What will you find at the stores and markets this summer?

June: Asparagus (ends in June), beets, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, greens/spinach, fresh herbs, onions, potatoes, squash, strawberries

July – August: Apples, beets, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, cantaloupe, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, fresh herbs, nectarines, peaches, peppers, potatoes (July), raspberries, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelon

September- October: Apples, Asian pears, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant (ends in September), green beans, greens/spinach, fresh herbs, peppers, potatoes (October), pumpkins, raspberries, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes

Now that you have filled your basket with fresh produce, time to take it home and enjoy it! Time is ticking to eat up fresh produce before it spoils and we have all been there! Take advantage of any free time in the kitchen to prep your produce to help save time on busy weeknights. Your family will be much more likely to eat it if it’s ready to go. You can wash and prepare carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, squash, broccoli, green beans and melons; keep in the fridge to munch on for several days. Even your hearty greens like kale and collards can be washed, dried and stored for use later in the week. Wait to wash and prep fruits and vegetables that have a thin skin like strawberries, raspberries and peaches, they will need to be eaten within 24 hours for the best quality.

Try these ideas for incorporating local fruits and veggies into your family’s daily diet!

• Summer is great time for making smoothies! Try a green smoothie by adding spinach or kale. Peaches, blackberries and blueberries are delicious in smoothies.
• Bell peppers, cabbage, or even zucchini are great veggies to stuff with a mix of ground turkey or beans, quinoa or rice, other veggies, and fresh herbs like basil, oregano or cilantro.
• Wrap your favorite chicken or tuna salad in fresh lettuce leaves or stuff into a big Hanover tomato.
• Have the kids help you tear a bunch of kale into small bite size pieces to add to salads, mix into rice, quinoa or pasta dishes, or bake into kale chips.
• Use up a lot of veggies at once by roasting a large tray of peppers, onions, squash, eggplant broccoli, sweet potatoes and more! Add your favorite fresh herbs and olive oil. Roasting veggies brings out the natural sweetness in veggies to help cut the bitterness, making them more kid friendly! You can mix them into pastas, stuff into a wrap, or use as a pizza topping.
• Jazz up water or sparkling water by adding fresh berries or cucumbers or even fresh herbs like basil or mint.
• Add some natural sweetness by tossing a handful of berries or sliced peaches into cereals, yogurt, over ice cream, into salads, or top pancakes or waffles.
• Make watermelon savory by tossing with spinach, feta cheese and a vinaigrette dressing.
• Grill fruit for dessert! Grilled peaches and pineapples (OK, not local, but still great when grilled!) are delicious paired with vanilla yogurt or light ice cream.

Kids are often the pickiest eaters in the family, so take advantage of the dog days of summer to get the kids active in the kitchen! Involve them with possibly growing a garden, prepping, and cooking. Kids are much more likely to try their masterpiece if they had a hand in it! Enjoy the longer days and bounty of fresh produce this summer available to you from MARTIN’S!

Valerie Waters, RDN is MARTIN’S In- Store Nutritionist. Valerie is located in 3 Richmond area MARTIN’S stores and available to assist customers in their quest for healthy food choices! She has 13 years of experience as a registered dietitian nutritionist and has worked in the grocery setting for 7 years. As a working mom of two daughters, Valerie relates well to the challenges today’s moms face trying to establish and maintain healthy habits for a busy lifestyle. She is committed to offering practical advice based on up-to-date medical information to help families make sustainable healthy changes to their lifestyle. To get a plan tailored to you, call Valerie at 804-364-3644 to set up a one-on-one consultation.

 

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Looking to gain that extra edge to your sport or fitness routine? Your diet has an important impact on exercise performance. Active people, both recreational and competitive, need to provide their bodies with extra fuel to support increased activity. For peak performance, be sure to routinely eat a healthy balanced diet with the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat that meets your specific calorie and nutrient needs.

1. Carbohydrates are our bodies preferred energy source. Your body needs carbs to fuel muscles and maximize athletic potential. A good training diet consists of 50 – 60% carbohydrates per day. Choose carbohydrates that are slower absorbed for most meals and snacks – these include whole grains such as whole grain pasta, quinoa, whole grain rice, starchy vegetables, fresh fruit, milk and yogurt. Just avoid excessive portions at any time. The palm of your hand is a good guide to the right portion for you.

