A Day At the Beach

As the summer begins to slip away, I find myself making excuses such as, “oh, it’s really too hot out” or “I can’t wait for fall fashion”. However- you know, and I know, that all I am doing is trying to make the painful end of summer a little more bearable. It’s like when you pick a fight with someone before you leave so it is easier to bare being apart (sorry, Mom :) ).

What I am really going to miss the most is my favorite part of summer: a day at the beach! Nothing is better than a full day of walking, reading, swimming, laying, chatting, snacking, and playing; all under the beautiful sun and mixed in upon layers of soft sand. Plus- guess what? A day at the beach can be amazing for your health and body, if done the right way!

Why Have You Done a Good Thing?

I don’t know about you, but when I hang out in the sun all day, I simply feel less hungry. Rather than desiring a hot and juicy burger, I crave cold foods, such as watermelon, gazpacho, and salads. Plus, there is something about sitting in your finest bikini that says, “maybe I shouldn’t have seconds.”

Think of all the exercise you can do at the beach without even realizing it. Perhaps you go for a long romantic walk on the beach, or jump into a heated game of beach volleyball? Then take a dive into the ocean to cool off. Finally as the sun is setting, you jump onto a paddleboard and sail across the sea. Sound like a plausible day for you? Guess what: you just burned a ton of calories!

Here are how many calories you burn per hour (approximately and differing based on sex/weight) doing everyday beach activities:

Beach volleyball- 427 calories

Walking- 207 calories

Swimming- 236 calories

Frisbee- 177 calories

Fishing- 236 calories

Paddleboarding (beginners)- 300 calories

After all of these activities, I gather you will be a bit hungry. So jump onto your towel and whip out the cooler. Here is a Your Secret Ingredient list of what to fill it with.

Lunch:

1. Gazpacho soup (blend tomatoes, cucumbers, salsa, Worchester sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and any other fitting ingredient; serve cold, topped with chopped cucumbers and red peppers.) Bring in Tupperware and serve into paper cups with spoons

2. Hummus and vegetable sandwiches (cucumber, pepper, lettuce, tomato) on whole grain bread

3. Homemade pita chips with Salsa Verde (chips: simply cut whole grain pita bread into small triangles and place on a baking sheet; spritz with non-stick olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt, bake in the oven on 425F for 12-15 minutes) (salsa: take tomatillos- AKA little green round chili peppers- and char them directly on the flame; place in blender and add salt while blending)

4. Watermelon with mint for dessert

Extra Snacking for watching the sunset:

5. Cheese, crackers, and grapes. Bring whole grain crackers such as Triscuits of Whole Food’s 365 whole grain cracker mix. Pack 2 oz per person of your favorite low-fat cheese or 1 oz per person of your favorite full-fat cheese and plus about 10 grapes per person, washed and stored in the damp paper towel in a zip-top container.

6. Wine (a light and fruity red may be easier to transport because it does not need to be freezing cold- plus, yes we are dietitians and must tell you that resveratrol, a main component in red wine, is a powerful antioxidant and good for your health when consumed in moderation). For a non-alcoholic option, make your own unsweetened iced tea or flavored water like cucumber mint water stored in water bottles.

So now that you have your cooler ready to go and a plan for a fun-filled day of exercise in the sun (with plenty of sunscreen protection). Be sure to hit the beach as much as possible to soak up every last moment of this hot summer- it’s good for your health!

--Samantha Jacobs, MS RD CDN

What to Keep On-Hand: Your Kitchen Staples

Planning meals during the week, especially during the summer, can be challenging. Going away for the weekend leads to poor grocery shopping and frantic weeknight meals. The best way to prevent this is to be prepared...Here is a Your Secret Ingredient Kitchen Staples guide to keep a healthy, well-stocked home.

Why Have You Done A Good Thing?

Eating more foods from home leads to well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. The more fresh foods you have at home, the better! Keep these items on hand for convenient snacking and cooking.

