Smoothies are a huge part of life at my house. We drink them like water! We’re mostly creatures of habit, sticking to our favorite blends, but we’ve tried just about every combination possible.
In addition to providing antioxidants and other powerful nutrients, the fruit and greens provide fiber, which delivers bulk and helps slows down digestion. Baby spinach is a great add-in to any smoothie, as the flavor is so mild you won’t even know it’s there. The fat source also slows down digestion by regulating how fast the stomach empties its contents into the intestines. Great natural fat sources include: nuts and nut butters, avocado, chia or flax seeds, and coconut oil. I rely on both fat and fiber to keep me satisfied until my next meal.
Protein also plays a role in how full I feel, but in a slightly different way. I like to think of protein as having the “done” factor. Protein tells my brain that I’m finished eating, I’m satisfied, and that I don’t need to eat again for a few hours. As a Dietitian, we have a name for this. It’s called satiety. Satiety from the protein determines how long it will be before you’re hungry again. Satiation from the fiber and fat helps you feel full during your meal, helping to slow you down.
Many of my clients tell me they are hungry shortly after a smoothie. Upon further investigation I usually find that the smoothie was nothing more than fruit and some kind of low calorie liquid. This is not enough to provide satiety or satiation!
Some great natural protein add-ins are: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, raw almonds, organic tofu, or hemp seeds.
This tasty, low sugar smoothie recipe utilizes the staying power of frozen fresh Wild Blueberries. Since I don’t like to add too much fruit to my smoothies, I like to get the biggest nutrient bang I can. Wild Blueberries are not only full of delicious berry flavor, they are the antioxidant leader. They are especially rich in anthocyanin, a potent antioxidant flavonoid found in highly concentrated amounts in Wild Blueberries. Anthocyanin is responsible for both the berry’s deep-blue color and its powerful health protection.
I also love that Wild Blueberries are found in the frozen food aisle, as this lessens the need to add ice to your smoothie, which may dilute the flavor.
There’s still some lingering snow left on the ground but I can hear the birds chirping outside my office window — a surefire sign that spring is on the horizon!
Spring shows up in the produce aisle on a wave of green and is probably the best time for falling in love with fresh vegetables. From asparagus to English peas to artichokes and avocados – green is king! And what better way to celebrate the harvest than to pair green vegetables with the intense flavor of Wild Blueberries? Unlike many other fruits, and especially berries, you don’t have to wait until Wild Blueberries come “in season,” they are available year round, making them a delicious complement for showcasing seasonal produce any time of year.
I especially love this Wild Blueberry vinaigrette. It’s so creamy and flavorful that just about any salad would benefit from a toss in this delicious dressing. What’s different about this dressing is that it’s made in the food processor. Most Wild Blueberry vinaigrettes use the whole blueberry but in this recipe the berries are processed, producing a creamy texture and that gorgeous purple color. The creaminess also comes from miso paste, which has a salty, umami flavor. The combination of salty and sweet makes this dressing really stand out. Another favorite ingredient in the dressing is fresh ginger. Fresh ginger pairs really well with Wild Blueberries and adds to the Asian appeal of this vinaigrette.
You can toss this dressing with your favorite spring produce or massage it into your curly kale. It would be awesome as a dipping sauce for homemade spring rolls, too.
I love that Wild Blueberries are available year-round (you can find them in the frozen section of the grocery store) and always keep their intense flavor. This is because they’re harvested at the height of the Wild Blueberry season and then frozen fresh and packed within 24 hours of being picked! It’s pretty amazing that these “wild” berries have been around for thousands of years and grow up from the ground all on their own.
Creamy Wild Blueberry & Miso Vinaigrette
Danielle Omar is a registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher and cookbook author. She is a passionate food and nutrition educator and founded Danielle Omar Nutrition to support busy men and women on their journey to becoming their healthiest self. An avid cook, she also enjoys sharing plant-based recipes and nutrition strategies on her Food Confidence blog. Danielle has a Master’s degree in Nutrition and has been teaching nutrition at the college level for over 10 years. She has contributed to local and national media outlets such as The Washingtonian, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Shape Magazine, and Women’s Health Magazine. Through her private nutrition practice, media work, and group programs, Danielle has successfully motivated hundreds of busy professionals and families to eat confidently and live a healthy life.
