wild blueberries Archives - Page 10 of 18

Colorful Allergy-Friendly Wild Blueberry Banana Hemp Smoothie Recipe

Kelly Roenicke, one of our “Wild Your Smoothie” Recipe contest winners, started writing her allergy-friendly recipe blog, The Pretty Bee: Allergy Friendly Eats, when her family was confronted with living and eating with multiple allergies. She told us her first son, now eight, was sensitive to gluten when he was young and had trouble with dairy and eggs. Today, he has outgrown some of his sensitivities and can eat eggs. Her younger son, aged four, is allergic to tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Kelly says she creates “family-tested,” delicious and nutritional allergy-friendly recipes that have a lot of flavor variety. “That’s important to me because when I started removing certain foods from my family’s diet I felt limited and preparing meals became more challenging. I really didn’t know where to turn, so I love that families can use my blog as a resource.”

When Kelly creates recipes, she keeps in mind the families out there who have multiple food allergies. Most of her recipes are free of the top 8 allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish – plus sesame seeds because of her son’s allergy. “When they come to my blog, they tell me they are excited to find recipes that are delicious and easy to make with simple ingredients they can find in their local grocery store and safe for their family to enjoy.”

Here at Wild Blueberry headquarters we love smoothies and want to know what makes others just as passionate about them. So, we asked Kelly and here is what she said: “Smoothies have been a part of my diet for a long time – really since my first son was born because they were a convenient way to get the nutrition I needed especially while I was breastfeeding.” Now that her children are a little older, she says, “I love smoothies because they are easy and nutritious and a great way to start my family’s day. We typically drink smoothies for breakfast but we’ll have them as snacks, too. I drink them regularly and my older son really likes them. I love how they taste and that I can add different fruits and seeds like chia or hemp seeds which are allergy-friendly to add nutrition.”

We also wanted to know why Kelly considers frozen Wild Blueberries a great smoothie ingredient. “I’ve been a frozen Wild Blueberry fan for a while. I first bought them because they just sounded good. I was really surprised when I tasted them because the blueberry flavor is much stronger. Sometimes other frozen berries can be tart, but frozen Wild Blueberries add a nice sweetness to our smoothies. I also like frozen Wild Blueberries because I know I’m adding a lot of fiber to our smoothies and because of their great deep blue color I know they are rich in antioxidants. They really are a great source of nutrition for me and my boys. If I’m making a quick smoothie, I typically mix frozen Wild Blueberries, frozen pineapple and frozen mango. I love to use a mix of frozen fruits for my smoothies, especially in the winter I rely on frozen fruit because it’s more convenient.”

Kelly concluded our conversation by saying she was thrilled and honored that her smoothie was chosen. She also wanted to share some advice for anyone who hasn’t tried frozen Wild Blueberries. She said, “If you’re browsing the frozen food aisle – to pick up some frozen Wild Blueberries because they are worth seeking out because they are so delicious. You’ll be surprised by the strong blueberry flavor. This little fruit is great to add to any recipe but especially smoothies.”

Kelly Roenicke’s Colorful Wild Blueberry Banana Hemp Smoothie

Kelly told us she doesn’t enter a lot of recipe contests but when she heard the featured ingredient was frozen fresh Wild Blueberries she had to “throw my hat in the ring.” She said, “It was fun to create something with an ingredient that l love and use regularly.”

When she started thinking about the recipe to create for the contest, she decided she wanted to make an allergy-friendly smoothie that would be “a treat for the eyes and the taste buds.” A few months ago, she had made a smoothie with frozen Wild Blueberries and coconut milk and the result was a yummy smoothie with a light lavender color. She took it to the next level and ramped up the color fun in her smoothie by adding a pink bottom layer using blended frozen bananas and raspberries. To get the clearly delineated layers, Kelly says its important to make sure the raspberry layer is very thick and to work quickly to blend the Wild Blueberry layer and then pour it slowly into the glass in order to prevent it from blending with the first layer. To add nutrition – more healthy fats and proteins – to her smoothie recipe, Kelly topped it all off with hemp hearts. Not only is this smoothie delicious and fun but also it is naturally free of the top 8 allergens because of the ingredients she selected – frozen fruit, coconut milk and hemp seeds.

