July's Nutrition Hot Topic: In Season Local Produce

Summer is upon us. You know it has arrived when the smell of charcoal is misconstrued for food. I actually did that. It's not something I am proud of. It was only the fifth most embarrassing thing to happen to me. Numbers one through three I refuse to discuss. The fourth being the time I fell into the stingray tank at Sea World when I was nine. The tank was only a foot deep and there weren't technically any stingrays in it at the time, but they had to send a rescue team in after me. Something to do with my quote 'unwarranted fear and inability to move'.  Well, that and I soiled myself while immersed in the tank. In my defense there is something unsettling about 20 tourists taking pictures of you with waterproof disposable cameras while four people wearing foam Shamu hats pull you out of what feels like a kiddie pool.

Moving on, as the summer scorcher settles in and my sweat glands make known their ardent disapproval, I am happy to report that these summer months bring some pretty amazing food. During our remaining weeks of this sweltering season, I encourage you to venture to your local farmer's markets and explore what wonderful foods your state has to offer.

This topic was inspired by a few things.  First, local produce is going gang busters right now. Secondly, I'm feeling lazy. Thirdly, Ina Garten is my hero. Hero may be too strong of a word. If I could afford Tivo, it would be programmed out the gills with this woman. There is something about observing Ina in her Hampton house kitchen that makes me want to buy a house, gut the kitchen, install marble counter tops, purchase some Viking appliances, and stock the cabinetry with All-Clad pots and pans and a set of stainless steel mixing bowl. As a girl who recycles zip lock bags to save money, did I mention I intend to win the lottery? Getting back on tract, her show is straight up aesthetically pleasing. One of the countless things I like about watching this woman work is her avid use of local foods.  Produce, meat, fish, cheese, bread - you name it, she's buying it. Sure it's staged, but I suppose it's the message that counts.  Buy locally!

During various times of the year, towns across the country have different local produce to offer their citizenry. Pop on over the National Resources Defense Council's website to identify which fruits and vegetables are sprouting up in your area. The website even contains a link for locating farmer's markets near you! Good, good stuff. 

I thought I would highlight three items on the massive list of in season produce found in my area for the month of July.

BLUEBERRIES

   Ahh, my little blue friends. These things are wondrous. At 80 calories a cup, this fruit is focused on your health. Blueberries are one the most antioxidant rich foods out there. I've mentioned it here before, but antioxidants are crucial in optimizing health. They reduce free radicals and thus protect cells (and their DNA) from damage. What's more, one serving of blueberries contains roughly 30% of your daily vitamin C requirement. Support for the immune system, collagen formation, and aid in calcium absorption are all benefits of vitamin C. Lastly, one cannot ignore their dietary fiber. One serving of these bad boys gets you to 15% of your daily requirement with 4 grams per cup.

Eating Tip: On top of your cereal, in your yogurt, or simply by the handful.

BROCCOLI 

   This cruciferous vegetable is one to pick up weekly.  I swear, I pick up a head or two of it every weekend. In my humble opinion, it's one of the simplest vegetables to prepare and eat. It also goes with just about anything. Burgers, chicken, fish - you name it, broccoli is a perfect side dish to just about any protein. As part of the cruciferous family, these vegetables are aptly categorized by their flower's petal shape. Cruciferae, New Latin for "cross bearing", refers to the pedal's - you guessed it -cross-like shape. 


One cup of chopped broccoli delivers a healthy dose of vitamins K (116% of DV), C (135% DV) and  A (11% of DV). Like blueberries, broccoli is also a decent source of dietary fiber with three grams per cup. What may come as a surprise to some is that broccoli is also a good source of calcium. With 43 mg per serving, this green vegetable can help you get a slight leg up on your calcium consumption. 

Eating Tip: Steam it and top with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cut off stems, peal, cut into stalks and dip into hummus or Ranch dressing.

