July 21, 2005
Simple Steps to Super Summertime Salads
by Eat Right Montana
According
to the experts, the list of reasons to eat veggies is a long one: Vegetables
play an important role in weight management. Veggies help protect bones and
prevent strokes. Green leafy vegetables are closely linked to heart health.
Yellow-orange and green veggies reduce risk of diabetes.
"Summer brings another important reason to eat more veggies," according to Mary Hernandez, co-chair of the Eat Right Montana Coalition and district director of the American Diabetes Association in Montana. "Garden-fresh produce tastes great, and it's naturally nutrient-rich, too. If you didn't plant your own garden this year, fresh vegetables are as close as your farmer's market or grocery shelves."
Summer salads are the perfect way to get your taste buds on a health kick, Hernandez said. They are easy to toss together and go great with grilled meals like lean steaks, salmon, and chicken breasts. She suggested three simple salads for at-home dinners and brown bag lunches:
- Leafy veggie salads: Today's leafy greens offer more taste and nutrition than iceberg lettuce. Try tossing mixed baby greens or tender spinach with fruit (sliced strawberries, pears, or some Craisins), a few nuts (pecans, walnuts, or slivered almonds), and a light vinaigrette salad dressing.
- Mixed veggie salads: Any mixture of your favorite vegetables makes a great salad, including leftovers. Try combos like cold cooked peas, chopped water chestnuts, sliced scallions, and garlic with a soy dressing. Or try broccoli florets, chopped red onions, raisins, and sunflower seeds.
- Bean and veggie salads: Be creative with your bean choices; any cooked or canned beans can make a super salad. Start with chickpeas, pintos, lentils, and navy, black, or green beans; add chopped onions, peppers, or tomatoes; and spice it up with olive oil, vinegar, and some herbs.
Eat Right Montana, a statewide coalition promoting healthful eating and active lifestyles, urges Montanans to experiment with new salads and vegetable combinations this summer.
"One cup of leafy greens is a tasty start on the three to five vegetables you need every day," Hernandez said. "Add a couple of crunchy veggie snacks and you'll meet your produce quota in no time!"
Enjoying Veggies: 3 Steps for Success
- Enjoy 3 to 5 servings of vegetables every day. On any listing of super foods, vegetables invariably rise to the top - for a long list of healthy reasons. Veggies are naturally low in calories, cholesterol- and fat-free, and packed with health-enhancing phytonutrients. You can't ask for more from a food!
Confused about veggie serving sizes? Not to worry! They are more do-able than you think. A serving equals half a cup of fresh/cooked veggies (raw carrots, frozen broccoli, canned tomatoes), one cup of leafy greens (Romaine, spinach, bok choy), or six ounces of juice.
- Enjoy leafy green vegetables at least once a day. Leafy green veggies (the darker green the better) rate especially high in nutrient value with vitamins (A, C, K, and folic acid), minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium), and those all-important anti-oxidants (beta-carotene and lutein).
Just think of all the delicious ways to go for the green: salads like baby spinach tossed with Craisins, sliced berries, and a light vinaigrette; stir-fry with Chinese cabbage, snap peas, and green onions; or a sandwich/wrap with crisp Romaine lettuce.
- Enjoy crispy, crunchy, juicy vegetables at snack time. Getting the nutrition your body needs for optimal health can be a snap: Just enjoy a cup of raw veggies at snack time. You can buy them ready-to-eat or slice up a bunch a couple times a week and refrigerate them in ready-to-go baggies.
The possibilities for vegetable snacks are virtually unlimited. Check out your produce department or farmer's market for yummy options from A to Z - asparagus spears, green beans, carrot coins, celery stalks, pea pods, grape tomatoes, and zucchini sticks.
Swimming for Fitness: 3 Steps for Success
- Take the plunge - and find a safe, fun place to swim. When it comes to fitness, the experts agree: swimming is the most nearly perfect form of physical activity. It uses all the major muscle groups, leads to almost no stress on the bones and joints, and is great for your heart, posture, and flexibility.
Swimming works for different body shapes, sizes, conditions, and ages. It is gentle enough for children, older adults, pregnant women, those with arthritis, back or knee problems, and post-surgery recovery. The key is finding a pool to fit your needs.
- Make swimming safe, comfortable, and fun. The most essential piece of equipment is a comfortable, well-fitting swimsuit. You may also want to invest in a swim cap or goggles. If you plan to swim outside, always wear waterproof sunscreen - and watch out for natural obstacles, like strong currents.
To reduce muscle soreness, expert swimmers recommend five minutes of warm-up and cool-down stretches - either in or out of the pool. Remember: even though you are immersed in water while swimming, you need plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
- Vary your swimming routine with new skills. The best way to avoid boredom in your swimming routine is to do a wide variety of strokes. The breaststroke, sidestroke, backstroke, butterfly, and even the dog paddle all use different muscles and work to strengthen different areas of your body.
Swimming equipment is another fun way to add variety to your pool time. A light foam kickboard helps support your upper body while you do different kicks and a pull-buoy is helpful to hold your legs still while you focus on upper-body exercises.
(Eat Right Montana is a coalition promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles. Sponsors are the American Heart Association, Montana Beef Council, Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Montana Dietetic Association, MSU Extension Service, Montana Office of Public Instruction, Montana Team Nutrition Program, and Western Dairy Council. For more information, visit www.montanadieteticassociation.org
Page last updated: 06/15/2006
