Year 2, Day 340: Delcious Winter Produce

The South Beach Newsletter, Once Again:

Delicious Winter Produce
If you're following the delicious and healthy eating principles of the South Beach Diet ®, chances are you're shopping for great-tasting fresh fruits and vegetables. During the winter this can be a frustrating experience in many parts of the country. Tasteless tomatoes, unripe strawberries (underline that—ed.), and avocados priced like precious gems are just some of the typical complaints. Your favorite fruits and veggies are either out of season or they come with a hefty price tag. So, should you give up on them until the spring thaw? Of course not! Here are three steps to sidestep the winter produce woes:

Buy seasonal produce. Readily available winter fruits include oranges, grapefruit, apples, and pears. Zero in on always-tasty winter vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery root, fennel, spinach, mushrooms, kale, chicory, leeks, Swiss chard, and collard greens.

Shop the frozen food aisle. Believe it or not, some nutrients (like vitamins A and C) are better retained in frozen produce than fresh produce, which loses some nutrients through exposure to air and light and during transportation. Plus, frozen produce is a real time-saver, as it usually requires minimal preparation. Also, by stocking your freezer with frozen produce, you'll always have fruits and vegetables on hand, even on days when you can't make it to the grocery store. This aisle is an especially good place to find berries and other off-season fruits. (Make sure you select frozen fruits packaged without added sugars.)

Breakfast
3 Slices of Turkey Bacon
2 Soft Boiled Eggs
2 small Slices of Balthazar Bread
Coffee

Snack
4 (maybe 5) sticks beef jerky
1 Fuji Apple
2 oz 50% Jalapeno Cheddar

Lunch: Russo's ($5.01)
Romaine, grape tomatoes, mushrooms
broccoli, feta, chicken, pepperoncini
red peppers, balsamic vinegar

Dinner
Shrimp and Snap Peas
2 bites of Ruby's Hamburger

I have to once again give thanks for brushing your teeth. I really know of no other way that's better to prevent yourself from eating. That's why as soon as I get the chance, I brush my teeth every night. It's good that my kids brush their teeth around 8pm, because if I have not brushed by then, it's a reminder to do it. It helps them to know that we're all brushing together, and it keeps me from wandering downstairs to pad around in the cabinets and to see what kind of thing I can eat. It isn't that I no longer pad, it's just that I never eat anything when I have that frosty toothpaste taste in my mouth.