Pantry Staples

1. Grains

· 1 loaf of whole wheat bread

· 2 grains and 1 box of pasta (½ your stocked grains should be whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, farro, wheat berries, whole wheat cous-cous, millet, barley)

· Oatmeal; choose rolled or steel cut oats or unsweetened instant oatmeal

· 2 boxes of cereal

2. Snacks

· 1 jar of all natural nut butter

· At least 3 snack choices for the family (refer to Your Secret Ingredient Snack List for ideas)

3. Cooking Supplies:

· Dried Herbs/Spices: (salt, black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, cumin, chili powder, oregano, herb de provence, dried bay leaves)

· 1 bottle of olive oil, 1 bottle of canola oil (optional: 1 bottle of specialty oil, such as avocado oil, for salads)

· 1 quart of low-sodium chicken broth

· 1 jar of approved tomato sauce; 1 quart of pureed/crushed tomatoes

· 2-3 cans of low-sodium beans; 1 package of lentils

· 1 container of trans-fat free whole wheat bread crumbs

· 2-3 cans of low-sodium soup

4. Optional Baking supplies (all kept in air-tight containers)

· Baking soda (a separate box from your fridge and freezer supply; change every month)

· Baking powder (change every month)

· All purpose flour and whole wheat flour

· Rolled oats

· Sugar; white and brown

· Honey/Molasses

· Vanilla

· Dried fruits

· Canned fruit purees – 1 can of applesauce, pumpkin or sweet potato puree

· Variety of nuts

· 1-2 16 oz bags of dark chocolate chips

Freezer Staples

1. Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

· 1 package of de-shelled edamame

· 2-3 packages of frozen non-starchy vegetables (of different varieties)

· 1 package of frozen fruit

2. Dinner Choices

· 1 dinner’s worth of left-overs (such as frozen soup, casserole, meatballs, chili)

· Homemade sauces such as tomato or pesto. Keep small portions of sauce in ice cube trays for individualized cooking

· Frozen protein: keep 1 package of chicken breasts, frozen fish filets from Trader Joes, and/or frozen shrimp

· Homemade or Packaged Veggie Burgers/Homemade Turkey or Chicken Burgers

3. Breakfast Options

· 1 box of approved frozen waffles or muffins (1 breakfast item) or homemade whole wheat/fruit muffins

· 1 loaf of whole-wheat bread and/or breakfast bread such as Thomas’s Whole Wheat Bagel Thins

4. Miscellaneous

· 1 container of freezer packaged baking soda

· 1 Your Secret Ingredient frozen dessert option

· 1 package of unsalted stick butter (for baking)

Refrigerator Staples

1. Dairy

· Eggs (hardboiled if your family likes them and raw)

· 1 container of low-fat milk

· A few containers of low-fat yogurt

· Whipped unsalted butter or trans-fat free margarine such as Smart Balance light

· Pre-portioned cheese such as low-fat string cheeses

· 1 container of low-fat cottage cheese

· Dip, such as hummus

2. Meals and Proteins

· 1 open jar of all natural nut butter

· Pre-portioned nuts

· 1 package of in-house made cold cuts such as from Whole Foods

· 1 store-bought or homemade rotisserie Chicken

· 1 night’s worth of dinner (cooked ahead of time for the week)

3. Produce

· 3 varieties of fruits, 4 varieties of vegetables (including easily snackable veggies like baby carrots)

· 2-3 fresh herbs, onion, garlic, and lemons for cooking

4. “After School Corner”

· 2 types of washed/cut up fruit

· 2 types of washed-cut up vegetables (baby carrots, snap peas, raw broccoli, pepper strips, green beans, baby cucumbers, roasted vegetables)

· Dips (bean, veggie)

· String cheese or other pre-portioned cheeses

· Yogurt

· Nuts (depending on age of children in the house)

5. Beverages

· 1 pitcher of homemade flavored water (mint and cucumber, basil and strawberry, berries, watermelon or other melons, pineapple or citrus, etc)

· Homemade unsweetened iced tea (with or without caffeine; caffeine free for children under the age of 15)

· Cold water or seltzer

6. Miscellaneous

· 1 container of fridge baking soda

· 1-3 jars of approved condiments

For a printable version of this list, click here...

--Amy and Sam, MS RD CDN

Nature’s Italian Ices

Growing up, when I went to the pool or hung out by the lake, I always wanted something cold. From the snack bar, I was allowed the always-refreshing Marino’s Watermelon Italian Ices. Although still a personal sweet treat favorite, I now often turn to the natural alternative: watermelon!

Why have you done a good thing?

Watermelon is a wonderful delicious, nutritious, and hydrating fruit for summer. On a hot summer’s day, having some watermelon is a great way to stay hydrated and make sure you are having enough fluids. Watermelon also provides a wonderful amount of vitamins, including vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and lycopene (yes, like tomatoes) which is a great antioxidant helpful to prevent cancer, found in all red fruits and vegetables. Best yet, a whole cup of watermelon is only 50 calories, making a great bang for your bite and an awesome poolside treat.