About Kelly:

Kelly Roenicke is a home cook and mom to two little boys with multiple food allergies and intolerances. In the past few years she has had to adapt the way that she cooks and bakes. She is passionate about allergy friendly cooking and baking, and believes that it can be fun and delicious, not bland and boring. Her blog is The Pretty Bee: Allergy Friendly Eats.

Kelly blogs to share allergy-friendly recipes with other families who might be struggling with food sensitivities. Her goal is to provide delicious and easy recipes that will help families with food sensitivities or allergies enjoy cooking and eating again.

5 Things You Can Do to Help the Honey Bee

Honey bees are a very important part of the ecosystem of the Wild Blueberry barrens and the global food supply. Their population is also in decline. While the causes are unclear and the debates are endless, there are a few things you can do right now to help the honey bees in your neighborhood keep on buzzing.

We’ve collected five of our favorite simple things anyone can do to help the local honey bee population thrive. Adapting just one of these things into your routine can have a positive impact on your honey bee ‘hood’:

1. Buy local honey from a local beekeeper. Keeping your local beekeeper in business is good for the garden and the economy. There are also a number of new studies that are exploring the positive benefits of local honey on allergies. The taste of local honey is incredible; you will never be able to go back to commercial honey.

2. Plant less lawn and more bee-friendly flowering plants and herbs in your yard and garden. Vary the blooms so the honey bees can stay well fed all year long! Think crocuses in the spring, cosmos in the summer, and zinnias in the fall – explore more. Don’t have a garden? Container gardening can be just as helpful.

3. Water the honey bees. Fact – honey bees get thirsty too! Leave a shallow dish of water with sticks or pebbles so the bees can land safely and drink. Be sure to keep this stocked with fresh water and in the same place so the honey bees will know you’re a reliable hydration station.

4. Bee-friendly. Honey bees aren’t out to sting you. Their buzzing and flying around can make us nervous, especially those of us allergic to their sting. If you see a honey bee, just take a step back and let ‘em do their job. Wasps, hornets and yellow jackets don’t play as nicely, however, so beware!

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5. Let your plants go to seed. If you have a vegetable garden at home – let your veggies go to seed after harvest. This helps honey bees stock up before the winter. Real bees hibernate over the winter and these late season blooms are essential for their long-term success.

On Earth Day, we look at the food we eat through the lens of water usage

How many gallons of water does it take to produce a pound of food? The answers will amaze you.

Back To Second Grade. Do you remember studying clouds in elementary school? Teachers loved showing us those charts of water evaporating from the sea, turning into clouds, falling as rain in the mountains, and running across the plains back to the sea. What they forgot to draw were the little human beings.

Water usage is one of the fastest-growing concerns in the eco-movement today, and what we choose to eat has a very large influence on what happens to water as it moves through its cycle. Every plant sown and every animal birthed for our dining pleasure impacts the planet’s resources through its own cycle of growing, processing, packaging, transporting, and preparing. Yet to those of us in the industrial world, food comes from a package rather than a sea, cloud, mountain, or plain. Small wonder that we tend to look at food through the narrow lens of our own sustenance or pleasure.

Craving a nacho chip? It takes almost 140 gallons of water to produce one pound of corn. Water is also needed to clean the processing equipment, produce the oil for frying, and make the packaging. How about a nice steak? If that pound of corn is used as cattle feed, additional water is required for cleaning and processing it. The corn needs to be transported to the feedlots, which uses gasoline, which takes three quarts of water to produce enough fuel to travel each mile. Each pound of beef we consume takes around 1,700 gallons of water to produce. Care for wine with dinner? Each grape requires about a third of a gallon to produce. A pound of tree nuts represents 1,565 gallons of water, a pound of pork 660 gallons, and a pound of cheese 473 gallons. These and other facts are available in the Menus of Change Annual Report.