A three-part series that proves how frozen fruits and veggies are healthy, affordable and “green.”
Let’s face it, there’s a stigma associated with frozen food. Frozen dinners, frozen desserts, and yes, even frozen fruits and vegetables just aren’t something that price-conscious, health-conscious, and earth-conscious moms rave about. But if you’re skipping the freezer aisle altogether, then you’re missing out, says award-winning broadcast journalist, nutrition expert and blogger, Liz Weiss, RD.
“Frozen fruits and vegetables got a bad rap years ago when freezing technology was in its infancy,” says Liz. “But things have changed a lot and there are plenty of reasons to shop the freezer aisle, especially if you’re a health conscious, price conscious, and earth conscious mom.”
Liz was kind enough to share her philosophy about buying frozen. You’ll be surprised by what she’s keeping in her freezer and why price, environment, and nutrition are among her top motivators for shopping frozen.
Why do you like using frozen?
What I love about frozen fruits and veggies is that they are always at the ready. If I’m making quesadillas and I need corn, I can always grab a cup and use only what I need. If I’m making a smoothie, I can grab a cup of frozen fresh Wild Blueberries. And when I seal the bag, I know those berries are going to last several months, not just a few days. Frozen fruits and veggies are a go-to ingredient for cooking and the perfect choice for a mom on the go.
How do frozen foods stack up in terms of price?
Prices vary and, as with any food you buy, you always want to look for what’s on sale, especially if you are a bargain shopper. But keep in mind that even if a frozen option is a few more pennies per pound, you’re still going to benefit from a lot less food waste. For example, frozen mangoes will be pitted, peeled and chopped, strawberries are going to be hulled and your green beans and spinach will be trimmed. So, there is often more value in the frozen choices.
With all of the advantages, why don’t more people buy frozen?
There is a stigma associated with frozen and canned foods, and a perception that frozen can’t be as nutritious. But this is not true.
What about nutritional values?
Consumers should not worry about the nutritional value of frozen fruits and vegetables. A recent study by the University of California-Davis looked at the nutrient content of eight commonly-purchased frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables (blueberries, strawberries, carrots, corn, broccoli, green beans, green peas and spinach.) The results show that the nutritional value of the frozen choices are generally equal to – and in some cases better than – the fresh choices.
So the nutritional benefits are comparable?
Yes. Many of our nation’s frozen foods are processed at the point – and peak – of harvest. When I visited the Wild Blueberry barrens in Maine last summer I saw it first-hand. There, the processing plants are situated right in the middle of the Wild Blueberry fields. Harvesters are collecting the ripe fruit, washing it, and freezing it within hours of harvest. Those berries don’t suffer the delay or the impact of a long transportation system.
Are there environmental factors to consider?
Yes there are. When you use frozen fruits and vegetables, you’re not going to waste as much food. A full 40 percent of the food in this country is wasted in the home kitchen. Much of that is because it spoils before it’s eaten. Buying frozen fruits and veggies allows you to use exactly what you need and store the remainder for later.
So buying frozen is more earth friendly?
Yes. One of the biggest emerging environmental issues is food waste. In a few years, our planet is going to be asked to produce enough food for 7.5 billion people. Yet, we know that consumers waste hundreds of millions of pounds of food annually. Simply put, if we waste less, we can feed more people and lower our family’s carbon footprint.
What’s in your freezer now?
Right now I have Wild Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, mango, and pineapple. In the veggie world I have petite frozen peas, frozen corn, edamame, spinach, and kale. I often have frozen mixed greens and even sweet potato fries. I keep a large variety because I love to cook and I want a good diversity of food on hand.
Can you share some ideas for dishes using frozen fruits and veggies?