PEACHES

Last, but most certainly not least, the luxuriously sweet peach. If there is a fruit I identify most with summer, it would have to be the peach. Hands down. One large peach has about 70 calories and like broccoli wields about 3 grams of dietary fiber, vitamins A (11% of DV) and C (19%).  Peaches are to summer what apples are to fall. Make crisp, bake them into pie, or eat this summer stone fruit right off the pit. 

Eating tip: Peach Melba was something my Nana made each summer we went to visit. All you need is one cut up peach, some vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce and you're golden. It's the perfect summer dessert on those nights when the heat seems unrelenting. 

There are numerous benefits to eating locally. Reducing the carbon foot print and supporting your local farmers are the two obvious benefits. But one advantage of eating locally that often goes unnoticed is the decrease in time it takes to get food(s) from the farm to the table. The less time a fruit or vegetable sits on a truck the better. Where produce is concerned, nutrient loss is a by-product of storage. The further your zucchini has to travel, the less vitamins and minerals it will deliver upon arrival. Just something to think about.

If you don't have a farmer's market nearby, look in your grocery store for local produce. Two grocery chains in my area have displays of local produce in their lobbies during various times of the year. One chain brags,

"All [produce] items are picked fresh from the stalk, vine or tree and delivered to Dierbergs stores within 24 hours – and in many cases, sooner than that."

In the midst of an obesity epidemic, noshing on low calorie, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables is crucial in keeping the pounds off. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber - fruits and vegetables are just the weapons you need to protect your body and your health.

Shameless Product Placement of July

This weekend marked the beginning of the end. I have officially commenced packing up my apartment in preparation for my move at the start of next month. I will be living like a slight nomad for 3 weeks. My apartment leases didn't align, so my parents will be taking me in for what's sure to be an interesting 21 days. Cue eye roll. I can't really run with this one because one of my future roommates is also my editor. But I will say this - deciding what to pack, what to take home, and what to throw away has been entertaining. Will I need twelve rolls of Scotch tape during my stay in my childhood habitat? What about my emergency Saturday Night Fever 'Staying Alive' flashlight? Needless to say, this past weekend felt like some weird marathon of Minute to Win It. Should it stay? Should it go? Decide now!

I'm still unsure what this month's Hot Topic will be. While dragging my feet on all things 'life', I thought I'd give you the Shameless Product Placement of July. . .

Amy's Quarter Pound Veggie Burger

I know what you're thinking - this granola loving, tree hugging, birdseed eating chick is trying to make me eat cardboard. I promise you, my feelings toward vegetable burgers were lukewarm at best before I discovered Amy's. If you're a devoted meat eater, these veggie burgers are not trying to resemble meat. Something about vegetable based products that attempt to resemble meat grosses me out. For instance, Tofurkey. Why? If I were so repulsed by the act of eating turkey, be it morally or biologically, why would I want to even touch a piece of tofu trying to pass itself off as the animal protein it's clearly not.  

Although the burger's ingredient list is not exactly short, it is 100% readable. I don't have the time to develop and make a decent veggie burger that isn't loaded up with grain. One thing that erks me about homemade veggie burgers is they are often oat or rice based. Why bother? Being grain based, there's a clear lack of protein and I'm just going to put it on a bun! I'm not anti-carb, but come on. Putting a rice patty on a bun is like putting macaroni and cheese on top of pizza. At some point it's like okay, let's just eat a loaf of bread and be done with it.  

So what makes Amy's so remarkable you ask? 

One, 4-ounce burger brings a lot to the table. Let's start with protein. One burger is nearly three ounces of protein. Amy's does make other veggie burgers, but the Quarter Pound packs the most protein - hence the name. Trying to get in an adequate amount of protein is a common predicament I find myself in when trying to go vegetarian. Cottage cheese, eggs, nuts, and beans just don't cut it when they must be eaten on a daily basis. And one of these burgers gets me halfway to my daily protein allotment.

