Picnic Perfect Healthy and Delicious Vegetables
It’s summertime and picnic season! According to research on the Mediterranean diet, creating community is an important characteristic of healthy eating and aging. What better way to bring people together than a picnic?
A picnic is also an excellent opportunity to include a refreshing salad and cold, crisp vegetables. Too often, we rely on less healthy options like chips, processed meats, and unhealthy dips.
Vegetables help keep the calorie count in check. At the same time, their fibers regulate blood sugar, increase satiety, and offer many important antioxidants. If you have been to The Ranch, you know firsthand how delicious vegetables from the garden can be on their own. A healthy dressing or dip can make them irresistible and get even the most ‘veggie-averse’ person noshing.
Vegetables that can be the star of your picnic include:
- Cherry tomatoes and basil with a mozzarella ball on a skewer
- Zucchini noodles and sweet corn salad
- Rainbow wrap of bell peppers, cucumbers, and shredded carrots in a spinach tortilla or leaf of Swiss chard.
- Seasoned grilled vegetables
- Spinach and artichoke dip made with yogurt
This month, Ranch Chef Vivian is sharing a delicious dip you can pair with fresh vegetables at your next picnic or gathering. It’s roasted Beet Hummus, which is not only packed with heart-healthy beets and the cancer-fighting crucifer kohlrabi but also a nutritious addition to your meal. Just be sure to bring enough to share with everyone!
Linda Illingworth, RDN, CSSD, is the Registered Dietitian at Lifewellness Institute, a medical practice specializing in wellness, where she provides clinical care and nutritional guidance for patients and corporate clients. An expert in functional nutrition, Linda is known for her practical advice to find the best nutritional path to achieve specific health goals. As a certified specialist in Sports Nutrition, Linda also has specialized training in food sensitivities, supplementation, wellness, thyroid and cardiovascular nutrition. Linda holds a B.S. in Nutrition from California State University Long Beach and completed her dietetic internship at St. Luke’s Hospital, Wisconsin. Her special interest in nutrition and wellness began in college with her father’s death, the result of cardiovascular disease and thus created a life-long desire to learn. Linda is frequently consulted for her depth and breadth of nutritional knowledge, has developed nutrition curriculum for popular destination health spas, National University, consults for non-profit nutrition programs, and can be found in print and online media.
