5 recipes for a healthy summer picnic
MAY 24, 2022Quinoa salad, lemonade, and other healthy recipes to include in your summer picnic basket
Read More Additional information about Five recipes for a healthy summer picnic | St. Luke’s HealthYou buy fresh produce at the beginning of the week with the hopes of making a spectacular meal. Then, the end of the week comes along, and all that produce has gone bad. You no longer need to worry about using all your greens before they rot—instead, substitute these frozen or canned options our St. Joseph and Texas A&M Health Network primary care physicians use.
When shopping for instant foods, there are a few things to consider. Look through the nutrition label for simple ingredient lists with whole foods and low to moderate amounts of sodium. Avoid buying packaged foods that include preservatives, trans fat, artificial sweeteners, and added sugars.
Registered Dietitian Emily Morris from St. Joseph Health’s Nutrition Services shares other ingredients to pay attention to on nutrition labels.
“In general, when purchasing packaged foods, the fewer ingredients, the better. Some ingredients like hydrogenated fats and oils add unhealthy trans fats to foods, while other ingredients such as citric acid are harmless and are meant to help keep foods safe and offer consistent taste and texture. The best thing you can do is educate yourself on the ingredients that are in the foods you buy most often and decide for yourself what you prefer to purchase.”
There are some food items you can keep stocked in your pantry to prepare multiple simple and healthy meals. Include these instant options on your next shopping list:
A bag of frozen vegetables or a box of minute rice might not sound all that exciting. However, there are ways to spice up these staples and make them something you actually want to eat. Use these simple tips to improve pantry meals like instant rice and frozen veggies.
Some people don’t think to roast frozen vegetables. You pop a steamable bag in the microwave, and there—you have an easy side dish. If you want to add a little flair to this timeless side, it’s as simple as one, two, three. First, lightly coat your frozen vegetables with oil, helping to increase their surface temperature and not dry out in the oven. Second, spread the veggies out on a preheated baking sheet in a single layer and stick them in the oven. Third, flip them after 15 minutes at 450 degrees to get both sides nice and caramelized. And there you have it!
Make your instant rice a little special with different flavors you can infuse into the dish. You can use minute rice in a variety of meals, like breakfast bowls and stir fry. The additional flavor infusions you can add to the dishes come from cooking the rice in a saucepan. Instead of water, you can substitute other liquids like broth, fruit juice, or non-dairy milks.
You can store all the items in these recipes in the pantry or freezer for optimal food lifespan needs. Serve healthy meals full of nutritious ingredients with these recipes.
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Get started creating meals with staple pieces you have right in your pantry! If you have more questions relating to diet and nutrition, schedule a visit with a St. Joseph and Texas A&M Health Network primary care physician to get the best recommendations for your lifestyle.
Sources:
5 Healthy Pantry Meals You Can Make With 11 Cheap Staples | Well+Good
How to Choose Healthy Packaged Foods
How To Roast Frozen Vegetables | Healthy Delicious
Tasty Ways to Infuse Rice and Inspired Infusion Ideas | Minute® Rice
Quinoa salad, lemonade, and other healthy recipes to include in your summer picnic basket
Read More Additional information about Five recipes for a healthy summer picnic | St. Luke’s HealthScoliosis may sound severe, but not all cases require treatment or surgery, and patients can go on living normal, active lives. Learn more by reading this blog.
Read More Additional information about Can you live a normal life with scoliosis?Homemade lemonade, especially when naturally sweetened, can provide different benefits like a natural dose of vitamins and minerals. Try one of these recipes.
Read More Additional information about Homemade lemonade recipes | St. Joseph Health
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