2. Protein needs for endurance athletes are slightly higher than sedentary people. A good training diet consists of 15 – 20% protein. Choose a source of protein at each meal. Best choices include dried beans/peas, soy lean meats, fish, nuts/seeds and nut butters and low-fat dairy products. Protein helps repair muscles after they have been damaged by exercise so be sure to eat some protein post exercise to facilitate recovery. Just remember extra protein from food or supplements won’t build muscle. You need to work your muscles to increase their strength and size!

3. Fat is an essential nutrient our bodies need. We need fat in our diet, but just like everything else, in moderation. Choose more plant fats since they are actually beneficial for our heart.  A good training diet consists of <30% total calories from fat. Best sources of fat include olive oil, canola oil, nuts/seeds, nut butters and avocados. Choose fish, nuts and seeds for omega-3’s and unsaturated fat. Great sources include fatty fish such as salmon and tuna, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, almonds and soybeans. Watch that portion size though! Extra calories from oils, nuts and seeds add up quickly because fat provides more than twice the amount of energy as carbs and protein.

4. Proper hydration is the most frequently overlooked performance aid. Dehydration is one of the more commonly overlooked energy zappers and can often lead to poor performance.
Hydration strategies include:

• Begin exercise or the race well hydrated. Be sure to drink plenty of water the day before the run as well as the morning of the run.
• Replace fluids early and often. Keep a hydrating fluid with you at all times and replace sweat losses by drinking regularly. On warm days, plan for extra water to replace fluid lost through excessive sweating.
• For low to moderate intense activity lasting < 60 minutes, water is a great choice.
• For moderate to high intense activity lasting > 60 minutes, sports drinks with 6 – 8% carbohydrate are good options.
• It’s a good idea to experiment during training to identify the amount of fluid that allows you to perform at your best.

5. Fruits and vegetables provide loads of important nutrients and antioxidants. Fill half a plate with fruits and/or veggies at every meal. Cooked or raw, fresh or frozen… just get them in!

6. The USDA MyPlate is a useful tool to help with planning nutrient dense meals and snacks to help you meet your health and fitness goals. Aim for at least 3 different food groups at each meal and whatever foods don’t fit in at a meal, have for a snack. Find out how many calories you need each day here.

7. On event day, start out with a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal 2- 4 hours before the event.  Just be sure to choose foods you have previously tried and tolerated while exercising. Meals that are low in fat and fiber ensure optimal digestion. Liquid meal replacements may be a good choice for those experiencing pre-competition jitters. Pre- race breakfast ideas include:

• Bagel thin with a smear of nut butter and ½ cup of berries
• Fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt and berries with a half of an English muffin
• Low fiber, low sugar cereal with a banana and skim milk.

Then, 30 – 60 minutes before the event fuel up with water, a sports gel or bar, or piece of fruit.

8. Tips for re-fueling after training or event day –

• Make fluid replacement your first priority and rehydrate to replace weight lost as fluid during exercise.
• Eat a meal or snack containing carbs and protein within an hour after exercising.
• Muscles are most receptive to glucose within an hour after exercise! Adding protein to this meal/snack aids in muscle recovery.
• Try these recovery snack and meal ideas:

- a smoothie made with yogurt and frozen berries;
– graham crackers with peanut butter, low-fat chocolate milk and a banana;
– a whole wheat pita sandwich with lean meat and veggies, pretzels and low-fat milk.

Don’t add back all the calories you burned in that run/walk by eating a bowl of ice cream every night! Limit added sugar throughout the day to 6 teaspoons or 24 grams per day. This does not include fruit, cow’s milk or plain yogurt.

For more information, check out MARTIN’S Healthy Ideas Brochure on Fitness and Nutrition here.

Valerie Pulley, RDN has more than 23 years of experience as a registered dietitian and is currently the Richmond area in-store nutritionist for MARTIN’S Food Markets. As a working mom of two daughters, Valerie relates well to the challenges today’s moms face trying to establish and maintain healthy habits for a busy lifestyle. She is committed to offering practical advice based on up-to-date medical information to help families make sustainable healthy changes to their lifestyle. To get a plan tailored to you, call Valerie at 804-364-3644 to set up a one-on-one consultation.