Summer is practically synonymous with tomatoes; and the abundance of this fruit is a good thing because tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, a phytonutrient touted for lowering our cancer risk. To be sure you are getting the most of this nutrient, eat red tomatoes, not orange ones, and cook them, which releases the lycopene tucked inside.
Nutritional information
1 medium tomato: 22 calories, 0g fat, 5g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 1g protein
Recipe: Garlic Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large tomatoes, halved
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil.
3. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, on a foil-lined baking tray.
4. Top with bread crumb mixture. Bake 10 minutes, or until crumb topping turns golden brown.
#2. Cherries
Be picky about your cherries and select ones that are large and look for a green stem color. Research suggests that tart cherries (grown in Michigan) contain significant amounts of melatonin, a hormone produced in the brain that has been credited with slowing the aging process and fighting insomnia. Like tomatoes, cherries contain lycopene, an antioxidant known to fight cell changes that can cause cancer and other diseases.
Nutritional information
1 cup sweet cherries: 87 calories, 0g fat, 22g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 1g protein
1 cup sour cherries: 77 calories, 0g fat, 19g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 2g protein
Recipe: Cherry-Oatmeal Squares
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1/2 cup fresh/candied cherries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 each egg and egg white
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom and two sides with a piece of foil, letting ends extend over sides, and coat foil with spray.
2. Sift together flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat egg, egg white, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth.
3. Beat in flour mixture and oats until blended. Stir in cherries and nuts.
4. Transfer to pan and spread evenly. Bake 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out barely clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
#3. Pears
Pears have no cholesterol or saturated fat. Varieties like Anjou, Bartlett, and Bosc are so sweet, we forget about the fantastic fiber and vitamin source we are eating. Pear provides more nutrients per calorie than many other fruits. Pears are an especially good source of muscle-fortifying potassium, which is an element that is easily lost when we are dehydrated during the warmer months.
Nutritional information
1 medium pear: 103 calories, 0g fat, 28g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 1g protein
Recipe: Toast with Walnut & Pear Spread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
- 1/2 medium pear, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 slice multi-grain bread, toasted
Directions
Mix cottage cheese, walnuts, pear and honey (for smoother texture, puree in blender). Spread on toast.
#4. Okra (Ladyfingers)
This Southern staple is often masked as a vehicle for pork fat or deep frying. But prepare it nutritiously and one 1/2-cup serving fulfills 20% of your daily need of vitamin C. Just make sure you eat it fresh — this is one food that can lose its texture and taste if it’s been frozen.
Nutritional information
1 cup: 31 calories, 0g fat, 7g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 2g protein
Recipe: Roasted Okra
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of small, whole okra per person (Larger okra tends to be woody)
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- olive oil spray
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Spray a shallow baking dish with olive oil, add okra, and season to taste. Give the okra another quick (1/2 second) spray with olive oil, and put them into the oven.
3. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until okra is browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven.
4. Spice it up with blends like garam masala, curry powder, chili powder, Creole seasonings, or jerk seasonings–whatever your taste demands. But simple salt and pepper is good too, as it allows the fresh flavor of the okra to shine through.
#5. Rhubarb
Although it’s often nicknamed “the pie plant,” if you’ve never eaten rhubarb outside of dessert, summer’s the perfect time to put this vegetable into sauces and side dishes. It delivers a healthy dose of vitamin C and potassium, which helps maintain muscle strength and contributes to low blood pressure. Be careful, though, to never eat the leaves of rhubarb. They contain oxalic acid, which can be poisonous.
Nutritional information
1 cup, diced: 26 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 1g protein
Recipe: Rhubarb Salsa
To top grilled fish or non-veg. tacos
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut in a 1/4-inch dice (about 2 medium stalks)
- 1/3 cup finely minced spring onion (or scallions)
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup pickled cocktail onions, halved
- 2 teaspoons honey, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, divided (1 tablespoon for the salsa, 2 tablespoons for the onions below)
- Kosher salt
- Chipotle powder (or cayenne)
Directions
1. Fill 2/3 of a large bowl with cold water and add a couple handfuls of ice (this is an ice bath). Set aside.
2. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
3. Add rhubarb and cook for 20 seconds. Scoop the rhubarb out of the water with a slotted spoon directly into the ice bath.
4. Chill for a minute, then drain and transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Dry by blotting with additional paper towels (the rhubarb doesn’t need to be completely dry, just not dripping wet).
