Wondering how you can work fresh produce into a healthy meal that also tastes good? Check out the ideas below for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Breakfast:
- Top whole grain waffles, pancakes or a bowl of unsweetened cereal with freshly sliced strawberries.
- Add a side of fresh cherries or a couple of apricots to your meal to whole wheat toast and eggs
- Stir some diced pineapple into plain non-fat Greek yogurt to add just the right amount of natural sweetness. You can stir in some chopped pecans as well for more protein and some healthy fats.
- Do you prefer a breakfast that you can grab and go? Throw together a smoothie with plain non-fat yogurt or skim milk, ½ a banana, and some fresh mango. Add some ground flaxseed for some heart-healthy omega-3’s.
Lunch and Dinner:
- Slice up and mix together some mango, strawberries, bananas and pineapple for a tropical fruit salad. Serve it as a side or even as dessert.
- Make a side salad with a mix of fresh spring greens. Include butter lettuce, spinach and watercress. Top your salad with sliced radishes, tomatoes, mushrooms and cucumber and toss with your favorite light dressing. If you want to make it a full meal, add some roasted chicken or glazed salmon.
- For something different, try making a broccoli salad. Add some raisins, shredded carrots and red pepper. Toss the veggies with a dressing made with white wine vinegar, light mayonnaise and lemon juice.
- Stir fry collard greens or Swiss chard with onions, mushrooms and garlic in a small amount of olive oil. Add some toasted pine nuts and have it as a side with fish filets and a whole-wheat roll.
- Throw together a stir-fry dish using snow peas, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and pineapple. Serve over brown rice or quinoa.
- Grill tilapia and flavor with fresh-squeezed lime. Cut tilapia and serve in tortillas. Top your tilapia tacos with butter lettuce, tomatoes and non-fat plain Greek yogurt (a healthy substitute for sour cream).
- Make a grain and vegetable salad that features spring produce. Use whole grain barley or quinoa and add artichokes hearts, broccoli florets, blanched asparagus and reduced-fat feta cheese. Toss the salad in a small amount of light champagne vinaigrette. Let the salad sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the ingredients to marinate.
- Instead of using a tortilla wrap, make lettuce wraps with butter lettuce leaves. Use them to make lunch wraps with tuna salad or deli turkey.
- Add butter lettuce, spinach or watercress to any lunch sandwich to add extra crunch and nutrition.
Snacks:
- Pack fresh snow peas or broccoli florets to munch on. Dip them in fat-free ranch dressing or hummus.
- Mix fresh strawberries with light yogurt.
- Cherries are easy to transport and make a good “grab-and-go” snack. (Just be sure to bring a paper towel or a plastic baggie for the pits!)
- Make a fresh mango salsa with mango, red onion, green pepper and black beans. Use it as a dip for baked tortilla chips.
- Dice up a serving of pineapple. Mix with low-fat cottage cheese for a sweet and salty snack.
See related article: “Grocery Shop for the Season“
