Wellness for the Family: Eat the Rainbow “Green”

We are eating our way through the rainbow with another segment of Wellness for the Family with registered dietitian Grace Derocha of and this week we are eating green.

Now many think that eating green can be as easy as a simple salad, but Grace was ready to switch it up and bring us not one, but two amazing zoodle recipes. And if you don’t know what zoodles are, check out the video above to learn more.

Here are the recipes:

Greek Zoodle Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchinis
• ¼ english cucumber, chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 10 pitted kalamata olives, halved
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 ounces crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Pickled beets
• Chickpeas

Instructions:

1. Cut the zucchini into noodle shaped strands using a spiralizing tool
2. Place the noodles (or “zoodles”) into a large bowl
3. Top with cucumber, tomatoes, olives, red onion, feta cheese, chickpeas and pickled beets
4. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper together in a bowl until the dressing is smooth
5. Pour the dressing over the “zoodle” mixture and toss to coat
6. Marinate salad in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes

Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients:

• 3 medium to large zucchinis – cut into noodles
• 1 ripe avocado – pitted and peeled
• 1 heaping cup of loosely-packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbs miso
• ½ tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbs freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbs nutritional yeast
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Take the cut up, spiralized zucchini noodles, salt them generously and place them in a strainer over a bowl (a while before you plan on eating)
2. Place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins
3. Combine the avocado, basil, miso, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a blender or food processor until it is smooth – to make the avocado pesto
4. Add salt pepper and nutritional yeast for taste
5. Rinse the zoodles and gently squeeze them out to remove liquid from them, and dry with a clean towel
6. Fold the avocado pesto inside of the zucchini noodles and fold in the cherry tomatoes – if you plan on using them
7. Serve this meal cold, as soon as possible.
8. Store leftovers in the fridge in a loosely-covered container for up to 24 hours.

We are working on eating healthy and getting active each week here at the Heritage House and we want you to join us each week with Wellness Wednesday’s and of course our weekly segment with our dear friend, Grace Derocha.

To learn more about BCBS of Michigan,