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 Eating
to Fuel Your Engine
Good
Food, Locally Grown
Keep
Your Eyes on the Size
Summer
Bounty: Delicious Recipes
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The right foods at the right time can help you stay active.
Good food can keep you going, whether you’re working all day,
whipping the garden into shape, hiking for miles or navigating through
whitewater on the North Santiam River.
Good gas in the tank
Think of food as fuel for a complex engine that runs
at different speeds, but never stops. Just as bad
gasoline makes a car run poorly, a poor diet can
affect the way your body functions.
“Nutritional variety is your best ally,” says
Catherine Quinn, a registered dietitian at Salem Hospital. “Eating
foods from all the food groups gives you energy and the nutrients
you need throughout the day.”
Jumpstart your engine
Quinn emphasizes the importance of beginning your day
by eating something—anything—to get the engine running.
“Our metabolism doesn’t wake up until we eat,” says Quinn, “so
eat as early in the day as you can in order to have gas in the tank during the
most active part of your day. It could be half an English muffin, cereal, an
apple or a banana—just something to jumpstart your engine.”
Snacks
If you are planning an active day and find yourself
sweating and burning calories, then eating high-energy, quick-to-burn
foods will keep the tank topped off.
“Trail mix—nuts and dried fruits—is great because
it packs a lot of calories into a small amount of food,” says
Quinn. “The
nuts are especially beneficial, as they are full of good fatty acids, vitamins
and minerals.”
If you are in a group, be aware that the one working or playing
the hardest will also have the least fuel in the tank—that’s when injuries
are most likely to occur.
High-energy snacks and water are your best allies
for avoiding injury. When you’re strong and alert, and have a good
supply of “gas” fueling
your engine, good things happen.
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Summer is a great time to begin a healthy diet. “We are so
fortunate to live here in the Willamette Valley, where fresh fruits
and vegetables are so abundant,” says Catherine Quinn, a registered
dietitian at Salem Hospital.
You can buy fresh local produce at any of the markets listed below.
Independence Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., May 1 through Oct. 30, Sterling
Bank South, 302 Main St.
 Kings Valley Farmers Market
Sundays, 1 – 4 p.m., June 6 through Oct. 10, Corner of Hwy.
223 and Maxfield Creek Rd.
Polk County Farmers Market
Sundays, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., May 2 through Oct. 30, Rickreall Grange,
Hwy. 99W.
Salem Public Market
Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., year-round, heated indoor market,
1240 Rural Ave. SE.
Salem Saturday Market
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., May 1 through Oct. 30, Green state-parking
lot, Summer St. and Marion St. NE.
Salem Saturday Market — Wednesday
Farmers Market
Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.,
May 5 through Oct. 27, Chemeketa St. NE (between Commercial
and High St. NE).
Silverton Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., May 8 through Oct. 16, Town Square
Park, Main and Fiske Sts., Silverton.
Woodburn Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., May 8 through Oct. 16, Woodburn
Library, First St. at Garfield.
More Information
Oregon Farmer's Markets Association
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If you don’t regularly carry around a measuring cup and spoon,
but you like to read the nutrition labels of the food and drinks you
consume, you know it can be hard to estimate serving sizes. Here’s
a handy guide to help you out:
Thumb tip = 1 teaspoon
Thumb = 1 ounce
Palm = 3 ounces
Fist = 1 cup
In the age of “super size” and “biggie fries,” restaurant
servings can be two to three times the amount of a
normal serving size, which means two to three times the
calories, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and fat. So watch
those serving sizes!
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Elisa Bledsoe, culinary aficionado
and dietetic technician for West Valley Hospital’s Café West
in Dallas, offers these suggestions for healthy summer
eating.
When preparing a summer meal, bring the bounty
of our region to your table. What better way to enjoy
your own garden or the local farmers market than to
prepare the freshest foods and adapt favorite recipes
as new fruits and vegetables come into season? And with
school out, why not get the kids involved, too?
Serving Your BBQ
Here’s a plan that will
help you time your BBQ so it’s ready to eat before outdoor breezes
cool it off.
-
 Prep your salad and put it in the fridge to chill and
let the flavors combine.
- Make your marinade, pour
it over the fish, and put in the fridge.
- Whip up your
cashew cream and chill it in the fridge.
- Prep your
roasted potatoes and put them in the oven at 450. Set the
timer for 40 minutes.
- Get your coals heating on the
BBQ.
- Set your table.
- Have the kids pick some berries.
- Put the fish on the grill, and
put your significant other in charge of cooking
it!
- Pour you drinks, toss the salad, and slice
some hearty whole grain bread to put on
the table.
- Check the fish and potatoes. Plate each
and set on table.
Eat, relax, and be merry.
While the kids clear the table, fix your parfaits.
Enjoy the setting sun and put off washing the
dishes until tomorrow.
You can sample
some of the above recipes at the Café West.
Until we see you, get out in the garden, and start
cooking!
Learn More
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