Seven billion people will continue to need to eat, of course. But today’s sustainability movement takes many of its cues from natural systems to produce food that is economically, environmentally, and socially more responsible – and recognizes that humans are active participants through the choices we make. That’s one of the reasons that wild products are growing so quickly in popularity. They developed as part of a natural system, growing on their own accord year after year with little manipulation from humans.

Wild Blueberries emerged on the desolate plain (aptly named The Barrens) following the retreat of the glaciers and so were naturally selected to survive in nutrient and drought-challenged conditions. Today they continue to flourish in the humid climate of Maine and Eastern Canada where storm systems from the west and south converge to provide ample rainfall. The lowbush blueberry plants only require irrigation during dry spells – usually in August – when there is less than the required one-inch of rain each week.

According to David Bell of Cherryfield Foods, a harvester and packer of Wild Blueberries in Cherryfield, Maine, “Many fruits and vegetables are grown in locations that are too dry for natural survival, so much more irrigation water is needed for survival. In contrast, Wild Blueberries are irrigated supplementally to address short-term dry spells during the growing season.”

Bell also points out that the supplemental water is sourced from wells that were installed starting in the 1990s as an offshoot of another eco-project: restoring the Atlantic Salmon population living in the rivers where agricultural water was once sourced. The wells are replenished by rains in late fall and early spring and are placed away from the rivers for minimal impact.

As part of their unique evolution, any given field of Wild Blueberries may have thousands of clones with an extensive underground rhizome system. Seventy to eighty percent of the plant actually lives under ground, spreading horizontally in the few inches of organic matter atop the sand and gravel of glacial soil below. This allows the plants to use every bit of surface water available while soaking rains travel onto the aquifer below. The Native American practice of burning the plants to the ground each year gave way to mowing (or pruning) of the plants to the height of a tall lawn. This pruning maximizes organic matter retention while reducing the atmospheric effects of the smoke.

Evolution also makes for great eating and good business. Wild-sourced foods grow in very specific places for very specific reasons, and as a result, they produce very specific flavors – described as terroir. Wild salmon returning to the Copper River in Alaska each year not only create a market frenzy, but they command a premium price. Pine nuts from the Southwest are prized for the same reason. The Wild Blueberry Barrens produce a small fruit with the most intense flavor burst and massive antioxidant levels. Now that’s reason to celebrate!

Top 5 Antioxidant Smoothie Energy Boosters

Antioxidants are everywhere. They’re in our food and in our beauty products. They’re in the headlines and on the news. Everywhere you turn it seems, someone is talking about antioxidants. Most of us know that antioxidants are good for us and that we should aim to get more in our diets but what you may not know is what antioxidants actually are and how they work in your body.

Antioxidants are substances that protect your body from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are atoms that are especially reactive to cells and may interfere with their function.

How exactly do free radicals accumulate in the body, you ask?

Exposure to air pollutants and cigarette smoke
Consuming unhealthy foods like highly processed and fried foods
Exposure to pesticides
Taking medications
Exposure to radiation

If your body has too many free radicals floating around, it can lead to cell damage (a process known as oxidation). That oxidative stress may play a role in unhealthy aging and the development of chronic diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and heart disease.

The good news is we have the antidote – all we have to do is eat healthy foods rich in antioxidants. These “free radical fighters” are abundant in fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and spices. Antioxidants can reduce the formation of free radicals or neutralize their effects, potentially helping to lower the risk of chronic disease and slow down the effects of aging.