5. Once dry, transfer rhubarb to a medium bowl and fold in spring onion, jalapeño and cocktail onions.
6. In a small bowl, mix honey into 1 tablespoon of vinegar then stir into salsa. Season with kosher salt and chipotle powder to taste. If you find your salsa is a bit too tart, you can add more honey.
#6. Avocados
Since they are grown stateside in the summer months in Florida and California, buying them now is more eco-friendly than purchasing the imports from Mexico or Central or South America. Now one more reason for eating this heart-healthy fruit.
Nutritional information
1 avocado: 324 calories, 29g fat, 17g carbohydrates, 13g fiber, 4g protein
Recipe: Mini Turkey-Avocado Wrap
Ingredients
- 1/4 ripe Hass avocado
- 1/2 teaspoon minced scallion
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 8-inch multigrain wrap
- 1 slice smoked turkey
Directions
1. In a bowl, mash the avocado with the scallion and lemon juice.
2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread mixture on the wrap, top with the turkey, and fold like a burrito. (Can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 1 day.)
#7. Cucumber
This edible beauty tool keeps skin looking radiant because it contains vitamin C and caffeic acid — both of which help soothe swelling and irritation. And cucumbers make any light summer dish a delightful relish, in a word, delish!
Nutritional information
1 cucumber: 45 calories, 0g fat, 11g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 2g protein
Recipe: Fish With Fresh Dill
Ingredients
- 2 6-oz white fish fillets, such as tilapia, halibut or flounder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon snipped fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Lemon pepper
- 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- Reduced-fat plain yogurt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Rub fillets with oil and season with lemon pepper to taste.
3. Cover each fillet with cucumber slices and sprinkle with dill.
4. Put the prepared fillets in heavy-duty foil; bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. Serve topped with a dab of plain yogurt.
#8. Cantaloupe
Did you know : 50% of your daily needs of vitamins A and C can be met with just one 1/2 cup of cantaloupe? Plus, cantaloupe yields the most beta-carotene in the entire melon family. But much like many munchables at the farmers’ market, when selecting cantaloupe make sure it doesn’t have cracks, dark spots, or bruises, which signal that the fruit has lost some of its nutrients.
Nutritional information
1 cup: 54 calories, 0g fat, 14g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 1g protein
Recipe: Spinach, Ham, & Cantaloupe Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a small cantaloupe
- 1 cups torn fresh spinach
- 1 cup cubed cooked lean ham
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
- 1/2 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup Orange-Poppy Seed Dressing
Directions
1. Use a melon baller to scoop out the cantaloupe pulp into balls.
2. In a large bowl toss together cantaloupe balls, spinach, ham, pecans, and red onion slices. Pour dressing over salad. Toss lightly to coat.
#9. Figs
This Mediterranean diet fixture contains soluble fiber which has been shown to lower levels of bad cholesterol. But they’re ultra-delicate, so avoid bruising them by handling the fruit as little as possible when choosing which figs to purchase. Instead, use smell as your guide or ask for a taste.
Nutritional information
1 medium fig: 37 calories, 0g fat, 10g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 0g protein
Recipe: Fresh Fig Salsa
To top fresh turkey breast or a summer turkey burger
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups fresh California figs, diced
- 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup finely minced red onion
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (raisins can be substituted)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced, or 2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fined minced or grated fresh ginger
Directions
Combine salsa ingredients and chill for approximately two hours to meld flavors.
#10. Summer Squash
Squash your childhood memories of vegetables as boring, because the many shapes and sizes of this healthy winner will keep things interesting. Be it short, long, skinny, or bulbous, what’s catching your eye in any formation is a low-calorie treat that’s high in beta-carotene, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients. Choose summer squash that has a glossy exterior and is firm to the touch and heavy for its size.
Nutritional information
1 cup, sliced: 18 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 1g protein
Recipe: Summer Salad with Herbs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 thinly sliced green onion (2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 medium yellow summer squash and/or zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices (2 1/2 cups)
- 2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 cup packaged sliced fresh mushrooms
Directions
1. For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine oil, vinegar, green onion, parsley, mayonnaise, basil, dill, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cover and shake well.
2. In a salad bowl combine squash slices, tomato wedges, and mushrooms. Drizzle dressing over squash mixture; toss to coat.
Who said, summer is all about boring green salads? It could also be about fun-filled nutritious salsa, along with grilled fish and much much more. So let sun shine through your kitchen and fill it with goodness of these fresh summer produce.
© Text: Healthy Times Blog.
