*A blend of green seasonings such as culantro (shado beni) , cilantro, green onion/scallion, thyme, garlic, parsley, onion, lemon juice, scotch bonnet peppers, ginger
Budget Corner
- Did you know vegetarian dishes can be some of the cheapest healthy foods you can make? This dish’s protein source is long green beans which you can find fresh for $2.13, frozen for $0.84, or canned for $0.54 (just make sure you wash canned produce very well to remove excess salt).
- Pro tip: buy whole vegetables instead of pre-cut ones to make your purchase up to 3 times less expensive!
Budget Corner:
- Making our tea from a tea bag instead of buying it pre-bottled not only allows us to better control the amount of sugar we consume but could also help us save by an incredible amount! A $2.48 box of 40 teabags at Walmart would allow us to spend ONLY 6.2 ¢ on each cup. Win-win!
- You can buy, peel, cut and store ginger in the freezer to minimize food and monetary waste!
Healthy Highlights & Small Changes:
Today’s healthy and delicious dish revolves around a few simple changes: reducing salt, using moderate extra virgin olive oil and switching white rice/white flour roti for whole wheat pita/roti.
Why is lowering salt intake important?
About 90% of Americans eat too much sodium.1 Consuming too much sodium puts us at a greater risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.2 The great news is the simple act of reducing dietary salt intake may help decrease your blood pressure!2
How did we make this dish low in salt and delicious at the same time?
- We used fresh ingredients (processing increases the sodium content of foods)
- We enhanced the flavor of our dish with fresh herbs and spices
- Bonus point: this dish contains lots of vegetables, which are rich in nutrients associated with better control of blood pressure!3
Why did we substitute oil for extra virgin olive oil and white grains for whole wheat pita/roti?
Substituting oil or butter for Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes our recipe super! This change could help you lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol levels, while packing a vitamin and antioxidant punch!4 Also substituting white grains for whole wheat pita/roti is a great way to increase your whole grains intake which has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease.5
In short: This flavorful healthy dish is a great way to reduce your salt intake and eat more vegetables, healthy fat and whole grains without sacrificing flavor or enjoyment!
- Jackson SL, Coleman King SM, Zhao L, Cogswell ME. Prevalence of sodium intake in the United Statesexternal icon. MMWR. 2016;64(52):1394–7.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20048456
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-choose-and-use-healthy-cooking-oils/#:~:text=Olive%20oil%20has%20been%20proven,plus%20many%20more%20healthful%20nutrients.
- https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/grains#:~:text=Next-,Health%20Benefits,may%20help%20with%20weight%20management.
