Summer Salads

There is nothing better than a refreshing salad in the summertime. This salad makes a great side dish or add some grilled chicken to it for a healthy lunch. I did not add the dressing to it like the recipe says. I just drizzled it over each individual serving so I could save the leftovers.

Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette
Adapted from Taste of Home
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups torn romaine or spring mix salad
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, quartered
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions
• In a container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the first seven ingredients; shake well until sugar is dissolved. In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, strawberries, avocado, oranges, onion and pecans. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss gently. Serve immediately. Yield: 12 servings.

My Plate

You have probably heard in the news recently that My Pyramid is now called My Plate. My Plate divides the food groups into fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy and shows how your plate should be look at each meal. The main points of my plate are:
Balancing Calories
● Enjoy your food, but eat less.
● Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase
● Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
● Make at least half your grains whole grains.
● Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce
● Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
● Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

For more information on My Plate visit www.chosemyplate.gov and view the slide show listed below created by the University of Nebraska Extension Program.

My Plate

Choose MyPlate: Selected Consumer Messages

View more presentations from Alice Henneman

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

The weather where I live is finally starting to get warm which means it is time to start grilling out!  Grilling is a healthy way to prepare meat because as it cooks the extra fat on the meat drips away from the meat which means you are not eating less of it.  I love kabobs because they include vegetables with them.  However, I always had a difficult time grilling them because I would always burn the vegetables and not get the meat cooked all the way through until I saw this idea.  The key is to line your grill with aluminum foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.  Your kabobs will turn  out perfectly this way.  Try the recipe below with some brown rice and a glass of milk for a complete healthy meal!

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed 
1 red pepper, cut up
1 can sliced pineapple, cubed 
2 small zucchinis, sliced
8 cherry tomatoes 
4-6 wooden skewers
...Thread chicken, vegetables, and fruit on skewers, alternately.
Line grill with tin foil and preheat on medium heat.

Mix together
¼ C soy sauce  
1 clove garlic, pressed/minced
1 tsp ginger 2+ Tbsp honey
1 tsp canola oil
Blend above and brush over kabobs. 

Spray aluminum foil with non-stick spray and place kabobs on grill. Cook 20-30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Salad with Jalapeno Lime Dressing

We are always having food days at work which is a great way to try new foods and get recipe ideas.  One of the dietitians I work with brought this salad in one day.  When she signed up to bring sweet potato salad, I was picturing a traditional potato salad with sweet potatoes which did not appeal to me, but the salad is not like a traditional sweet potato salad at all.  It has a great combination of flavors, and it is healthy.  I thought this recipe was something really different and fun so, I wanted to share it with all of you.  It is colorful, and it is filled with vegetables so, if you are trying to eat more veggies try this out. 

You will need:  Sweet Potatoes, Salt and Pepper, Olive Oil, Red Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Frozen Corn, Black Beans Cilantro, Lime, Garlic and Jarred Jalapenos

Preheat oven to 425*F.  Coat foil lined baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Peel and cut sweet potatoes.  Place them on the foil lined baking sheet and toss with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast potatoes for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, corn, black beans and cilantro.

To make the dressing, puree olive oil, lime juice, garlic and jalapenos in a blender.

Pour over potato mixture, stir and chill.  You can also eat this without chilling it if you prefer.

Sweet Potato Salad with Jalapeno Lime Dressing

Makes 12 ½ cup servings

6 cups peeled sweet potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds)

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

½ cup chopped red onion

2/3 cup frozen corn, thawed

2/3 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Jalapeno Lime Dressing

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp jarred jalapeno slices

Preheat oven to 425*F.  Coat foil lined baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.Peel and cut sweet potatoes.  Place them on the foil lined baking sheet and toss with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast potatoes for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool. 

In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, corn, black beans and cilantro.

To make the dressing, puree olive oil, lime juice, garlic and jalapenos in a blender.

Pour over potato mixture, stir and chill.  You can also eat this without chilling it if you prefer.

Tracking Your Fruits and Veggies

Here is a free printable chart from Edible Suggestions.  I love tracking how many fruits and veggies I eat every day.  It not only shows me how many I am eating, but the variety of colors I am getting as well.  Kids love doing this too!  Each time you eat ½ cup serving of fruits or veggies enter a tally mark.  If you eat a fruit or veggie that counts as 1 cup enter 2 tally marks.  For example, if you eat 1 large orange, put 2 tally marks under the orange column.  Aim for 5-9 tally marks every day.  See the Eat Right With Color post if you need a reminder as to what counts as ½ or 1 cup of fruits and vegetables.

	Red	Orange	Yellow	Green	Purple/ Blue	White
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Total

Eat Right With Color

March is National Nutrition Month and the theme this year is “Eat Right with Color.”  This means it is good to incorporate a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables into your diet. Brightly colored foods are packed with vitamins and nutrients.  I have a few simple rules for eating healthy and Rule #1 is Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables!  The reason this is my number one rule is because consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of many chronic diseases and it helps weight management because fruits and vegetables are relatively low in calories.  Sounds simple enough, right?   How many of you know how many fruits and vegetables you should be eating everyday or what one serving actually is?  Here are a few Edible Suggestions to get you started.

Recommended Amounts of Fruits and Vegetables

 

	Age	Vegetables	Fruit
Children	2-3	1 cup	1 cup
	4-8	1 ½ cups	1-1 ½ cups
Girls	9-13	2 cups	1 ½ cups
	14-18	2 ½ cups	1 ½ cups
Boys	9-13	2 ½  cups	1 ½ cups
	14-18	3 cups	2 cups
Women	19-30	2 ½  cups	2 cups
	31-50	2 ½ cups	1 ½ cups
	51+	2 cups	1 ½ cups
Men	19-30	3 cups	2 cups
	31-50	3 cups	2 cups
	51+	2 ½ cups	2 cups

**These amounts are based on individuals who get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day. 

Examples of  ½ Cup Fruits or Vegetables

4 oz applesauce

1 medium cantaloupe wedge

16 grapes

½ medium grapefruit

4 large strawberries

5 broccoli florets

6 baby carrots

1 large plum

¼ cup dried fruit (e.g. raisins)

1 cup of raw leafy greens (spinach, lettuce, cabbage)

½ cup of vegetable or fruit juice

½ cup cooked corn

½ cup cooked green beans

½ cup tomatoes

½ cup mushrooms

½ cup onion

Examples of 1 Cup Vegetables or Fruits

1 small apple

1 large banana

1 cup melon (any kind)

1 large orange

1 large peach (2 halves canned)

1 medium pear

1 cup chunked pineapple

1 large bell pepper

1 cup mashed pumpkin

1 large sweet potato

1 medium white potato

1 cup mashed potato

1 cup squash

1 large ear of corn

1 cup green peas

1 cup raw or cooked cauliflower

1 cup cooked spinach

Think of it this way.  One cup is about the size of a baseball or your fist.  If this all seems too complicated the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal or snacking occasion.