The Versatility of Zucchini

Summer is just around the corner, which means sunshine, sandals and of course a variety of fresh veggies to liven up any meal! One delicious vegetable that we're featuring is both popular for its versatility in a variety of meals as well as how easy it is to grow in your own garden—zucchini! Like bananas, which are packed with potassium, zucchini is also an excellent source of potassium. Since zucchini is potassium-rich, that makes it a heart-healthy food that counteracts sodium levels and could result in decreased blood pressure levels. Below you will find various ways to incorporate zucchini into your diet, including a zucchini bread recipe in honor of National Zucchini Bread Day on April 25th. Add some zucchini to your plate this summer and your heart will thank you!

Spiralize it!

Spiralized vegetables are all the rage right now. You can cut zucchini (or any vegetable) into pasta-like strands by using a julienne slicer or a spiralizer. You can then use the 'zoodles' in any hot or cold recipes that you would normally use regular pasta noodles.

Roast it! 

Roasting vegetables is super easy and can be done with practically any vegetable. It just takes a few simple ingredients and an oven. Try this quick way to roast zucchini:

1. Toss sliced zucchini with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
2. Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil. Spread the zucchini out in a single layer and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. 
3. Take the zucchini out of the oven, flip it over, and then cook for another 5 minutes. 
4. If you want to add some variety to your roasted vegetables, try adding spices like basil, garlic, oregano, parsley or thyme and also consider topping them off with garlic or Parmesan cheese. 

Grill it!

Zucchini is commonly paired with yellow squash. Try this grilled recipe from Hy-Vee that pairs the two together:

Grilled Zucchini and Yellow Squash with Chipotle Lime Salt
1. Cut tops and bottoms from zucchini and squash. Cut lengthwise into quarters. 
2. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Add zucchini and squash, seal bag and shake to combine. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 
3. Preheat grill for direct heat to medium-high. Oil grill grates. 
4. Grill zucchini and squash on all sides until nicely marked and slightly tender. Remove to platter. 
5. Just before serving, combine 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon chipotle powder. Sprinkle over hot zucchini and squash to serve. 

Bake it!

There are a lot of recipes out there for zucchini muffins and breads. You can do a quick search on Hy-Vee's website or Pinterest for a variety of zucchini muffins and breads. Spoiler alert: What you will find are zucchini breads and muffins that have chocolate chips, bananas, blueberries, pineapple, etc. Adding zucchini to breads and muffins helps to add nutrients but it does not alter the flavor. 

When I make breads and muffins, which is a rare occasion, I like to boost the fiber content by adding Pinnaclife Prebiotic Fiber. One scoop of this powder will add 10 grams of soluble fiber. I usually add three or four scoops. This product will not alter the flavor or consistency of your product. You can find this product by the pharmacy with all of the other digestive aids. Here is a picture of the product for your reference:

When you are adding zucchini to muffins and breads there is only one really important bit of information that you need to know: Zucchini has a high water content and must be patted dry to remove any excess moisture before you mix it in with other ingredients. This prevents the load from collapsing while it cools. Follow these instructions to remove excess moisture from the zucchini:

1. Most recipes call for shredded zucchini. You will need to get the zucchini in this form before you can effectively remove the extra water.
2. Lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board and arrange the freshly shredded zucchini on top.
3. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini and gently press down until all extra liquid has been removed.

The extra steps will be worth it, especially when you make this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread from Joyful Healthy Eats or these Zucchini Muffins from Hy-Vee.com. Click on the link below to get to the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread and find the recipe for the Zucchini Muffins right here on this page.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
http:www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/chocolate-chip-zucchini-bread/

Zucchini Muffins

All you need:
Hy-Vee nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups Hy-Vee all-purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1 cup packed Hy-Vee brown sugar
3/4 cup oat or wheat bran
3 tbsp chia or flax seeds
2 tsp Hy-Vee baking soda
1 tsp Hy-Vee baking powder
1 tsp Hy-Vee ground cinnamon
2 Hy-Vee large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup Hy-Vee cinnamon applesauce
2 tsp Hy-Vee vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini, drained (about 2 medium)
Chopped Hy-Vee walnuts, optional

All you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat mini muffin pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, oat bran, chia seeds, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon; set aside.
3. In another large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, applesauce and vanilla. Stir in zucchini, mixing just until combined. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. Do not over-stir.
4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. If desired, top with walnuts. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove muffins to a wire rack. Cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.

