Expert Input

Susan Drew, MA, RD, LMNT

Susan Drew is a registered dietitian and Nebraska-licensed medical nutrition therapist. She has expertise in nutrition education and health communications shown by her former chair position for the Nutrition Education for the Public DPG.

Healthy Summer Eats
Summer is upon us and it’s time to offer some healthy options to patients and clients looking for satisfying meals to help them get or stay fit. It’s easy to over-consume high calorie summertime favorites; for me these are chips, potato salads and cool desserts. But enjoying summer meals doesn’t have to mean sabotaging the waistline. The recipes below and my tips for great grilling, a summer favorite, can help your clients make healthful choices and steer clear of dietary disasters as we forge ahead through swimsuit season.

Eat For Your Metabolism
Great weather keeps most people on-the-run so it can be hard to plan healthful meals ahead of time. One suggested solution is to adopt a few lean, simple recipes to the summer meal plan. I like to advise my patients to aim to eat every 2 to 3 hours. This consistently stimulates the metabolism. In fact, according to research from Georgia State University, athletes who ate every 2 to 3 hours had less body fat and higher metabolisms than those who ate only 2 to 3 meals a day., The study’s conclusion has implications beyond athletes and can be assessed towards the general public health to reduce the obesity rate.

I recommend aiming to eat 4 - 5 small meals a day. Here are some suggested recipes that are small, but satisfying:

• Kabob on the Run - Peachy Ham Kabobs are kid friendly foods that don’t require utensils so they are great for packing to the pool or picnic. Just load toothpicks with lean ham and fruit combinations like pineapple, grapes or pear and peach chunks.
  
• Salad Shake-Up – Salad is one of the easiest ways to eat cool and enjoy fresh, crisp flavors. But as you know, it is easy to over load on high-calorie or high-fat toppings. A simple tip you can share is “Don’t go white” with the dressing choice. Instead of high-fat blue cheese and ranch dressings, encourage your patients to reach for low-calorie options, like low-fat Italian or vinaigrettes. I really like the Peachtree Pork Salad as it offers a nice balance and variety to a typical salad. Combine lean pork tenderloin, veggies and fruit for a sweet finish and a wholesome meal.
  
• Cookout Cutlets – A fun way to cut-back on calories is to grill lean pork tenderloin. I love Grilled Thai Tenderloin Cutlets – a mouth full of flavor and satisfaction with the combined garlic, ginger and soy sauce sizzling over the grill. I think your patients will enjoy this sandwich with a little Asian inspiration. 
  

Remember to continuously offer your patients new meal suggestions to prevent taste bud boredom. Most of us prepare a certain limited number of recipes over and over. Remind your patients that once you prepare a recipe a time or two, future prep is faster and can be done with less thought and mess. Master the prep steps and enjoy meals with satisfaction!

Get on the Grill & Stay Safe
Grilling is easy and offers a host of new meal options to prepare. As you know, it’s also a great way to amplify flavor without adding calories. It is one of the leanest cooking methods because it does not require adding cooking fat. Also, any fat from the meat can drop off the grate rather than be reabsorbed. If your patients are wary of potential carcinogens generated when grilling, check-out a few grilling tips to help them feel confident when firing-up: 

• Avoid burning the meat and remove charred pieces of meat before serving.
  
• Skip heavy, sugar-based marinades as most are loaded with extra calories can increase the chance for charring. 
  
• Do choose acid or vinegar-based marinades (such as a light Italian dressing), which can reduce the risk of carcinogen formation on any grilled meat.
  

Additionally,

• Use a meat thermometer to be sure grilled meat is thoroughly cooked.
  
• Don’t cross-contaminate foods by using the same utensils, cutting boards or plates after the meat is cooked as were used before cooking. 
  
• Refrigerate leftovers immediately. Bacteria can grow very quickly at room temperature (and outside is even warmer!) 
  
• Wash hands often and every time meat is touched.
   
• Wash produce thoroughly even if it comes pre-bagged.

Be sure to explore PorkAndHealth.org to find your own suggestions, tips and recipes to offer patients and families ready to shake up summer.