Eat Your Way to Well

Summer Seasonal Eating Tips from Ochsner’s Molly Kimball

By Kirby Kelly | Photos by Emily Eickhoff

Many of us equate eating healthy food with looking and feeling good. But eating a nutrient-rich diet goes beyond that: it can decrease your risk for certain types of cancer and other diseases. Foods like processed carbs and sugars may be linked to gastrointestinal cancers, colorectal cancers, and breast cancer in women.

The good news is that food is one of our first lines of defense against these types of illnesses. “People like to believe in the idea of superfoods,” said Molly Kimball, R.D., C.S.S.D., Nutrition Manager at Ochsner Fitness Center and the Founder of Ochsner Eat Fit. “In reality, it’s everyday foods that add up. I like to recommend people eat a plant-forward diet to optimize their health.”

What does this mean in practice? Molly suggests eating a well-rounded diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes (especially white and red beans), nuts and seeds. “Many of us eat the same foods over and over, but the key to increasing overall wellness is eating more variety,” she said. For example, if you usually stick to green vegetables like broccoli and kale, try adding in beets, carrots or eggplant (check out the recipe below to make use of this nightshade!).

Molly recommends adding one new vegetable a day to your meals until the habit sticks. “We often think of what we can remove from our diet, but it’s important to switch to an abundance mindset and think of what we can add,” she said.

Summer is a great time to increase variety by eating seasonal, locally-sourced produce that can be found in a community supported agriculture (CSA) group or food co-op, by visiting your local farmer’s market, or even growing your own vegetables. “Eating locally isn’t just good for the economy,” she explained. “It ups the chances that what you eat has more nutrition packed into each bite, because locallygrown produce is often picked when the plant has fully ripened and matured.”

Try this recipe from Ochsner’s The Eat Fit Cookbook: Chef Inspired Recipes for the Home for an easy, healthy and delicious summer snack or side dish.

Baba Ganoush by Cleo’s Mediterranean Cuisine & Grocery

From The Eat Fit Cookbook: Chef Inspired Recipes for the Home

Makes 8 servings

1 large eggplant

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt

¼ cup tahini

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

For the garnish

1 tablespoon chili paste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon black sesame seeds

1 small fresh jalapeño, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh pomegranate seeds (substitute diced red pepper or fresh raspberries)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and heat grill to medium-hot. Prick eggplant with a fork and place onto grill rack 4-5 inches from the fire. (Don’t feel like going outside to grill? Use your broiler instead.) Grill, turning frequently, until the skin blackens, blisters, and begins to soften, approximately 10-15 minutes.

Transfer eggplant to a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake until very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then remove the skin.

Place the eggplant flesh into a food processor and blend to a paste. Add olive oil, yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and salt, and mix well.

Transfer mixture to a serving bowl or plate. Smooth with the back of a spoon, and press lightly to form 4 shallow wells. Fill wells with half a tablespoon each of chili paste and olive oil. Garnish with small clusters of black sesame seeds, jalapeño slices, and chopped parsley topped with pomegranate seeds. Top with a sprig of fresh mint and serve.

Per serving: 120 calories, 10 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 170 mg sodium, 8 grams carbohydrate (5 grams net carbs), 3 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar (<1 gram added sugar), 3 grams protein, GF, Low Carb, Vegetarian

Greek yogurt is the secret ingredient in Cleo’s creamy Baba Ganoush, but it can easily be omitted to create a vegan alternative. Pair it with lean protein for dipping or serve as an appetizer or side dish with raw veggies such as celery sticks and thick-sliced yellow and red peppers.

“Eating locally isn’t just good for the economy. It ups the chances that what you eat has more nutrition packed into each bite, because locally-grown produce is often picked when the plant has fully ripened and matured. ”

Molly Kimball, founder of Ochsner Eat Fit