44 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • MAY 16, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Tips for eating healthier this summer
Summer is possibly the easiest time
to stick to a healthier lifestyle. It’s warm
outside so we’re more likely to be active,
plus there’s plenty of good, fresh produce
available. With the recent focus on
organic ingredients and the farm-to-table
approach, home cooks and anyone interested
in a healthier lifestyle are looking for
ways to boost their health through better
food choices.
Fortunately, there are more ways than
ever to eat healthier.
Grow your own vegetables,
fruits or herbs
Summer is a great time to get into
gardening. Even if you don’t have
much of a yard or a lot of time,
you can grow just one vegetable, or
even herbs like basil or oregano, in a
planter, indoors or out. Some neighborhoods
even have communal garden
spaces available. Plenty of fruits
and vegetables are not that difficult
to grow, depending on where you
live, from berries and melons to lettuce,
cucumbers, tomatoes and beans.
Whatever you decide to grow, you’ll
feel good knowing exactly where your
food came from.
Use farmer’s markets and community
supported agriculture
You can support your local, organic
farmers by shopping at farmer’s markets
or signing up for community-supported
agriculture (CSA) in your area. Th e benefi
t to you is that the quality of the produce
will be high, and you’ll have access
to all kinds of fresh, organic ingredients
for your cooking.
Shop organic
Buy your cooking ingredients from
companies certifi ed as organic by the
leading third-party organic certifi er,
Quality Assurance International (QAI).
For example, Simply Organic off ers a wide
variety of delicious organic spices, seasonings,
sauces, cooking mixes and packets
for making marinades and dips that are
all certifi ed organic products.
Cook healthier
When you’re preparing meals, using
fresh, organic ingredients means that
you’re providing the best quality, healthful
food for yourself and your family.
Cooking food with plenty of nutritional
content, like high-quality proteins, fresh
vegetables, fruit and legumes, along with
organic spices and fl avorings, will ensure
that every meal you make contributes to
the overall health of your family. Look
for recipes that are not only delicious, but
that use lots of nutrition-packed ingredients.
Try making these Spicy
Guacamole Stuff ed Potato
Skins for your next party.
• 1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic Black
Pepper Medium Grind
• Simply Organic Spicy Guacamole Mix
Sauce 4.0 fl . oz.
• 8 medium-sized yellow potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash potatoes to remove dirt from
skins. Cut potatoes in half. Using a melon
baller or small cookie scoop, remove
center fl esh from potatoes.
Place potato halves on a sheet pan.
Drizzle with olive oil and rub oil over
fl esh and skin of each one. Sprinkle with
salt, coating the fl esh and skins. Sprinkle
on pepper.
Bake, fl esh-side down, for 30 minutes
or until potatoes are soft when pierced
with a fork.
In a medium bowl, mash avocados. Add
guacamole mix sauce and stir to combine.
Let potatoes cool for 5 minutes, then fi ll
each skin with guacamole (about 1 teaspoon
per potato). Top with tomatoes,
sour cream, green onions and cilantro (if
desired). Serve warm. Makes 16 servings.
Whether by growing some of your own
food or becoming more selective about
the sources of your food, everything you
cook and eat will be more nutritious. By
putting extra thought into the quality of
ingredients you use in your cooking, you
can ensure that you and your family will
be eating healthier not just this summer,
but throughout the year.
Courtesy BPT
Milk’s role in a sustainable farm-to-table diet
a dairy cow in a pasture can feel like a
long way from the milk in refrigerators
and at family tables. However, the distance
between the farm and your family
may be shorter and more sustainable
than you think. Dairy farmers are
committed to sharing milk’s vital nutrients
in more environmentally conscious
ways, and they’re making strides today
and with each generation.
Sometimes it might feel diffi cult to
balance your family’s nutritional needs
with what’s best for the planet, but dairy
milk production uses fewer resources
than before while providing a unique
nutrient package that nourishes your
family.
Farmers, who work the land and care
for the animals that help nourish families,
understand that resources are fi nite
and must be handled wisely. From using
sustainable cow feed to reusing water
and repurposing manure for fertilizer,
farmers improve their operating practices,
reduce waste and contribute to a
better environment today and for the
future.
In fact, today’s milk is made with 65
percent less water, 90 percent less land
and 76 percent less manure, resulting in
a 63 percent smaller footprint compared
to 75 years ago, according to research
published in the “Journal of Animal
Science.”
When you buy a gallon of milk, you’re
supporting farmers committed to continuous
improvement while also incorporating
one of the most nourishing
foods available into your diet.
Dairy milk is a natural source of
high-quality protein and is the top
food source for calcium and vitamin
D, which diets oft en lack, especially
for children. In all, milk provides nine
essential nutrients and is one of the
original farm-to-table foods, meaning
you’re making smart decisions about
nutrition while providing your family
with an increasingly sustainable food.
Across many aspects of life, balance is
key. Th at is especially true in how and
what people eat, and a truly sustainable
diet involves more than its impact on
physical surroundings. It must also be
nutrient-rich, practical and aff ordable.
Th e right amount of animal and plant
foods can help create more sustainable
diets for both people and the planet.
Learn more about how dairy farmers
are stewards of the environment at
milklife.com.
Courtesy Family Features
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
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