Summer season is berry season, as well as an ideal time for cherries, plums, nectarines, and peaches.  I can’t get enough berries and stone fruit, and lucky for me they are packed with vitamins and minerals and their palattes of rich reds, oranges, blues, and pinkish hues signify an abundance of antioxidants and phytotchemicals, not to mention plenty of fiber.   For optimal health, aim to eat 2 cups or the equivalent of fresh or frozen fruit per day.  Skip the juice and fruits canned in sugary syrups; fresh, whole fruit has far more nutrients.

Breakfast: Nectarine Pecan Oatmeal

Microwave 1/2 cup rolled oats, 6 pecan halves, 1/2 chopped nectarine, and 1/2 cup skim milk or soy milk for 90 seconds.  Super easy breakfast, ready in minutes.

Lunch: Berry-Cherry Parfait

Lunch doesn’t have to be soup, salad, or a sandwich.  Try a calcium-rich yogurt parfait.  Add your favorite fresh fruit and nuts, and you have a well-balanced lunch, replete with protein, heart-healthy plant fats, and fiber-rich fruit.   I combine 6oz of nonfat, plain yogurt with 1 cup of pitted cherries and blueberries and then sprinkle on 1/4 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds (good source of omega 3 fatty acids–same as those found in fish).  I opt for 0% Fage Greek yogurt because it’s thick and creamy and much less tart than typical plain yogurt.  Using plain yogurt instead of flavored also saves you 1 T of added sugar.  Juicy, chopped fruit is a healthier option than refined sugars, like agave or honey, and it’s plenty sweet and delicious.  Skip the granola as well, as many varieties are loaded with saturated fat and sugar, packing up to 200 calories per 1/4 cup (the equivalent of 2 Tablespoons of butter).

Snack: 1/2 Peanut Butter Sandwich

Spread 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter on 1 slice of any 100% whole grain bread, and you have a snack that will travel anywhere.  Choose a brand of peanut butter made from 100% peanuts like Brad’s or Arrowhead Mills.  You wouldn’t spread partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, salt, or sugar onto your sandwich, would you?  Then why tolerate them pre-mixed into your peanut butter?  Skip the Skippy! Choosy Moms, don’t choose Jiff.  Eat smarter, and read the labels.  “Peanuts” should be the sole ingredient listed, or you can grind your own at some grocers like Whole Foods Market.

Dinner: White Bean & Tomato Panzanella Salad (Bread Salad)

This fresh, summer salad is so refreshing, and extremely nutritious composed of ripe tomatoes, crunchy red onions and cucumber, protein-rich white beans, and chunks of country bread that soak up the vinaigrette perfectly.  Add some baby spinach leaves if you haven’t had your greens for the day.  Or if you’re in a more carnivorous mood, simply add grilled chicken or tuna.

Click here for recipe.

Photos from Martha Stewart, Everyday Food, a fantastic source of recipes and cooking inspiration.

Memorial Day has come and gone; let grill season commence!  I have a fantastic menu to share with you that’s both healthy AND sure to please at any alfresco barbecue.

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken

The recipe I’ve linked to below is one that Ina Garten  featured on  Barefoot Contessa. The tequila, lime juice, and jalapeno pepper marinade is nuanced and delicious.  To lower the fat, always remove the skin from the chicken breasts before eating.

Click here for recipe.

Fresh Corn Salad

Another Garten creation, sweet, summer corn is complemented perfectly by this recipe’s balance of olive oil, vinegar, basil, and red onion.  Save yourself some work by grilling 1 1/2 bags of frozen corn kernels rather than boiling cobs as directed.

Click here for recipe.

Cumin-scented Black Beans

This is one of my favorite recipes, passed on to me by a family member:

Simmer a 1-pound bag of dried black beans with 1 L chicken stock, 1 diced white onion, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 large bunch of chopped cilantro (stems & leaves), 2 tsp cumin seed, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, and 1 heaping tablespoon of chicken base.  Simmer for 2-3 hours or until beans are soft and the onion and cilantro have completely broken down, adding more liquid as needed. If you’re pinched for time, use canned black beans instead of dried and cook for 1 hour instead of 2-3; use the liquid the beans are canned in in place of some of the chicken stock to intensify the flavor.

Beans are a fantastic source of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, and I try to showcase them at as many meals as I can. 

Avocado & Tomatoes

Simple, easy, and delicious.  Halve 2 pints of grape tomatoes, cube 3-4 avocados, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and shakes of Kosher salt and ground pepper, and garnish with a few cilantro leaves if desired.   Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and several antioxidants, and avocados top the charts for providing hearth-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Ripe, Luscious Strawberries

Berries are the perfect summer dessert.  Wash and assemble on a large platter, and watch them disappear.

This menu is packed with lean, flavorful protein, fresh veggies galore, heart-healthy fats, and even colorful fruit.  Barbecues don’t have to be centered around calorie-bombs like fat-laden potato and pasta salads, creamy cole slaw, greasy chips and dips, nor fatty cuts of meat, like sausages, hot dogs and ground hamburger and their refined-flour buns.  Grill smarter, grill healthier!

Don’t have a grill?  Or need a rainy-day alternative?  No problem.  Use a reversible double griddle pan like the one sold at Crate & Barrel.  It fits neatly over two stove top burners,  the grilling grooves give chicken fantastic browned grill lines, and the flat side caramelizes onions and corn to perfection.