or protein powder), and high-fiber cereal.
Homemade sparkling water refreshers
We have lemons growing in our yard now, and they are great in ice cold sparkling water! You can also add cucumber slices, orange or lime zest/juice/slices, and of course berries. This is a painless way to get more water in your diet, while controlling the sugar amount.
Eight ounces of sparkling water has zero calories, zero sugar, and a tiny amount of sodium. Serve it up in a fancy glass and enjoy your jazzed up water!
Garbanzo beans
My sister recently turned me onto roasted chickpeas. They’re easy to make with lots of different variations, and pack up well for a healthy snack. They come out crispy, reminiscent of corn nuts. For recipe ideas, Google roasted garbanzo beans or chick peas (they’re the same thing).
I’ll also be experimenting with homemade hummus, great with crackers or veggies. A local restaurant has a sweet potato version, so I’ll play with that.
Chick peas are a good source of dietary fiber and plant-based protein.
Home-grown veggies and fruits
My parents were excellent backyard farmers, as are my siblings. But I haven’t had a lot of success flexing my green thumb. So this year I invested in a Tower Garden, a vertical aeroponic growing system, and I love watching the veggies grow! We’re already enjoying lettuce, green onions, cilantro, and parsley. Zucchini and tomatoes are coming soon…all just outside my back door.
Nothing tastes as good as fresh produce!
Pancakes
Yes, I love pancakes, but rarely eat them because I can find few redeeming qualities. So I’m working on my own healthy version, a Double G-Free pancake (guilt-free and gluten-free–for our daughter). I’ll publish the recipe when I perfect it, but it goes something like this: oatmeal, almonds, protein powder, and baking soda ground up fine in a food processor; ripe banana, water, egg, tiny amount of maple syrup added.
My recipe will be a single serving, and I’ll show the nutrient data.
What foods are you experimenting with this summer?