Five-a-Day, the Baptist Health Way

img class=”alignleft size-medium wp-image-3345″ alt=”Five-A-Day, the Baptist Way” src=”http://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-news/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Five-A-Day-the-Baptist-Way-300×300.jpg” width=”300″ height=”300″ align=”left” />Now that the first week of school has passed, how did you do in the food department? Did your children leave the house after a nutritious breakfast? Or was everyone running around helter-skelter trying to make it out the door on time?

Did you pack a healthy lunch? What about dinner? Did you cook the meal or did you pick up some fast food?

If you didn’t get an A+ after your first week of school, don’t worry. There’s plenty of time to make the grade, and Baptist Health’s “Five-a-Day, the Baptist Health Way” is here to help.

“Five a Day, the Baptist Health Way” is an easy guide you can use to follow the healthy food plan based on USDA guidelines, which encourage you and your family to reach for more fruits and vegetables.  A good goal is to eat two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables per day.

Lucette Talamas, a registered dietician at Baptist Health,  prepares dishes that follow the guidelines. They include her Cool Cucumber Tomato Salad and baked sweet potato fries.

Cool Cucumber Tomato Salad
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 ripe medium tomatoes
3 medium cucumbers
½ medium onion
¼ cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill weed (or ¼ teaspoon dried dill)

Preparation:

• Cut tomatoes into ¾-inch cubes.
• Remove part of the cucumber peel in lengthwise strips. Cut each cucumber lengthwise into quarters and then remove any coarse seeds. Cut into ¾-inch cubes.
• Cut onion into small, even-sized cubes.
• Combine with other vegetables in a serving bowl.
• Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl, pour over vegetable cubes and toss well.
• Allow to stand for at least 15 minutes to marinate. Serve chilled.

Nutrition fact: Cucumber is a good source of vitamin C. Tomato is high in vitamins C and A.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Optional: ½ teaspoon curry powder and ¼ teaspoon ground cumin.

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and then each half into 5-6 wedges.
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Optional: add curry and cumin spices.  Toss gently to coat.
• Place wedges on a baking sheet, making sure they do not overlap.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Turn fries over and finish baking for about 15 more minutes or until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Note: Thinner fries may take less time to bake.

Nutrition fact: Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A and C and a good source of dietary fiber.