-Dietitian Amanda

Grilling Fruits & Vegetables

Looking for a way to add some excitement to your fruits and vegetables? Try cooking them in a non-traditional way – on the grill! As the weather gets nicer, firing up that grill becomes more and more appealing. 

This issue of Seasons magazine highlights this topic and provides some tips on how to successfully grill certain fruits and vegetables (pages 13 & 14).

General tips for grilling produce:

• Gather your favorite produce.  After properly washing them, you can cut them into bite-sized pieces, or leave whole. If you’re wanting to grill salad greens, such as romaine, kale, or small head lettuces like butter lettuce, be sure to leave the leaves attached to the head and cut the heads in halves or quarters, then place cut side down on the grill. 
• Oil the grill rack or grill basket by using a paper towel dipped in olive oil.  Do not use cooking sprays.
• Next, lightly toss the prepared vegetables and/or fruit in olive oil or drizzle the oil on the flat surface of lettuces to be grilled.
• Be sure to consider the weight or density of the vegetable when grilling. Sweet potatoes, for example, will require a longer grilling time than zucchini or mushrooms.  If you plan to grill multiple vegetables, be sure to grill the denser vegetables first that require a longer cooking time.  Once almost tender, add the less-dense vegetables, turning as needed for even cooking and browning.
• Skewers are another option you can use for perfectly grilled fruits and vegetables.
• For a salt-free flavorful grilling experience, remember Mrs. Dash’s seasonings. 

Try this recipe adapted from hy-vee.com.

Grilled Vegetable Platter

All you need

1 red onion, sliced

12 asparagus spears, sliced

6 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and quartered

12 ounces fresh green beans

1 medium yellow sweet pepper, seeded and cut into wedges

1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into wedges

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 –inch slices

¼ c. Hy-Vee Select Olive Oil

Hy-Vee salt and Hy-Vee pepper, to taste

All you do

1. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place vegetables in a grill basket or lay on top of foil. Grill over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes or until veggies are tender and lightly browned.

2. Serve vegetables with your favorite Bolthouse Farms dressing.  You can find these dressings in our refrigerated dressing section, right across from the bagged salad blends. 

Daily Values:

120% vitamin A, 80% vitamin C, 4% calcium, 4% iron

Nutrition Facts per serving:

Calories: 80, carbohydrates: 9g, cholesterol: 0mg, dietary fiber: 3g, total fat: 5g, saturated fat: trans fat: 0g, 0.5g, protein 2g, sodium: 25mg, sugar: 4g,

Enjoy!

-Dietitian Natalie

Smart Snacking

Do you love snacking throughout the day? When snacking is done right it can have several benefits such as providing your body with essential nutrients, helping to curb cravings and boosting your energy. In order to get these benefits you must choose a healthy snack that is nutrient-dense rather than eating a snack filled with empty calories, such as potato chips. Nutrient-dense is just a fancy word that describes foods that have a lot of nutrients, but few calories. A healthy snack includes healthy carbohydrates, protein and fat (or at least two out of the three).

So what makes one carbohydrate, protein or fat healthier than another? Here’s a few details to help you decipher which ones are best, followed by some real-life examples of healthy snacks to stock up on:

The healthiest carbohydrates are those that contain the most vitamins, minerals and fiber. These nutrients are going to be found in snacks like whole grain crackers (Kashi, Triscuits or Wheat Thins) and fruits and vegetables (fresh or those frozen without added sugars are the best route). Fiber helps to fill up your stomach and curbs your cravings.

The healthiest protein snacks are those that are low in saturated fats and sugar and have at least 5 grams of protein. Great examples of this include a hard-boiled egg, certain Greek yogurt brands or a cheese stick made with 2% milk or less. Protein also contributes to helping you feel full because your body digests protein rather slowly, therefore it stays in your stomach longer.

And last but not least, the healthy fats are known as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These healthy, aka heart-healthy fats, are going to be found in snacks like avocados and nuts. Certain brands of chips now contain more healthy fats than unhealthy fats as well.

