Summertime Eating
Summertime; that wonderful, warm season that beckons us to spend every possible moment outdoors, including mealtimes. But oftentimes casual summertime dining experiences are wrought with over-processed and fat-saturated foods. Does munching on cheese puffs and chips while at the beach, slapping brats on the grill for a BBQ, or grabbing a ready-made potato salad from the deli sound like a familiar summertime activity? If so, beware, these summer foods can all be laden with hydrogenated oils.
Summer is a time of plentitude, but that doesn’t have to lead to unhealthy eating. We naturally need less food in summer because our bodies absorb more energy and vitamin D from sunlight. A delicious way to indulge in summer’s plentitude without overwhelming the body—or your bathing suit—is by enjoying ample vegetables with your outdoor meals. Vegetables are the number one provider of vitamins. Your body needs vitamins in order to function. Since your body cannot produce vitamins of its own accord, you must obtain them from the foods you eat.
Eat Your Veggies
Vitamin A: Found in orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots. Also found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and collards. Necessary for good eyesight and healthy skin.
Vitamin B: B vitamins are found in leafy green vegetables, peas and beans. They include vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, biotin and pantothenic acid. B vitamins play a role in producing red blood cells, which mobilize oxygen throughout the body. B vitamins also boost metabolism and enable the body to create energy.
Vitamin C: Veggies brimming with vitamin C include tomatoes, sweet red peppers, broccoli and cabbage. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, helps heal injuries, and keeps tissues such as gums and muscles in optimum health.
Vitamin E: Leafy green vegetables are rich in vitamin E. Vitamin E produces red blood cells; protects lungs from potential damage by air pollution; and maintains bodily tissues such as the eyes, skin and liver.
Vitamin K: Leafy green vegetables, including broccoli, are also high in vitamin K. Vitamin k helps the blood clot if an injury is sustained.
There are so many summer veggies to delight in and it’s also fun, and remarkably inexpensive, to purchase them from your local farmer’s market. Check out your local farmer's market this summer for healthier al fresco eating.
