Embracing the Best Time of Year for Healthy Eating
I always get excited about this time of year as everything is going for you to lose weight. Days are long, walks are nice, and there is a bounty of great fruits and vegetables. Tonight I decided to go for a walk as the sun was going down. I live on a mountain in Salt Lake so as I walked I could see the sun setting in the west and the moon coming up over Mt Olympus.
When I started to lose weight I counted out pancakes because of the heavy syrup. Then one day I decided to use fruit instead with my whole wheat pancakes and now it is on my favorites list again.
Here are a few things that I do to enjoy this time of year.
- Go to the farmers market: I like to go to the farmers market every Saturday. I go at 8 a.m. so that I get there before the crowds, and I know that the selection is best early.
- Take time to talk to the farmers:I like toask the farmers questions about their produce. They are the experts and I often pick up ideas on how to prepare the item in a new way. Sometimes I even find new varieties that I have not tried before.
- Enjoy all the tomatoes: There is nothing better than a homegrown tomato. I like to dice the tomatoes and cut up fresh cilantro and mix it in. Then pour some Pace Picante(medium spiced) sauce over it to add the spices. It is delicious with 2 scrambled eggs on a slice of whole-wheat toast. Great to have in the fridge to add to Mexican dishes.
- Make your own fruit sauce: I make my own fruit sauce from peaches, pears, and plums. They are great over pancakes or on plain yogurt or cottage cheese. Clean the fruit, peel the peach or pear, and then slice and put into a pan. Cook the fruit long enough that it comes to a boil. Cook it long enough to kill the enzymes that cause it to darken but not too long that it becomesto soft. Cool the fruit and then place into jars and let it freeze. Be sure to leave room at the top for the mixture to expand when you freeze it and then put a lid on it with a sticker on the top giving the content and date.
- Enjoy steamed vegetables: I have a double boiler that I use often to steam vegetables. I have really learned to enjoy is steamed cabbage. Squash also works really well. Clean and then cut up the vegetables to steam and place them over boiling water. When finished use a little Smart Balance (this is a buttery spread made with healthy oils) or a little graded hard cheese and place over the warm vegetables and enjoy.