Looking for a simple way to include more antioxidants into your diet? Use smoothies as your antioxidant vehicle! Smoothies make it easy to incorporate antioxidant-rich foods into your day. Wondering which ingredients to start with to add an antioxidant punch to your smoothie? Try my top five antioxidant smoothie boosters listed below:

Spinach: Popeye was onto something. Spinach contains a variety of antioxidants, including the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin (known especially for their role in eye health) and vitamins A, C and E. Plus, spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate, magnesium, iron, B vitamins and calcium. Spinach is the perfect antioxidant-rich ingredient to make a mean green smoothie!
Walnuts: You’re gonna go nuts over this one. DYK that nuts contain antioxidants too? Some researchers report that walnuts contain almost 2x the amount of antioxidants compared to other nuts. While the verdict on that is still out, we do know that walnuts are a good source of protein, fiber, copper, magnesium and phosphorous. They’re also the only nut that’s significantly high in omega 3-s. Unfortunately, Americans aren’t getting too nutty. Nuts only account for less than 8% of Americans’ daily antioxidant intake. Embrace your inner nuttiness and start adding walnuts to your smoothies!
Wild Blueberries: Wild Blueberries contain 2x the antioxidants of regular, cultivated blueberries. That’s not all; these tiny little berries pack a powerful nutrition punch. This antioxidant-rich fruit is an excellent source of fiber (25% DV) and manganese (200% DV), which is important for bone health. Add a cup of frozen Wild Blueberries to your next smoothie to add sweetness, antioxidants and to help keep your smoothie cold. I love using frozen fruit over fresh because it helps keep the smoothie cold without needing to add ice, which can dilute the flavor. Good thing 99% of the Wild Blueberry crop is frozen! They’re the ultimate ingredient to start any smoothie!
Cinnamon: Spices do more than just enhance flavor. Spices like cinnamon contain antioxidants that have just as much potency (if not more) as fruits and vegetables. One study found that cinnamon had the most potent antioxidant effects compared to several vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, Jerusalem artichoke and red cabbage. Sprinkle cinnamon into your next smoothie to add sweetness without the added sugar.
Avocados: This beautiful green fruit is a nutrition powerhouse containing vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, folate and monounsaturated fat. They also boast antioxidants like beta-carotene, lutein and vitamins C and E. Throw some avocado into your next smoothie to add creaminess and fight off free radicals.

If you’re looking to up your antioxidant game, try my Energy-Boosting Wild Blueberry Smoothie on for starters. It’s loaded with antioxidant-rich foods like frozen fresh Wild Blueberries, strawberries, spinach, avocado and walnuts. Plus, many of these ingredients are natural energy-boosters, containing the right balance of protein, fiber and good-for-you fats for long-lasting fuel. The sweet berries and dates do a nice job of masking the savory taste of the spinach, avocado, nuts and seeds because every healthy smoothie deserves to be delicious, too! And for all my vegan friends this recipe will work for you. Sip on this smoothie in the morning or mid-afternoon for natural energy that lasts.

Easy Low Sugar Easter Dessert: Wild Blueberry Fool

I had an amazing Fruit Fool a few years ago at a friend’s house. It’s one of those desserts you keep thinking about after eating it. For a dinner party or family gathering I think a Fruit Fool is a no-brainer; it’s super easy to make and a tasty treat for guests.

I love experimenting with frozen Wild Blueberries so I could not wait to try my hand at making a Wild Blueberry Fool. And if you know me, you know I had to health it up.

What is Fool? It’s actually an English dessert that dates back to the mid-17th century. I’m not sure why it’s called Fool, but don’t let the silly name stop you from trying it. Traditionally, Fool is made with just three ingredients: sugar, fruit and whipped cream. Oftentimes the fruit is stewed, pureed, and then folded into whipped cream. It’s similar to a trifle, but without the cake layers. In England, the traditional favorite fruit for Fool is the gooseberry. Clearly they haven’t tried my Wild Blueberry version!

