Ask Shelley Case: Summer Fruits – More Than Just a Healthy Snack
Saturday, July 14th, 2012
Question:
Shelley: I love the summer since there are so many seasonal fresh fruits and they are my favorite on-the-go snack! Do you have any other interesting ways to incorporate them into my gluten-free diet?
Answer:
Cheers to you for reaching for a piece of fruit for a healthy gluten-free snack while on the run! Summertime is the season for fresh, local fruits and with a little know-how and recipe ideas, it is easy to incorporate summer’s fresh bounty into breakfast, lunch, dinner & dessert – as well as snack time.
Smooth Moves: Fruit smoothies are easy, quick and most important – portable, which makes them a perfect breakfast for those that eat on the run. Start with a base of cow’s milk, almond milk, soy milk or yogurt; combine in a blender with fresh berries, ground flax and honey – blend and enjoy! Smoothies are also a great way to get kid’s excited about breakfast. Really rushed in the morning? Combine all the smoothie ingredients in the blender the night before so you can just “blend and go” in the morning!
Need some smoothie recipe ideas? Check these out:
Very-Berry Breakfast Shake
Melon-Lemon Smoothie
Learn to do the Salsa: Most people only think of the sweet flavors of fruits and lend them only to desserts. But surprisingly, fruit is perfect paired with spicy and savory herbs and spices, which can perfectly balances the natural sugars that are plentiful in most summer fruits. Chopped cilantro gives a tropical flair to this Mango Salsa over Swordfish dish or try this sweet, savory and delicious Grilled Chicken with Rosemary Pear Salsa with a Citrus Zest.
“Nice Cubes”: Toss some grapes, cherries, strawberries or blueberries into a plastic bag and freeze. These frozen little fruits make perfect edible ice cubes for summer drinks.
Fruity Sippers: Add some fruit slices in a large pitcher of water and keep in your refrigerator all summer long. Your whole family will love the fruit infused taste. Check out this Fruit Infusion Pitcher that makes drinking water all summer healthy and easy!
Jam It: Make some homemade quick and easy jam. Add some blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries and peaches in a blender, and pulse until the texture is spreadable. Enjoy on your favorite gluten-free whole grain bread, along with a hard-boiled egg for a perfect breakfast.
Salad Mix-Ins: Get tired of boring salads? Add in some fruit and kick your salads up a notch! Halved grapes go perfect in chicken salad, sliced strawberries are great toppers for a spinach salad, and mangos sliced thinly and tossed with arugula create a sweet, yet tangy salad creation. The goal is thinking beyond the traditional salad bowl and getting yourself out of the habit of adding just vegetables to salads!
Dessert on the Grill: Try grilling sliced peaches, mangos, bananas or pineapple. The natural sugars in the fruit caramelize to create a perfectly natural sweet treat. An added bonus – Grilled fruit is also a no-guilt / no-gluten after dinner treat! Need some recipe ideas and tips on how to grill fruit? Check out this article: http://befreeforme.com/ViewArticle.aspx?Term=fruit&ArticleID=51
Ask Shelley Case is a feature of BeFreeForMe.com. It is published the second Tuesday of each month. Shelley Case, RD is a Consulting Dietitian, Speaker and Author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. Visit Shelley and get more gluten-free tips & info at: GlutenFreeDiet.ca