One Step At a Time...
You Can Go Meatless
For All Three Meals
Enjoy
the multitude of nutritional and environmental benefits of eating
fruits and vegetables locally and seasonally.
When
you recall memories of eating the most delicious juicy peach or
near-perfect ear of corn, summertime comes to mind. And if you think
of the perfect plump pumpkin for a pie, fall is in the air—and the
most likely time to find this vegetable in the market. If you want
delectable, nutritious, fresh produce, the way to eat it is in
season.
Eating
a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is the foundation of a healthy
diet. Low in calories, but loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and
antioxidants, produce is chock full of deliciousness—especially
when it comes from your own community and eaten while it’s in
season.
Seasonality
depends on where you live. While many fruits and vegetables are
confined to specific seasons—berries and melons in the summer and
winter squashes in pears in the fall—availability may vary
depending on your geographic location. “In California, where the
vast majority of domestic produce comes from, crops like strawberries
are harvested year round, but elsewhere the harvest may only last 4–6
weeks,” says Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, dietitian and owner of
Farmer’s Daughter Consulting.
Some
fruit trees, like peach and cherry, bear fruit only once a year,
whereas you can plant and harvest multiple lettuce crops in a single
season. And if the climate is milder, you have longer growing
seasons.
Benefits
of seasonal eating. “Eating seasonally gives you something to look
forward to each season,” says culinary nutritionist Jackie Newgent,
RD. Fruits and vegetables sold locally at farmers’ markets and
co-ops are picked at the peak of ripeness, and thus are more
delicious, as well as richer in nutrients, compared to produce picked
green to sustain long-distance shipping, she says.
And
the benefits extend to the environment. You can make a big reduction
in your carbon footprint when you buy locally produced fruits and
vegetables in season, which do not need to be transported for long
distances. “Eating seasonally reduces greenhouse gases because the
produce does not need to make a gas-guzzling trip,” says Newgent.
Off-season
produce. The quality of some produce, like tomatoes or peaches, in
peak season simply can’t be compared to flavorless produce that is
picked green and shipped long distances. “We have an intense
appreciation for ‘fresh’ in this country, often forgetting that
other forms of produce are also healthful, flavorful and convenient,”
says Miller. Freezing, canning and preserving is an excellent way to
optimize seasonal produce year round.
When
your favorite produce is not in season, it’s still important to
fill at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables. They offer
so many health benefits, regardless of whether you choose fresh,
local, seasonal, organic, frozen, dried or canned. ~Kathleen Zelman,
MPH, RD ~
Seasonal
Eating Tips
- Buy produce in bulk when it is at the height of its season and
preserve it by freezing or canning.
- Go to a farmers market early
in the day for the best selection.
- Build meals, such as vegetable
stew, around just-harvested foods.
- Don’t be afraid to try a
new fruit or vegetable, such as kale or persimmons.
- Don’t just
limit your farmers market shopping to summer; take full advantage of
offerings at each season.
- Use winter produce as part of recipes,
such as tossing diced apple into a spicy stir-fry or layering sliced
pears into a cheesy sandwich.
- Browse cookbooks, recipe blogs,
and food-focused social media sites for produce inspiration.
Don’t over-think your dishes; let the full flavors of the produce
stand out.
Simple preparations with few ingredients often work
best, like sweet potato hash prepared with olive oil, onion, parsley,
and served with an egg for protein.
Plant
your own seasonal produce in your garden or in a pot on a balcony.
Healthy
Meatless Recipe:
Tomato
Tart From The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook
( Sent
in by Patrick Quinn )
The
tomato was not widely accepted as a food until the 19th
century; now 93% of American gardening households grow tomatoes. It
would be hard to go wrong with the classic flavor combo of creamy
cheese, tomatoes, and basil, and this recipe gets the balance and the
seasoning just right, too. The addition of eggs to the cheese mixture
helps create a barrier to keep the roasting tomatoes from sogging up
the crust. And it is wonderfully easy and surpassingly beautiful.
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour, for rolling the pastry
- 1 sheet (7 to 8 ounces) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed but still cold
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, drained
- 4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 pound tomatoes, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to a 10 x 15-inch rectangle and transfer it to the baking sheet.
- With a paring knife, score a border 1 inch in from the edge all around the rectangle, cutting into, but not through, the dough. With a fork, prick the dough inside the border all over (this is so the border will rise higher than the center that’s been pricked). Brush the center with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, basil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Spread the mixture over the center of the puff pastry sheet. Top with the tomatoes, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is set.
Suggestion:
Ignore the weight of the dough; just roll the pastry to 1/8th of an
inch and trim to the specified size.
Enjoy
and Bon Appetit!
Remember Green Goes with Everything
Climate Week 2014
Today
marks the start of Climate Week 2014. Share this to show your support
for a simple, actionable solution to combat climate change: cutting
out meat, one day a week!
Have a great week and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!
Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!
Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,
Lisa
LQ WELLNESS
Professional Wellness Coach
973-383-0955
lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness
Like me on Facebook
“Walking
is man's best medicine.”
~
Hippocrates ~