I knew I could make the dessert a little healthier than the traditional version, while still keeping the essence of the dessert. I didn’t want to mess with stewing my frozen Wild Blueberries. I wanted to keep the refreshing bite and intense flavor of the berries and I wanted them to stay super cold. So instead of stewing, I blended! Greek yogurt was the perfect partner for this dessert and the perfect pairing with the Wild Blueberries. What other berry can create such a gorgeous purple color?

I knew I still had to use cream, but I got away with using much less. I whipped up about 8 ounces total (and added just one tablespoon of powdered sugar). I folded the antioxidant-rich yogurt and Wild Blueberry mix into the whipped cream. It was a marriage made in Wild Blueberry heaven! The result was the perfect amount of sweetness, the intense flavor of Wild Blueberries, and a little tang from the Greek yogurt. And I used less cream and sugar than the traditional recipe.

After creating my Wild Blueberry Fool, I went out to have dinner with a few girlfriends. I told my husband and daughter that I had left dessert in the fridge. I wasn’t sure if they would find the Fool sweet enough and I didn’t mention anything about it being low sugar or “healthy.”

I knew I hit a home run when Norah texted me to say this:

I think this Wild Blueberry Fool recipe would be the perfect ending to an Easter brunch or dinner. It’s a simple dessert that delivers intense flavor with a little bit of decadence.

Easy Homemade Nutrition Packed Wild Blueberry Fruit Leathers

Fruit leathers or fruit roll-ups are universally loved by kids—but a lot of parents don’t love what’s in the boxed kind, like artificial flavors, oils and multiple kinds of synthetic food dyes.

Luckily, making your own fruit leathers is fun and easy—and since you control what goes in them, you can make sure to pack them with nutrition. Wild Blueberries, with their intense blueberry flavor and double the antioxidant power of regular blueberries, are the perfect star ingredient. You can always have this great ingredient on hand because frozen fresh Wild Blueberries are available year-round in the freezer section of your store (right alongside the other frozen fruit).

More good news: You don’t need a fancy food dehydrator to make fruit leather. All you need is an oven—and a few hours. Here are some pointers to help you get started:

1. Use a silicone baking mat. Some recipes call for using parchment in its place, but a silicone mat works best.

2. Check frequently. Oven temperatures vary and dehydrating isn’t an exact science, so you’ll want to take frequent peeks at your fruit leather. If it comes off on your finger when you touch it lightly, it’s not done yet.
3. Remove the edges as it dries. Your fruit leather will dry from the edges inward. So when the edges are dry, remove the baking sheet from the oven, cut the edges off into strips (a pizza cutter works best) and set those aside, then return the sheet to the oven to continue baking.

4. Sweeten to taste. You can make all-fruit leathers without added sweetener or you can add some honey or granulated sugar for more sweetness. Do what you prefer—it won’t affect the recipe or baking time.

Your kids will love seeing frozen fruit transformed into a chewy, sweet fruit leather. And you’ll love that they’re snacking on a homemade treat made with one of North America’s original superfoods instead of something highly-processed and packaged. So whip some up and add this special treat to your child’s lunchbox this month or as serve these as a fun afterschool snack.

Savoring the Flavor of Eating Right with Mindful Eating

January has come and gone and March is here. Are you still on track with your resolutions? If not, don’t worry because this month is the perfect time to make another fresh start on eating well because it’s National Nutrition Month!

“Savor the Flavor of Eating Right”

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has chosen “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right” to be the theme this year for National Nutrition Month. I especially love this theme because it not only stresses the importance of good nutrition , but also puts an emphasis on all facets of eating a healthy diet —like mindfulness, enjoying social aspects of mealtime, celebrating cultural foods, finding joy in cooking, and yes, savoring the good, healthful, delicious food you have on your plate each day. I’m thrilled to see the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics giving all these points the attention they deserve because eating is supposed to be pleasurable—not simply a means to get nutrients into one’s body.