Yes, there are tons of great ways to make use of frozen fruits and veggies, which is why I keep so many on hand. Here are some of my favorites:
Smoothies—these are an obvious place for frozen fruits and veggies. At my house, we are huge smoothies fans and we probably drink smoothies 5 days a week. Frozen Wild Blueberries find there way into a lot of our smoothies, but other fruits and greens are also great. Check out Liz’s Blueberry Frosty and Wild Blueberry & Chia Seed Smoothie.
Quesadillas—these are a favorite and the varieties are endless – I use flour tortillas with veggie filling and cheese to “glue” it all together. I combine sautéed bell peppers with frozen spinach, frozen corn kernels with leftover chicken and stir in some BBQ sauce. Check out my Quick Quesadilla Pockets.
Lasagna or Ravioli—Frozen spinach is great for a quick lasagna or ravioli. This is a dish that kids love too. Check out a short video and recipe for my Super-Fast Spinach Lasagna.
Soups and Chili—I use frozen corn, edamame, and frozen green beans in all types of soups and chili. The frozen mixed veggies hold up really well too. See my recipe for Beef Vegetable Soup.
Pasta Salads—I’m a big fan of pasta salads. I add shelled edamame, corn, or any number of frozen veggies to a pasta salad. Check out my recipe for Tortellini Lunchbox Salad
Liz Weiss is an award-winning broadcast journalist, cookbook author, and radio show host who started Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen, a leading blog for parents in search of better ways to feed their family a super-nutritious diet. She’s also the co-author of two great books: No Whine with Dinner: 150 Healthy, Kid-Tested Recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms and The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time and she recently released a mobile recipe app called, Meal Makeovers. You can read more about Liz at http://mealmakeovermoms.com/
The hustle and bustle of the holidays can leave you with little time (or energy) to get creative in the kitchen, especially if you have family in town and a few extra mouths to feed. Quesadillas are the perfect answer to this no-time-to-cook dilemma. For one, they are the ultimate kid-food. Kids adore them. And you can hide healthy stuff inside. Like spinach and tomatoes and even…Wild Blueberries. They’re also gooey, which gives them the illusion of decadence and unhealthiness. And let’s face it; people love that, especially around the holidays. They’re also fast and they don’t require a ton of thought. With just a few key ingredients, you have an amazing meal or snack. And finally, they’re versatile. You can put almost anything between two flour tortillas and some cheese and the result is likely delicious.
These crunchy, gooey, flavorful and unique quesadillas are not only delicious and decadent, they’re healthy, too. You can thank Wild Blueberries for that! Jammed packed full of anti-inflammatory goodness, these quesadillas are working overtime to keep you healthy, especially during cold season! Wild Blueberries are so versatile in the kitchen. I love how they keep their intense blueberry flavor when you cook with them. Which is great when you’re making a dish like stuffing or these yummy quesadillas.
I wanted to add a little something extra to this dish to give it the wow factor! After a quick peruse of the fridge, I found my answer: jalapeno jelly. It was the perfect hint of sweetness from the jelly plus some jalapeno heat to kick it up a notch! The sweet and the heat complement the Wild Blueberries perfectly.
Of course a quesadilla is not a quesadilla without cheese. I recommend you mix it up! I used three different kinds of cheese for these quesadillas. Brie, being the Queen of melting cheese, was an obvious choice (and of course it worked great). But any cheese tastes amazing paired with Wild Blueberries. I tested these quesadillas with smoked Gouda and tangy goat. Both worked deliciously.
Wild Blueberries and gooey melted cheese folded into a crispy tortilla…the perfect holiday lunch!
About the Author
Danielle Omar is a registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher and cookbook author. She is a passionate food and nutrition educator and founded Danielle Omar Nutrition to support busy men and women on their journey to becoming their healthiest self. An avid cook, she also enjoys sharing plant-based recipes and nutrition strategies on her Food Confidence blog. Danielle has a Master’s degree in Nutrition and has been teaching nutrition at the college level for over 10 years. She has contributed to local and national media outlets such as The Washingtonian, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Shape Magazine, and Women’s Health Magazine. Through her private nutrition practice, media work, and group programs, Danielle has successfully motivated hundreds of busy professionals and families to eat confidently and live a healthy life.