Next time you go to grab a snack, think of these helpful tips and tricks to snack smarter. Here are a few of my favorite healthy snacks to get you started:

1. Dried edamame (HealthMarket)

• ¼ cup contains 13 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein.

2. 100 calorie pack almonds (Aisle 7)

3. Siggi’s Greek Yogurt (HealthMarket)

• Siggi’s is my favorite Greek yogurt but if you prefer a different brand, just check the label and make sure the yogurt you’re eating has more protein than sugar.

4. Snapea crisps (Produce)

• A crunchy and salty snack to eat in place of potato chips! The serving size is generous (22 pieces) and gives you 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

5. Hard-cooked eggs (above the fresh eggs)

• You can hard-boil your own eggs…or just buy them that way…

6. Vegetable spring roll (Sushi)

• Packed with lots of veggies and healthy fat from the avocados! Eat ½ for your snack and have the other half with your next meal.

7. Grape and cheese cups (Produce and C-store)

8. Whole grain crackers/chips with a dipper

• Mix & Match any of these 8 items. My favorite combinations are:

o   Triscuits with salsa

o   Wheat Thins with Laughing Cow cheese

o   Beanitos Bean Chips (made from black beans, which means they are full of fiber and protein) with Wholy Guacomole 100 calorie cup

o   Kashi 7 Grain Sea Salt pita crisps with hummus

9. Natural peanut butter (HealthMarket, other brands available in aisle 4)

• Pairs well with whole wheat toast, whole wheat crackers, apples or bananas.

10. Boom Chicka Pop individual servings (HealthMarket)

11. Kind bars – Nuts & Spices varieties (HealthMarket)

• The Nuts & Spices varieties contain less sugar than some of the others.

12. Sargento Balanced Breaks (Refrigerated meat section)

13. Hy-Vee Light String Cheese (Dairy)

14. Fresh fruit (Produce)

• Pair with a hard-cooked egg, string cheese or 100 calorie almond pack

-Dietitian Amanda

April’s Dietitian Pick of the Month–Mark Wahlberg! ...I mean: Performance Inspired Whey Protein!

If you’ve been shopping throughout the store the past couple of months (which we sure hope you haveJ), you’ve probably noticed Mark Wahlberg. Maybe you saw him in the last issue of Balance magazine, heard him over our intercom while you were shopping, picked up a canister of his new protein powder, or maybe you’ve even struck a pose with #flatmark! If you’re wondering what all the hype is about – keep reading!

Mark Wahlberg has recently developed a product line titled Performance Inspired nutrition. This product line is exclusive to Hy-Vee stores! Below provides a summary of Mark’s dietitian pick products, Performance Whey Protein and Ripped Whey Protein as well as a product summary of his Performance Inspired nutrition bar.  

Unique product features: Fast-digesting whey protein concentrate and isolate make this product a high-quality protein powder. The inclusion of natural sweeteners and fiber makes this protein powder unique.

This product can be used: 

* As a protein source 1 to 2 hours pre-workout

* As a protein source 30 minutes to 1 hour post-exercise

Flavors include Chocolate and Vanilla.

Wanting to try a sample of this product before buying the entire container? Stop by the dietitian table (pictured above) where you can purchase two individual scoops for just $2.99.

Ripped Whey Protein

Unique product features: Fast-digesting whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate make this product a high-quality protein powder. Contains ingredients specific for repairing and building muscle and providing energy.

This product is best used: 

* 1 to 2 hours pre-workout

* As a meal replacement – dietitian tip:  pair with a piece of fruit to complete the meal

Flavors include Vanilla Latte & Mocha.

This product line also includes a Performance Inspired bar. This protein bar contains added soluble fiber as well as pre and probiotics to assist with gut health. The combination of soluble fiber and protein assists with satiety while carbohydrate assists with refueling energy. These bars are also gluten-free. 

Making protein shakes provides a great opportunity to add in even more nutrition. Some examples of healthful add-ins include: frozen or fresh fruit, chia or flax seed, leafy greens (assuming your shake will be made in a blender), unsweetened nut-based milks (can boost calcium and vitamin D without adding a lot of extra calories), yogurt, etc.

For more information, contact your West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitians!

- Dietitian Natalie