How to pick a ripe watermelon

Look for a very round melon heavy for its size and without bruises. Try to roll it around and find the “couche” which is the spot where watermelons rest on the ground while growing (should be flatter than other spots). If you can’t find one, the melon isn’t a good choice.

How to eat watermelon

Other than obviously good ole’ fashion watermelon slice at a BBQ, there are plenty of ways to eat watermelon.

v Freeze slices for your own homemade ices. Or blend together watermelon, ice, and lime juice for a great fresh slushie!

v Make a simple summer salad of watermelon, red onion, jicama, spinach, salt/pepper, and a good olive oil

v Hate the taste of water but don’t want to drink a lot of calories? Try adding a slice of watermelon to pitcher of water overnight. Makes great subtle tasting flavored water! Add fresh mint or basil too for an even better taste

v Have watermelon, basil, and tomato skewers at your next party!

v Add watermelon to your next Greek salad (goes great with Feta cheese!). Super simple; watermelon, cucumber, feta cheese, salt/pepper, olive oil, mint, lemon juice.

v Puree a cup of watermelon with low-fat plain Greek yogurt and fresh mint or basil for a great breakfast smoothie.

v Try watermelon salsa (click for full recipe and grocery list!):

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

3 cups cubed watermelon

2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley

Pinch of salt and pepper

Optional: splash of hot sauce

Mix all together and top fish or chicken with this great dish!

Don’t be afraid to try different varieties of watermelon (including even yellow watermelon). Check out this site for pictures of watermelon species

--Amy Santo, MS RD CDN

Beet It!

As the temperature continues to rise and the humidity moistens the air- it becomes a challenge to stay outdoors, even in the pool or at the beach (in the ocean). It’s on these days that the thought of eating hot food makes me a little squeamish. Luckily, at the same time as the temperature heats up, those dark brown bulbs (AKA beets) are beginning to appear in the garden. Beneath fuchsia stems and green leaves, they are just waiting to be pulled from underneath the dirt.

Why Have You Done a Good Thing ?

Firstly, if you’re eating anything from your own garden or someone else’s (i.e. Farmer’s markets) you are always doing a good thing. Second, beets are delicious and currently having their seasonal time to shine. We have always said, the darker the fruit or vegetable, the more nutrient-rich. Beets get their deep coloring from a combination of color pigments, called betalains. As you may know, there are golden beets and traditional red beets; due to the different combinations of color pigments in each species. They're kind of like fraternal twins: from the same mom (nutritionally speaking) but different looking and slightly different "personalities"(the golden beets tend to be a bit sweeter).

Both are wonderful sources of:

• Antioxidants- fighting cell damage in the body
• Potassium- fighting high blood pressure (along with a low-salt diet) & controlling muscle contractions
• Folic Acid- vital for healthy fetal development
• Bang for your Bite! 1 cup of beets has only ~75 calories & 3.5g fiber (plus alittle protein kicker (~3 g)

Can't Beet These Ideas:

1. Plain! Simply boil and peel (after cutting off the roots and stems). Throw them in a green salad or eat them whole as a snack.
2. Make Your Own Baby Food: simply puree those boiled beets!
3. Breakfast: Make a smoothie with mixed berries, beets, and a bit of all-natural fruit sorbet or yogurt
4. Lunch: pair red and golden beets with some arugula, goat cheese, and apple or pear slices; sprinkle with nuts for a great salad.
5. Dinner (side dish): make roasted mixed beets, with a little olive oil and salt, roast at 425 F for 20-25 minutes
6. Dessert: Be creative! Pureed beets are sweet and thus can be substituted for oils and sugars in some baking recipes. We found a chocolate beet cake, developed by Straight from the Farm website; looks awesome!

Plus: Use beets as a natural food coloring! Next time you want pink frosting, just add a touch of beet puree and/or fresh beet juice.

Just be careful with all these beets around the kitchen and on your hands, they do stain a bit! But hey, nothing wrong with getting dirty in order to BEET IT!

FYI- If you have never tried beets before, be warned. Sometimes your pee (or poo) can turn reddish from the pigments in beets. Perfectly normal (healthy) and no need to be alarmed!!

--Samantha Jacobs, MS RD CDN

Your Secret Ingredient Summer Guide: Crusin’ Through Summer

For the past few years, vacations with my family have been cruises or floating buffets. It can be difficult to manage your weight while still having a good time and treating yourself. Weekend getaways, BBQs, weddings all make it hard in the summer time as well. Luckily as a dietitian, I have some practice with this. Here is a guide to a healthy, but still indulgent, summer.

