Summer Produce Makes for a Healthy, Happy You!

Summer is here in South Carolina, and with temperatures rising, we’re sharing refreshing and energizing summer recipes you can enjoy with in-season fruits and vegetables. Whether you’re harvesting from our senior community garden, attending the local farmer’s markets, or dining in our Maple Brook Terrace Retirement Community restaurant-style dining room, it’s always fun–and healthy–to enjoy the plentiful in-season healthy summer ingredients.

Healthy Summer Ingredients To Use This Season

There are plenty of nutrient-dense summer fruits and vegetables that you can add to your meals. To ensure you’re eating some of these nutritious and delicious in-season ingredients, try slicing these fruits and vegetables and storing them in a container for easy snack access during the day:

• Berries
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Watermelon
• Eggplant
• Zucchini
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Okra

Energizing Summer Recipes You Can Try Today!

Breakfast:

• Eggs are a great source of B2 and protein, so we recommend adding them to your diet. We offer eggs made to order, just the way that you like them, every day in our dining room. Or you can make these healthy Muffin Tin Quiches with Smoked Gouda and Ham at home.
• Oatmeal can help improve your cholesterol, which is why we offer it as an option in our Greenville, SC retirement community. To make your serving of oatmeal more exciting, try adding in-season fruit.
• Smoothies are a great way to get both the nutrition of vegetables along with the sweetness of fruit! Add spinach, tropical fruit, and yogurt to your smoothie for a cool, energizing, and refreshing breakfast or snack. How does a peach smoothie sound? Try this recipe with apple juice, peaches, banana, yogurt, honey, and flaxseed oil!

Lunch:

• Eggplant has potassium and fiber and is low in calories and fat. If you’re looking for a meal full of flavor and filling, try this Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta. The eggplant is chopped and mixed with green olives, garlic, tomatoes, capers, and more to place on top of angel hair pasta.
• Salads are a great way to eat more vegetables; you can find plenty of salad offerings in our dining room. One of our favorite salads you can make at home is the greek salad. This greek salad is colorful and takes only 15 minutes to make!
• If you love vegetables, we have a great lunch or dinner option for you, the Sauteed Zucchini with Mint, Basil, and Pine Nuts recipe. This recipe takes a total of 30 minutes total to both prep and cook. The mint, basil, capers, and pine nuts bring the dish plenty of flavors, and you can serve it with your favorite bread and even ricotta cheese.

Dinner:

• The Veggie-Loaded Stuffed Bell Peppers is a great go-to summer vegetarian meal but will make even meat-eaters happy! The stuffed peppers contain sauteed vegetables, herbs, quinoa, and Monterey jack cheese. This dish packs a lot of vegetables that will leave you feeling satisfied.
• Seafood lovers rejoice, because this Basic Seafood Gumbo recipe is anything but basic. This gumbo is made with a variety of shellfish, herbs, okra, and vegetables. Give this recipe some time as it needs to simmer for over an hour, but you can always put your favorite tunes on and open the window for fresh air.
• Do you love Italian food? Try this Easy Eggplant Parmesan With Roasted Eggplant! No need to fry or fuss over this recipe because this is baked. This recipe serves four, so you may have leftovers to reheat for another dinner or lunch.

At Maple Brook Terrace Retirement Community, we are always making new recipes with fresh, local ingredients to help our 55+ residents beat the heat. Come visit us for a meal and check it out for yourself! To learn more about our Greenville SC senior residency or to schedule a tour, contact our friendly team today.

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