Dancing or eating, Salsa is the breath of summer! Life is livelier, more colorful. Food is tastier. Zesty salsa can spice up your meals while it improves your health and make it even easier for you to Salsa!
Salsa's not just for dipping! Put it in salads, add it to sandwiches, mix it with rice or beans or veggies, perk up meat. New twists on a favorite can Freshen Up your food and your body at the same time by adding more fruits and veggies to your meals. Why? Fruits and vegetables have a lot of antioxidants that keep your body "running" smoothly. Antioxidants act as the body's tiny cleaning crew.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Our bodies are constantly working. They pump blood, take in oxygen, break down food and generate energy. As the body works, it also produces "free radicals." Free radicals are the waste products of creating all that energy, like emissions from your car engine. Needless to say, it's not good to have a lot of free radicals moving around in your body. If you do, it means your body isn't working well and you won't feel your best. You can even increase your risk of serious illness! Antioxidants help clean out "free radicals" that are in your body and can help improve the way you feel.
Give your meals some extra zest while you give your body an extra boost by adding antioxidants from fruits and veggies. Different antioxidants clean out different free radicals, so variety is important. The more varied your fruits and vegetables, the more colorful and flavorful your meals will be AND more "free radicals" you clean out!
See below for a few ideas. Be creative. Salsa is an easy way to add more fruits, veggies...and flavor to your meals. Ahh, an easy delicious way to stay healthy. Salsa with Salsa for the summer!
Have fun with the fruits and veggies available at our markets (CLICK HERE FOR A MARKET IN YOUR NEIGHBOR HOOD) and beat the heat deliciously. Stay cool!
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HHFM Featured in QueensLatino! "There is a direct correlation between healthy eating and the prevention and management of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity," said Dr. Machelle Allen, Chief Medical Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals.
Salsas to Make You Taste Buds Dance!
Recipes
Very Berry Salsa:
Add zip to chicken or grilled meat with this sweet treat!
Mix Ingredients in a Large Bowl:
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 1 cup diced jicama
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded
- Juice squeezed from 1 large lime
Jicama Salsa: Zesty in a salad by itself or as a dressing when you add 2 Tbsp of olive oil and 2 Tbsp of vinegar.
Mix Ingredients in a Large Bowl:
- 1 small jicama, chopped & diced (about a cup)
- 8 radishes diced
- 3/4 cup of peeled & diced cucumber
- 2 Tbsp diced red onion
- 3/4 tsp ground arbol chile
- 2 tsp fresh basil
- 2/3 tsp salt
- A dash of sugar
Avocado-Serrano: Toss into a salad or serve it on chicken.
Mix Ingredients in a Large Bowl:
- 2 large avocado peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tomato, diced
- 3 Tbspred onion
- 4 tsp minced serrano chile with seeds
- 2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tsp salt
Salsa Power and Antioxidant Power
Tips
Get Creative With Your Salsa
- Eat your fruits and veggies raw for the best taste AND the most health benefits.
- The more variety of ingredients, the more help you give your body. So mix things up for flavor and health.
- Don't be confused. Antioxidants have different names (carotenoids, lycopene, flavonoids, to mention a few) because different antioxidants do different "cleaning jobs."
Antioxidants Power in Fruits and Veggies
- Dark green leafy vegetables have Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps the immune system fight off disease.
- Carrots have carotenoids that protect your eyes and skin. GREAT for dipping into salsa.
- Tomatoes have lycopene for bone health and fight heart disease.
- Strawberries are loaded with flavonoids to help protect against cancer.
- Blueberries are the super fruit of antioxidants. They cleanout and protect all your systems.
- Avocados aren't just delicious, they are powerful: 20 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants that protect your eyes and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
- Peppers give you more carotenoids and vitamin C.
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