Highway to the Danger Zone

Hearing the words “Danger Zone” generally causes a catchy tune pop into mind; many people don’t immediately think about food temperatures. With Summer officially here, pool parties, Bar-b-ques, and picnics are a weekly occurrence. One main component of all these festivities, especially down here in the south is the sharing of food. Salads, especially chicken, potato, eggs salads are good options to provide some cooler eats in the summer heat.  Grilled meats, casseroles, and pies are staples, but still need to be handled with care. “The Danger Zone” in the food world refers to the temperature range in which bacteria most rapidly grow in food. This range is between 40^oF – 140^oF.  At first glance, this looks like a wide range.  What to take away from this: food grows bacteria most rapidly at room temperature. To cut down on bacteria growth, refrigerate food within 2 hours of being cooked or taken out of the fridge. For food outside with weather >90^oF, refrigeration should happen within 1 hour. Stored leftovers should be reheated to a safe minimum internal temperature before eating again. Food left out all day should be discarded to avoid potential food related illness. So stay food safe this Summer so you can enjoy all the parties!

Keeping Off Pounds Lost

Weight loss is commonly tracked through the measurements of pounds and inches. In addition to these two figures, a significant number to be tracked is percent (%) of total body weight. Substantial health improvements can happen from just a 5-15% total body weight loss. Some benefits include fewer medications or lower dosages, decreased sleep apnea, improved sexual function, increased mobility/function, and more.  All of these improvements from just 10-20 pounds in some cases. Losing the pounds often proves to be the easiest part of a weight loss journey, keeping them off is where most people struggle.  Obesity expert Donna Ryan from Pennington Biomedical Research Center explains in a recent article, “estimated metabolic adaptation from weight loss is roughly about 15 calories for every percent of weight loss.” So adapting your intake to be 15 calories less with each percent loss will help to keep the pounds off. A 5% loss would warrant a 75 calorie decrease in total daily needs. To compensate for this amount, eating less or exercising more are both options. With this, it is important to note that daily smart food choices and regular physical activity are two main components of a healthy lifestyle for anyone at any size.

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomatoe

Tomatoes are one of the first vegetables I can remember growing in our garden at home when I was little. As one of the most popular veggie plants to grow in Louisiana, it can be planted in pots or gardens, and produce 5 or more pounds of edible fruit per plant. Tomatoes are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, not to mention providing a beautiful color contrast to any dish. Low in calories, tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A and C, along with folate, potassium, dietary fiber, potassium, biotin, and much more. Tomatoes provide a great option to add a vegetable to any meal of the day. Add them to a breakfast sandwich, egg scramble or omelet. Toss into salads with dark leafy greens – the vitamin C from tomatoes will help to absorb the iron provided by spinach. They make a great addition to any side dish or can be the feature of a main entrée.  Being in season during summer there is an abundance of varieties to try at local Farmer’s Markets and produce stands.  Try this fun summertime recipe:
 

Tomato -Watermelon Gazpacho with Thai Basil and Jalapeno

Servers 6, 25-minute prep, 90-minute chill

Ingredients

·         1 ½ lb large tomatoes (3 or 4), seeded and juices

·         2 ½ cups chopped seedless watermelon

·         2 cups English cucumber, peeled and diced

·         1 shallot, diced

·         1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (leave some seeds if heat wanted)

·         1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

·         1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 Tbsp Spanish sherry vinegar

·         ½ tsp salt

·         15 basil leaves, roughly chopped (can sub some mint leaves for some basil)

·         2 Tbsp plain low-fat Greek yogurt

Directions

1.      Place tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, shallot, jalapeno, and garlic in a blender; add oil, vinegar, salt, basil. Blend until fairly smooth but still retaining a bit of texture (if soup is too thick, thin with ¼ cup tomato juice); chill 90 minutes or overnight 

2.      Serve garnished with yogurt and basil leaves

Nutrition (1 cup soup + 2 Tbsp garnish)

Calories: 81  Fat 4g  sodium: 201mg  Total Carb: 6g  Fiber 3g  Sugar 6g  Protein 3g

SmartPoints value: 1

Source: Weightwatchers July/August 2016 issue

Summer at the Farmer's Market

The Summer weather has pretty much hit south Louisiana the past couple of weeks.  Hot weather and pool days are great, but fresh seasonal produce is even better. My favorite Saturday morning ritual includes a cup of coffee and a trip to the local Farmer’s Market. This is the most colorful time of year with squash of all varieties, eggplants, leafy greens, multicolored peppers, and much more. Local produce is picked at its peak ripeness – you’ll often be purchasing items harvested within the previous 24 hours. These fruits and vegetables provide the most vitamins and minerals along with the best flavor. All of the picture perfect produce available makes it easy to eat more fruits and veggies. Here are a few quick tips to navigating your local Farmer’s Market:

·    Shop early for the best selection; shop late for the best deals 

·    Bring your own bag to support substantial produce purchases

·    Have small bills ready to pay

·    Go in with a plan or recipes in mind, but still try one new item each time

·    Talk to the Farmers – they have great knowledge of how to prepare and love hearing with you do with their produce

For Baton Rouge, The Red Stick Farmer’s Market is available year round Thursdays 8:00am-12:00pm at Pennington Biomedical Research Center 6400 Perkins Road.  And Saturdays 8:00am-12:00pm at Main Street Market at 5^th and Main Streets. Other seasonal markets are available throughout the year, check out their website at: http://breada.org/.