Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Just because the holiday falls on a workday this year doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun, festive, and healthy. You can wear green, accessorize with shamrocks, listen to Irish music, or even eat foods that match the colors of the Irish flag. What are the healthiest green, white, and orange foods to eat while celebrating the Irish? Here are a few:
Start your day with a green smoothie. A breakfast packed with micronutrients is a great way to get your body going and to avoid food cravings mid-morning. Throw some berries, spinach, and kale into a blender, add ice and drink up. You’ll be energized, alert and ready to take on the day. Add nuts and seeds to your smoothie to supply your body with healthy fats that will keep it satisfied longer.
For lunch, a soup and salad combo is a fulfilling and delicious, healthy option. Mixed greens like crisp romaine lettuce, kale, and spinach are rich in antioxidants that protect your blood vessels and reduce the risk of diabetes. You can celebrate the Irish by putting green, white, and orange nutrients together in one meal. Carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, onion, pistachios, beans, and mushrooms are just some of the colorful options you can choose from. Pair your salad with a savory soup, like our Butternut Soup, and you’ll be full and happy until the end of the workday.
End the holiday with our cheery Irish Cabbage, Leek and Parsnips Stew. As a cruciferous vegetable, cabbage is known for its nutrient density and anti-cancer effect. Not only do they taste great, but cruciferous vegetables are also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. What more could you want on your healthy Saint Patrick’s Day?
Let’s not forget about potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A and are also rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gives the potato its orange color. This antioxidant may reduce the risk of cancer, and it can protect against heart disease. Keep the potato skin on, because it is abundant in fiber and potassium.
Enjoy your green, white, and orange foods, and have a happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