Ways to “Savor the Flavor” at Home

There are lots of ways to bring the ideas behind this year’s National Nutrition Month into your own kitchen. Here are a few ideas I recommend:

Make meals a social event if possible — Cooking with a spouse, partner, kids or friends turns the task into a fun event. When you cook with someone (instead of just for someone) you have help, of course, but you also have time to share, teach, learn and relax with people you enjoy.
Take time for shared meals — Meals shared with others increase the enjoyment of the food, but also allow for catching up and bonding. Busy week? Schedule your family meals so that everyone knows which nights you plan to eat together around the table. Then turn off the TV, put away the phones and just savor your food and each other’s company.
Choose fruits and vegetables at their peak ripeness — you deserve tasty food, and that means selecting food that tastes good! Avoid purchasing produce that is obviously past its prime—it won’t deliver the goods taste-wise or nutritionally if it’s old. And when food is underripe the flavors and aromas will be undeveloped. Sometimes frozen fruits and vegetables are the best choice, especially if there are no fresh counterparts. For example, Wild Blueberries are picked when perfectly ripe and ready, then frozen quickly to preserve nutrients and quality of color and flavor. Once you have that beautiful produce on your plate, let your eyes linger on the colors, inhale its aromas and revel in its tempting tastes and textures.

Give your meals the time and setting they deserve — Eating in your car while driving down the highway or standing while inhaling breakfast over the sink certainly don’t make eating a pleasurable experience. To enhance your focus and mindfulness so that you can truly taste and enjoy your food, set aside enough time to eat at a relaxed (even slow) pace. A setting that’s somewhat quiet (no loud TV or loud music) can help you savor your food more, research indicates. Also, opt for eating at a table while sitting in a chair with an actual place setting and real cutlery (not at a desk cluttered with work and your computer.) This helps you to slow down, notice all the sensations presented by the food, and allows you to notice how your body feels in response to your meal.
Bump up the sensory impact of your food — The perception of flavor is actually a combination of sensory stimuli including texture, temperature, aroma and sound. Increasing your perception of these characteristics in your meal may enhance your enjoyment of the meal (even to the point of helping you feel more satisfied with less food, research indicates). A few little touches can make your plate and meal more appealing and therefore more enjoyable. Consider these ideas: mix up the colors on your plate (nobody likes a plate of all brown or all white foods), as well as textures and food temperatures. Add a garnish. It doesn’t have to be complicated or contrived (no special knife skills are necessary!). Try a sprinkle of scallions over scrambled eggs, a scattering of Wild Blueberries over a bowl of oatmeal, or a few crumbled bacon pieces on top of mashed potatoes or cauliflower puree, for example.

Most of all, enjoy this National Nutrition Month (and a full year for that matter) of healthy, flavorful, mindful eating!

Surprising Smoothie Ingredients and Combos from Health & Nutrition Experts

A passionate crowd joined the Wild Blueberry Association of North America (@WildBBerries) Twitter chat on Wed Feb 17^th. They were eager to learn about Wild Blueberries and share their favorite smoothie ingredient combinations. Registered Dietitian, Kara Lydon, RD, LDN, RYT (@karalydonRD), helped lead the #WildYourSmoothie discussion. Kara shared some of her favorite smoothie making ingredients including Wild Blueberries, great smoothie making tips and a little bit about her visit to Maine to see the miraculous world of Wild Blues.

During the chat, we learned about a smoothie ingredient that intrigued all of us — ginger. Many commented it adds a spicy contrast to the sweetness of a smoothie. Kara said it’s a perfect addition to a Wild Blueberry smoothie because it adds an extra flavor kick. Kefir and protein were also hot topics of conversation. Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that is packed with probiotics. It is a great addition to a smoothie because of the protein it contains. And adding protein to a smoothie either through kefir, dairy or powders helps keep you full and satiated longer, which is a plus when you are using smoothies as a meal replacement as part of weight loss regime.

The crowd, mostly registered dietitians and healthy food bloggers, also came prepared and asked some great questions! Some of our favorite tweets from the chat are below. To explore the entire conversation be sure to check out the Storify Archive.

