Summer Smoothies

Smoothies are a nutritious way to add fiber and protein to your diet without significant calories or fat. There are many ways to make smoothies, and if you're careful and thoughtful, they can be high-protein, high-fiber, low-fat and very delicious.

Making a base

The perfect base for any smoothie is frozen banana. Peel ripened bananas, break them into pieces and freeze them in ziploc freezer bags.

We also recommend buying bags of frozen fruit from Trader Joe's, where you can find affordable packages of frozen papaya, mango, pineapple, strawberries and blueberries. As always, organic is always worth the extra money if you can afford it, and non-organic strawberries are very high in pesticides. So, go for organic berries if at all possible.

Protein

If you want to add protein to a smoothie, whey protein is a very good choice. (According to Wikipedia, whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production.) An affordable and high-quality whey protein is "365 Brand Vanilla Whey Protein" from Whole Foods. A medium container lasts for weeks and delivers a highly-digestible form of protein that provides significant benefits at relative low cost. If you have an concerns about using whey protein, ask your health care provider before trying it.

Keep in mind that many protein powders on the market contain high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, something that will add unnecessary calories to your smoothie. Carnation Instant Breakfast and other prepackaged powders also contain large amounts of added sugar and are not recommended. That said, even Ensure is packed with chemical additives and added sweeteners with no nutritional benefit.

Liquid

If you like milk, feel free to use lowfat or skim milk as part of your smoothie base. You can also try soy milk, hemp milk, oat milk, rice milk or almond milk.

In terms of juice, it is again recommended to use juices that have no added sugars or sweetners. Look for a label that says "100% juice", or check the ingredient list. Once you find the brand you like, stock up.

To keep the sugar content of your smoothie low, use only a little juice and dilute with water.

Other add-ons

Every smoothie connisseur has their favorite things that they like to add when the smoothies are blending. Some suggestions:

• raw almonds
• raw walnuts
• peanuts
• bee pollen
• flax seed
• flax powder
• carob powder or chunks

Smoothies are a great way to start the day. My daily breakfast is a 12-ounce smoothie and a small handful of almonds for extra protein. This small but mighty breakfast satisfies my hunger and provides me with plenty of protein, fat and carbohydrates to get me through the morning. Whey protein digests slowly and is broken down over hours, so the nutritional benefits of that particular protein serve well in a breakfast smoothie.

Again, be careful not to use juices and other add-ons containing sugar, high fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners. The fruit contains plenty of sugar for sweetness, and your protein powder and nuts (unless you're allergic) provide you with plenty of protein. In terms of fat, don't be afraid of a few nuts. Fats from nuts and avocados are very healthy, and a small amount each day is highly preferable to the fat in french fries and other common foods.

If you have a favorite smoothie recipe, please email us and we will post it here for your colleagues to enjoy!

Liven' Up Your Next Barbeque!

By Kara Ryan, Nutrition Education Specialist for the MA Department of Public Heath

When you think about it, the traditional barbeque is not very colorful—hotdogs, hamburgers, potato salad, chips—kind of boring huh? When you add colors to your barbeque, not only is it more lively it is actually much healthier too!

Flip something other than burgers. How about chicken breast marinated in light Italian dressing or a lemon pepper seasoning? If burgers are a must, try ground turkey instead of ground beef. If you are hesitant to go all turkey, you can also mix ground turkey in with lean ground beef. There are other options as well such as veggie burgers or grilled marinated Portobello mushrooms that are great served in a bun! Add some veggies to your burger such as tomatoes and lettuce for some color.

Turn over something other than hot dogs. Try chicken sausage kabobs with colorful red peppers, yellow squash, green zucchini, and onions. Chicken sausage comes in a variety of flavors such as roasted pepper and garlic or sun dried tomato and basil. Yum.

Add seafood to your next barbeque. Salmon, halibut and shrimp cook up nicely for a family gathering. All you need to do is marinate the seafood in some olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper and you are good to go.

Instead of pasta or potato salad, try serving a green salad. Anything can go into a green salad such as grapes, diced avocados, or walnuts. Top it off with some balsamic vinegar to avoid the extra fat that is found in salad dressings.

End the day with a fresh fruit salad—watermelon, cantaloupe, mango, blueberries—sweet and colorful! And if you haven’t gotten enough of the BBQ, you can even grill up pineapple, bananas or peaches for a unique desert.

Surprise your guests at your next barbeque with delicious, colorful, and lively foods! It is sure to be a hit!

Do you have any colorful and healthy barbeque ideas? We’d love to hear from you!

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This article was originally published on the MA Department of Public Health blog, Commonwealth Conversations, and is reproduced here with the kind permission of the MA DPH.

Salad La Frenchie

Here is another recipe from Bill Bradley, who visited Amherst earlier this month and demonstrated how to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your life.

Salad La Frenchie

1 small head, red leaf lettuce
Thin slices from a red onion (depending on how much you want)
1 ripe Bartlett pear, sliced thin
1/2 cup walnuts
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 cucumber, sliced
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toast walnuts in a frying pan. Add honey at end. Mix well.

In a large salad bowl, add lettuce, onion, pear, cheese, and cucumber.

Shake mixture of vinegar, oil and basil in a jar.

Add dressing to salad. Top with cooled honey walnuts.

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For more recipes and tips, please visit Bill's website, Bradley Presents.

Crunchy Carrot Salad

Low in sodium, this salad will more than meet your daily vitamin A requirements.

1 1/2 cups fresh, grated carrots
1 unpeeled red apple, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/8 cup toasted slivered almonds (optional)
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salad greens

This recipe was reproduced from the MA Department of Agriculture website

Recipe: Black Bean Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups spinach, stems removed
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 large can (29 oz) black beans, including liquid
1 can (15 oz0 diced tomatoes

1. Saute onion, garlic, carrots and red pepper in olive oil until carrots just begin to become tender. Add mushrooms, spinach and spices, cooking until spinach is wilted.

2. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Recipe by Bill Bradley, R.D.

Recipe: Crunchy Greek Salad

2 large carrots, cut into small pieces
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces
3-4 sprigs of parsley, stems removed
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 ounces of feta cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Mix all vegetables in a bowl with olive oil and lemon juice
2. Top with crumbled feta cheese. Toss salad.

Serves 4 as main dish salad
Serves 6 as side salad

Recipe by Bill Bradley, R.D.