As much as I love summer, I also love to see the signs of fall coming. It's great when it cools down just enough to where you can really enjoy a picnic in the park....or in your back yard which is where I often go. I have fond memories of family picnics at a local park in California where I grew up. We would get together with my favorite cousin and her family and it was always a great time! One of the best parts of the outing was the food! Kentucky Fried Chicken (and my favorite part was that "extra crispy" greasy skin) potato salad, pork and beans, chips, and what ever dessert there was. I didn't care. As long as there was sugar involved.
Those days of fried chicken and sugar are long gone since switching to a whole foods plant based diet almost 20 years ago. But the picnic with the family doesn't have to be. And you can enjoy some delicious picnic foods that aren't loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol.
And that is what Health for Life cooking will be focused on for the month of September. I'm going to set aside my high nutrient focus, just this once, to share with you 3 of my favorite picnic dishes; Potato Salad, BBQ'd Lentils, and Chic'n Strips w/Sweet Mustard Dip. To make up for the lack of high nutrients foods in our picnic meal, it would be good to start your day off with a high nutrient smoothie. Since peaches are in season, I have been making a Peaches and Greens smoothie that is fabulous and I'm very excited to share it with you! (Smoothie is not pictured)
Those days of fried chicken and sugar are long gone since switching to a whole foods plant based diet almost 20 years ago. But the picnic with the family doesn't have to be. And you can enjoy some delicious picnic foods that aren't loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol.
And that is what Health for Life cooking will be focused on for the month of September. I'm going to set aside my high nutrient focus, just this once, to share with you 3 of my favorite picnic dishes; Potato Salad, BBQ'd Lentils, and Chic'n Strips w/Sweet Mustard Dip. To make up for the lack of high nutrients foods in our picnic meal, it would be good to start your day off with a high nutrient smoothie. Since peaches are in season, I have been making a Peaches and Greens smoothie that is fabulous and I'm very excited to share it with you! (Smoothie is not pictured)
My potato salad that I will be demonstrating is made with red potatoes, which are higher in nutritional value then the white russets. The dressing is made with cashews and sunflower seeds, blended with some lemon juice, vinegar, and seasonings for a delicious creamy almost like mayo dressing. The BBQ sauce for the lentils will be made in my Vita Mix in just minutes, with two of the best, most nutritious sweeteners. And the Chic'n strips...well these are going to be a surprise! There's no chicken in these little guys and they are really delicious dipped in this simple sweet mustard sauce that would also be great for a salad dressing. (For those with nut allergies, the Chic'n Strips have walnuts which you can omit from this recipe). And I'm sure you can guess what the Peaches and Greens smoothie is made with. I add a couple extra goodies to make this creamy and delicious. It's a great way to start your day.
And that's Health for Life in September. If the weather is nice, we just might make it a real picnic and take it to my back yard. Hope to see YOU at one of my classes!