Planning Ahead for Traveling

1) Pack a meal. Finding a healthy meal in the airport or on a road trip can be quite the feat. Rather than searching for the one healthy choice on menus, why not be prepared and bring along a healthy sandwich? Pack your meal in an insulated bag with an ice pack for food safe traveling. For shorter trips, eat a healthy meal before you leave to make sure you don’t travel hungry.

2) Don’t forget snacks. Bring portion controlled snack choices like fruit, sliced veggies, granola bars, nuts, whole grain pretzels or crackers and string cheese for each member of your family so you don’t feel tempted to stop at fast food restaurants. Bring non-perishable snacks for the duration of your vacation too.

3) Pack exercise clothes. Don’t forget to bring clothes to workout to stay active on vacation!

4) Stay hydrated. Especially when traveling by airplane, you can easily dehydrate. Before getting on the plane, make sure you have water bottles to keep drinking during the flight. Alcohol will only dehydrate you further so stay away from alcohol during the flight.

5) Bring activities. If you tend to eat when you are bored, make sure you have plenty of activities to do on the airplane, in the car, etc. Eat only when you actually feel hungry and keep yourself and your family occupied with a movie, a book, cards, travel games, and car games like trivia

6) Take breaks. When traveling by car, take the time to pull over and take meal breaks. Stretch your legs, go for a walk, drink water and seltzer, and have a balanced meal from home to make sure you are well nourished for a long trip.

7) Get a good night’s sleep. No one likes to travel tired. If you are tired, you are also more likely to pick unhealthy choices.

When you get there…

1) Visit the grocery store. If you are staying in a hotel, it’s a great idea (and fun) to visit the local grocery store. Stock up on healthy snacks and water bottles.

2) Exercise daily. As much as you try, you are going to eat more than usual on vacation. Therefore, it’s important to offset the damage by staying active. Try to get in a workout everyday; swim laps in the pool/lake, go for a hike, go kayaking or canoeing, play tennis, go for a run on the beach, visit the gym, etc. Consciously include at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. I find it helps to start your day with physical activity to get it out of the way, especially if you are planning on enjoying some R and R poolside later on…

3) Be mindful when eating out. Eating out every meal on vacations, can be dangerous for weight maintenance. Here are some tips to make it through:

v Plan ahead and read the menu of places before you make reservations. Make sure they have healthy options to choose from.

v Use concierge and hotel recommendations to pick healthy restaurants.

v Think of your meal like a budget and determine how you want to spend your calories. Do you want an extra roll with dinner or another glass of wine? Alcohol or dessert? Make healthy substitutions to fit into your budget. Have a cappuccino instead of dessert, salad instead of an appetizer.

v Order 2 appetizers or half portions instead of full meals.

v Order as many vegetables as you can to fill up on fibrous nutritious calories. Try as much as possible to make ½ your plate full of non-starchy vegetables.

v Share options. Everyone can grab a spoon and have a bite of dessert.

v Question how foods are prepared. Don’t hesitate even if the menu says something is fried instead of baked. Waiters are more than happy to help you make healthy changes if you ask nicely!

v Look our for high fat cues including “alfredo, au gratin, basted, battered, béarnaise, benedict, breaded, buttery, casserole, country-style, creamy, crunchy (unless pertaining to vegetables), cheesy, crispy, dijonaise, escalloped, fried or deep fried, hollandaise, loaded, pan-fried, pink sauces, smothered, white sauce.”

v Order child sized portions. Want ice cream daily on vacation? Get a kiddie cone.

What about more tips specific to BBQs, weddings and parties?

v Eat sensibly the rest of the day. Choose a light healthy breakfast, for example, to offset damage for the rest of the day. Don’t skip meals!

v Get a good workout in beforehand to offset the damage.

v Don’t go hungry. Eating a snack beforehand if it is for a meal time party of a meal if is just for snacks.

v Keep track of passed appetizers, limiting yourself to just a few and fill up on crudités instead.

v Limit high calorie alcoholic beverages. Choose wine, straight hard alcohols, mohitos, wine or vodka spritzers, Skinny Girl alcohol options. Separate drinks with club soda or water.

4) Make one meal a day your indulgence. Stick to your general plan with 2 out of 3 meals per day. For example, if dinner will be the big meal each day, go easy on breakfast (omelet, fresh fruit, yogurt) and lunch (salads, light sandwiches) and enjoy your dinner.

