ROUSES.COM
39
Shop FIT
•
eAT FIT
Shop FIT • eAT FIT
by
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, Sports Nutritionist,
Ochsner Clinic’s Elmwood Center in New Orleans
H
amburgers are an excellent source of protein, iron and zinc, but can also
be loaded with calories and fat. Simply making the change from 80/20
(lean meat/fat) to 95/5 will slash the fat content by two-thirds, and cut calories
by one-third.
Serving size is another point to keep in mind, since patty sizes can vary widely.
And watch your toppings. A tablespoon of mayonnaise is 76% fat.
Summer side dishes are a great way to get your 4-5 servings of produce every
day, and it’s easy to make your favorites more nutritious. Swap mashed potatoes
for mashed or puréed cauliflower; use red cabbage in coleslaw instead of green.
Boldly colored vegetables like red cabbage and carrots are linked to a stronger
immune system and a lower risk of disease.
Carrots
are loaded with the plant
pigment beta-carotene, which is quickly converted into vitamin A inside the
body. Vitamin A is critical for healthy vision, and helps support cell growth.
Tomatoes
contain powerful antioxidants, and are loaded with lycopene that
helps combat damaging free radicals in the skin, and lutein, which supports
healthy vision.
Brussels sprouts
are an even better source of lutein, and
zeaxanthin.These phytochemicals promote healthy vision (so does kale, spinach
and
corn
). Eating Brussels sprouts is a tasty way to get more folate, potassium,
iron, fiber and vitamins A, C and K into your diet (one cup of Brussels sprouts
has more vitamin C than an orange).
STORING
When you get home from Rouses, take your produce out of its packaging or
bag. You can wash everything except mushrooms and herbs – wait until you’re
ready to use them. Mushrooms, herbs, apples, grapes, bell peppers, citrus,
berries, leafy greens and ripe avocados, mangoes, melons and stone fruit like
peaches go in the refrigerator (but never
put bananas or tomatoes in the fridge). Put
fruit in one compartment, vegetables in
the other. Pack them as loosely as possible
to avoid rotting. Allow avocados, tropical
fruit and stone fruit to ripen on the counter
before refrigerating (place stone fruit stem
side down).
—Joe – Rouses Produce Director
FRESH OR FROZEN?
The nutritional value of frozen is as good as
fresh. Produce like strawberries, blueberries
and Brussels sprouts, are picked when ripe,
then flash frozen, which preserves nutrients.
If you opt for frozen, just be sure to choose
fruits with no sugar added, and vegetables
without creamy or sugary sauces.
—Molly
"Good nutrition and good
taste do not have to exist
independently."
—Molly Kimball
