Power Foods During the Passover & Easter

Will you be eating healthy during Passover and Easter? Just because it's a holiday is no reason to eat poorly.  Remember to include these power foods in your holiday menus. Like what, you ask?
Here are some ideas.
                               
1.  Avocado : a perfect power food that is rich in good fats, contains Vit E  and lots of important minerals. It can be added to salad, made into a dessert ( chocolate pudding)  , guacamole or eaten with sliced tomato and fresh basil served on a platter.Avocado is filling, delicious, and versatile.
 
                         

avocado guacamole

2. Quinoa: surprise! quinoa is not a grain, it is a berry and therefore considered permissible to eat on Passover. Since it's high in protein and vitamins and minerals it qualifies as a power food,  and  is a perfect ingredient to remember to add into your Passover menu. Make a quinoa pilaf, into a quinoa tabooli, or use as a stuffing. It is sure to please both the appetite and the desire to eat healthfully.

Perfect lemony quinoa pilaf- looks like a grain , but it's a berry

                         

3. Fresh Fruit- fruit is full of powerful antioxidants that help protect against disease. It's so important to eat sufficient fruit everyday in your diet. So don't forget to use fresh fruit to make fruit salad, fruit smoothies ( I use frozen banana -Yum) and pack whole fruit as a snack for when you are out. Just because its Passover, you don't have to compromise eating healthy. Choose from blueberries, apples, oranges, pomegranates, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, etc. Make dessert a big fresh fruit salad topped with some walnuts or pecans.

                          

4. Nuts- nuts make a great snack or add chopped nuts to yogurt. Nuts are good fats, that also help keep insulin levels lower. ( read how  nuts can  help diabetes ) . Making a platter of fresh fruits?  Include raw nuts like pecans, walnut halves, and almonds. Fruit and nuts go great together. In addition, put some nuts in a baggie and carry it with you when you are out shopping.

                              
5. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, are rich in beta carotene and are very easy to make.
    I simply bake them in the oven until tender and then enjoy the sweet tender fleshy vegetable. I sprinkle with cinnamon and a little apple or orange juice. Perfect side dish for the Seders that is simple to make and delicious. Easiest recipe for butternut squash. Try to include a rainbow of colors from fruits and veggies in your daily menu for the greatest coverage of antioxidants for your family.

                                    

6.  Fresh or Roasted Veggies- We all know that veggies are really good for us and they taste fabulous when they are oven roasted on a cookie sheet. Try roasting Brussels sprouts, eggplant, tomatoes, cauliflower, or all of them. It's a great way to eat more veggies because they are so good, you won't be able to stop eating them. Great for the Seders or any night of the week. Try honey roasted Brussel Sprouts or roasted eggplant . In addition, cut up fresh cucumber, red peppers, carrots for snacking.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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