5) What about the cruise ship?

Cruise ships and all-inclusive resorts are buffets with endless food choices. Here are some additional tips specific to these types of vacations:

v Scan the buffet first before picking any food options.

v Fill at least ½ your plate with healthy non-starchy vegetables.

v Take small portions and only fill your plate once.

v Don’t eat what you don’t like.

v Pick healthy options for the multi-course dinners. Choose fruits and vegetable options for your appetizers to reduce calories.

v Remember a snack is not a 4 or 5^th meal. Snack on healthy choices like fruit, vegetables, dry cereal, peanut butter, yogurt from the buffet line. It also helps to bring snacks from home for day trips.

v We don’t need to be eating all we can eat! Have one plate full per meal.

6) Remember you are on vacation! It’s OK to indulge a little on vacation. If you work hard to be healthy all the time, it’s nice to have dessert at dinner or that extra glass of wine. You are not going to break the bank with one special treat per day especially if you are physically active.

Happy Summer Everyone!! Enjoy your vacations and weekend get-aways!!

--Amy Santo, MS RD CDN

Herbilicious

Every Sunday my entire family gathers at my grandmother’s house to swim, eat, and chat about the events of the previous week. Upon arriving, my first stop (after saying my hellos) is straight to the garden to see what has newly grown. A watched pot never boils. That is what it feels like waiting for the great fruits and vegetables of late summer. Little green tomatoes, baby green pepper, leaves of beets, and plenty of mini cucumbers are just waiting to erupt! So in this moment, it is important to focus on the superstars that have already bloomed: the wonderful fresh herbs! Namely (in our garden): basil, mint, and dill.

Why Have You Done a Good Thing?

Fresh herbs are superstars for a few reasons.

1. They add flavor without adding sodium (salt) or calories. Almost all store-bought spice mixtures contain a significant amount of salt. Thus, when seasoning foods, it is better to rely on fresh herbs for flavor and add your own salt, controlling the amount yourself. Plus, if you’re eating under-flavored foods, it is easy to overindulge in condiments and sauces- that can be filled with extra calories and salt. Adding fresh herbs increases the flavor and decreases the need for those extra dips.
2. They contain essential vitamins and minerals. Fresh herbs, such as mint and basil, contain vitamin A, vitamin C, and even some calcium and iron! The vitamins are anti (fighting) oxidants (damaging cells). Thus, they help our body’s cells fight off damage, creating a fresher and healthier you!
3. They make everything fancy. Serving a fruit salad? Adding some fresh mint will jazz up your dish. Making a pitcher of fresh iced tea or even a summer cocktail? Adding fresh mint and/or basil will up the anti on your entertaining glamour. And once those beets start coming out of the ground, add dill and light vinaigrette to make your beet salad gourmet. Plus, we think it is cool (in a nerdy-nutrition way) to garnish foods with vitamins and minerals!

Basil:

• Make a pesto! Nothing tastes better than a pesto made with freshly picked basil- trust me! All you need to do is combine basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil in a food processor.
• Add it to your tomato & mozzarella salad
• Add it into your homemade salad dressing or
• Use it to finish off a delicious pasta dish
• Add it to a turkey sandwich in place of lettuce
• Once those tomatoes turn red, basil will be in great demand for your homemade tomato sauce.

Mint:

• Add it into a pitcher of freshly brewed iced tea
• Use it to garnish a fresh fruit platter. For a fancy dessert, place berries and fresh sorbet in a martini glass, adding agenerous amount of fresh mint leaves.
• Make a fresh mojito, crushing lots of mint into a drink of soda water, sugar, and rum.
• Make a watermelon salad with fresh mint goat cheese, and some watercress greens

Dill:

• Make a salad with beets, feta cheese, fresh dill, olive oil and vinegar.
• Make a yogurt dip, especially delicious with grilled salmon. Combine Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh dill.
• Add dill into a fresh green salad
• Combine dill (and basil) into the ground meat of your freshly made burgers

Good News: these herbs are so easy to grow! Yes, even for you people who only have a driveway. And yes, even for those of you who only have a window indoors! All you need is a pot, soil, water, and sunshine. There are many websites that can show you how and even sell you starter kits, such as Herbgardner.com and Savvygardener.com

So head to your garden (or nearest Farmer’s Market!) and pick up these wonderfully flavorful, nutrient-rich, FRESH herbs!

--Samantha Jacobs, MS RD CDN