And, of course we wanted to let everyone know about our #WildYourSmoothie contest for registered dietitians and healthy food bloggers and remind everyone to submit their entries before the contest wraps up on March 1, 2016. To see some of the amazing entries follow the hashtag, #WildYourSmoothie. Stay tuned. We’ll announce the winners soon!

Thanks everyone for joining us for our first Twitter chat. And thank you Kara Lydon, RD, LDN, RYT, The Foodie Dietitian, for making this chat even more special! If you have questions about smoothies or Wild Blueberries, just give us a tweet at @WildBBerries. Be sure to include #WildYourSmoothie in your tweet.

Read the original blog post about the #WildYourSmoothie Twitter Chat

Eating on the Wild Side: Is it the Next Big Real Foods Trend?

Here in Maine, eating wild foods, either through hunting, fishing or foraging has long been a cultural pastime. But when you look to the mainstream, it seems that many Americans have either forgotten, or not yet fully embraced, the idea of eating wild foods, despite the fact that many of them – like Wild Blueberries, wild mushrooms and common greens are right at their fingertips. Thankfully, many cultures in Europe and regions within the United States still engage in the enjoyment of wild foods, and today there are a growing number of spirited chefs who are taking wild foods to the highest culinary levels.

One such chef is David Levi at Vinland who is creating a stunning range of inspired small plates in his beautiful Portland, Maine restaurant. Chef David is part of a community of Maine chefs who are courageously experimenting with local foods and opening their own restaurants at a dizzying pace. Many of these chefs are using significant quantities of wild foods, including seaweed, seafood, wild mushrooms, and Wild Blueberries.

Chef David recently created an exquisite five-course meal for an event in New York City using Wild Blueberries in nearly every dish. The goal of the dinner was to gather a small group of health and foodie thought leaders to celebrate the benefits of wild foods because of their superior taste and health advantages. The dinner was designed to posit the theory that wild foods are actually more accessible than most Americans believe. For example, Wild Blueberries can be found in your grocery store freezer aisle; wild seafood is available in the form of a Maine lobster, and wild greens can be gathered right in your own backyard. Our hope is that these health and foodie influencers will encourage their readers, followers, and fellow chefs to integrate wild into their daily diets and menus.

Below is a collage of images showing raw ingredients and final dishes from our incredible wild dinner. We hope they inspire you to experiment with wild foods right in your own kitchen.

First Course

Raw Ingredients: Salanova Salad with Blue Cheese and Wild Blueberry Vinaigrette

Salanova Salad Entrée

Second Course

Raw Ingredients: Maine Lobster with Black Trumpet Emulsion, Wild Nori and Blueberry Chips

Lobster Entrée

Third Course

*Raw Ingredients: Raw Beef with Wild Blueberry and Horseradish*

Fourth Course

Raw Ingredients: Capocollo with Wild Blueberry Kraut and Hominy

Capocollo Entrée

Fifth Course

Raw Ingredients: Wild Blueberry Panna Cotta

Wild Blueberry Panna Cotta

Sixth Course

Wild Blueberry Semi-Freddo

Click here to read a Q&A with David Levi and to get his recipe for Seaweed & Wild Blueberry Panna Cotta.

Photos by Ted Axelrod

Top 10 Smoothie Nutrition Boosters

There are three big reasons why I love smoothies. First and foremost, they’re easy to make – in less than five minutes you can have a healthy breakfast or snack. They’re also portable – you can easily take one with you to work or to run errands. And last but not least, they can pack in a LOT of nutrition.

We all like value, right? We look for the best deals and bargains because we want to make sure we’re getting the best bang for our buck, so to speak. Well, why should smoothies be any different? If you’re going to take the time to make a smoothie, don’t you want it to be packed with the most nutrition possible?
Try these top 10 nutrition boosters in your next smoothie for the best blend for your buck!