These burgers deliver in both the protein and fiber departments. With six grams of fiber per burger, they don't shy away from getting your bowels movin'. The average adult should aim for 25 grams of fiber a day.  Most of us don't even come close to that number, so every little bit helps. I've mentioned it here before, fiber is an important part of our diet and should not be over looked. Return to The Shameless Product Placement of April for a fiber refresher. 

Lastly, one of these burgers contains a mere 210 calories, 30 of which are from fat. Beside the all-too-common down fall of being grain based, many veggie burgers are often loaded with nuts and seeds. There is nothing wrong with fat, but sometimes a girl just wants to eat some protein and nothing more. These beautiful, delicious patties are 75% organic, kosher, diary-, lactose-, and cholesterol free. They're also vegan, but who cares.

The only aspect of these burgers that I don't care for is their sodium content: 600mg per burger is a wee bit steep. One burger is equivalent to two teaspoons of soy sauce. However, if I'm being totally honest, I was unaware of this small detail until I sat down to write this post. So reader, thank you so much for ruining this for me.  Stupid nutrition facts labels. 

Moving on, I like to put these burgers on either a whole wheat bun or one of those whole grain 100-calorie sandwich flats.  Top them with hummus, spinach and tomato for the perfect lunch. I also enjoy them coated in barbecue sauce. Simply pop them in your microwave for a minute or two and they're ready to go.  You can heat them in the oven or on the grill, but I don't have the patience for all that hoopla.

Hop on over to Amy's Website here.  Take a look all the wonderful items this company has to offer. Amy's products can be found in most grocery stores or specialty health food stores (i.e. Whole Foods). Pot pies, soup, salsa, cake, or pie - this company is one to put stock in and I mean that figuratively. 

Homemade Granola

Last weekend was in-sane. Similar to most twenty-three year olds I know, my weekends are a spectacle. And by spectacle I mean my book club is getting out of control. You put too much paprika in the deviled eggs and the claws really come out. Not to mention the fact that on Saturday twelve, eighty-something year-olds received their disappointment of 2011 when I ruined the ending of this month's book. In my defense, I think we all knew how A Farewell to Arms was going to turn out. The unrest that followed grew intense, then disorganized, then confusing and ultimately ended with my dismissal. It was both aggressive and unanimous. When Hester left to go to the bathroom for the fifth time that hour, my one ally, much like her bladder control, was gone. The room managed to become so cold and damp that during the vote stalactites began to descend from the ceiling.

I should have seen this coming. The lipstick stained denture club, better known as Delores, Cecelia, and Ruth, have never been my biggest fans. After the Stephen Hawking/Stephen King debacle of January 2008, my forced departure was merely impending. All the old bags wanted to discuss was the Big Bang and I didn't read The Shining for nothing! Book jockey vigilantes. Looking back, it was a recipe for disaster. Then again, I've always been one of questionable judgment and taste. I like to think the Naked Gun films are O.J.'s greatest legacy and Ringo is my favorite Beatle. While keeping this in mind, I promise olive oil granola isn't as crazy or as gross as it sounds.

This granola is my favorite (to date). It's simple, but delicious. The thing about most homemade granola is it often comes coated in butter and sugar. Instead, I've made one that is both heart healthy and tasty to boot. So I present to you Kimberly's Olive Oil Granola. Bowl, spoon and milk - enjoy this stuff the traditional way as the perfect breakfast or evening nosh. Use it to top your yogurt or ricotta cheese and add some fresh berries for a great afternoon snack. Stir into ice cream for a little extra crunch. Add pretzel pieces and dark chocolate chips for the best trail mix EVER. The possibilities are endless. You are so very welcome.

Kimberly's Olive Oil Granola

Dry:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Wet:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 frothy egg white

Add Ins:
1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries and/or apricot pieces

In a large bowl combine oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, shredded coconut and cinnamon.  In a smaller bowl mix oil, maple syrup, honey, and salt together. Add wet mixture to larger oats bowl. Stir to combine. Fold in frothy egg white. Spread onto cookie sheet with a lip that has been lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 300F for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Allow to cool. Add raisins and store in airtight container(s).