Top 10 Smoothie Nutrition Boosters:

Baby spinach

What It Adds: Fiber, vitamins A and C, folate, iron and magnesium

Why It’s Important: Dark, leafy greens like baby spinach help keep you full, provide you with chronic disease-fighting antioxidants, and pack in a vegetarian-friendly source of iron.

Perfect Pairings: Tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, orange and banana will mask the taste of the spinach.

Avocados

What It Adds: Monounsaturated (good) fat, fiber, potassium, vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid

Why It’s Important: Good fats contribute to satiety and energy and help increase absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K.

Perfect Pairings: Just about any fruit! Add ½ avocado with your frozen fruit of choice to add creaminess to your smoothie.

Flax

What It Adds: Fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and lignans (a type of antioxidant)

Why It’s Important: Omega-3s help keep your heart healthy and fiber helps keep your digestive system regular.

Perfect Pairings: Anything! Flaxseed should blend seamlessly with any flavor combo.

Hemp

What It Adds: Protein, fiber, omega-3s, magnesium and vitamin E

Why It’s Important: Great source of omega-3s and complete protein (all 9 essential amino acids) for vegetarians.

Perfect Pairings: Like flaxseed, hemp seeds will blend with just about anything!

Wild Blueberries

What It Adds: Antioxidants, fiber and manganese

Why It’s Important: Wild Blueberries contain 2x the antioxidants and more fiber than regular, cultivated blueberries. They also contain 200% of the daily value for manganese (8x that of regular blueberries), which is important for bone development. Antioxidants help protect your cells from free radicals, which can increase your susceptibility to chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Perfect Pairings: Wild Blueberries have a more intense blueberry flavor than regular blueberries. Their extraordinary flavor combination of tart and sweet will pair with just about any ingredient.

Kid Friendly Wild Blueberry Oat Smoothie

Oats

What It Adds: Fiber (beta glucans), iron, magnesium, B vitamins and calcium

Why It’s Important: Studies have shown that beta glucans may help improve blood glucose control, insulin resistance and cholesterol levels.

Perfect Pairings: Any fruits but especially berries and bananas, and dairy (milk, yogurt, kefir) or non-dairy alternative

Cacao Nibs

What It Adds: Antioxidants

Why It’s Important: Cacao nibs are made from breaking up cacao beans into smaller pieces, so it’s the most pure form of antioxidant-packed cacao (chocolate) out there.

Perfect Pairings: Cacao nibs are bitter so pair with cacao powder and/or bananas or dates for extra sweetness. Cacao also pairs brilliantly with nut butters like peanut butter.

Silken tofu

What It Adds: Protein, iron and calcium

Why It’s Important: Great vegetarian source of protein and iron. Plus, protein helps keep you full!

Perfect Pairings: Anything! Silken tofu adds creaminess to any flavor profile.

Kefir

What It Adds: Protein, calcium and probiotics

Why It’s Important: Probiotics are good-for-your-gut bacteria that help keep your digestive system and immune system healthy.

Perfect Pairings: Any ingredients! Kefir will add a rich and creamy texture to any smoothie combo.

Almond Butter

What It Adds: Protein, fiber, monounsaturated (good) fat, magnesium, manganese, vitamin E, copper, phosphorous and riboflavin

Why It’s Important: Its protein, fiber and fat combo helps keep you feeling satiated and energized.

Perfect Pairings: Just about any ingredients but especially pairs well with oats, berries, bananas and cacao.

If you find yourself feeling a little skeptical after glancing at the list above, I’m here to reassure you that you can barely taste these ingredients when paired correctly. Most of them will blend in seamlessly and you and your loved ones won’t even know the difference! Try adding some of these nutrition boosters to your next smoothie. Remember, you want the best blend for your buck!

Speaking of nutrition boosters, try my latest Wild Blueberry smoothie that’s packed with oats! This one is kid-friendly, too, so the whole family can enjoy it. It’s sweet and refreshing thanks to the Wild Blueberries and citrus and totally creamy and satisfying because of the oats and yogurt.