One of the nice things about eating healthfully is that you also eat more economically, as you can eat the foods that are generally cheaper…which are the ones that are in season.
If you've seen some of the end of the summer bounty and felt remorse at not being able to buy more because you didn't know what to do with it, I found some great links with insructions for how to preserve some seasonal favorites to be used long after summer is gone.
How to freeze basil How to freeze peaches How to freeze corn on the cob How to freeze peppers How to freeze green beans
It's the end of summer and the basil plant on my patio is huge. Time for pesto!
Pesto sauce is a great PCOS food. It's based on olive oil, the pine nuts have a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, garlic has its health benefits we have all heard of. Add some parmesan cheese for calcium and voila! You're there!
Who knew the basil was throwing in its own punch? The oils found in basil leaves have anti-inflammatory activity (remember, PCOS is an inflammatory condition). It's also high in beta-carotene, antioxidants, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.
If you're trying to watch your glycemic index, try quinoa pasta. It's a high protein, low GI grain that is now sold in spaghetti and pasta forms. Pesto also makes a good sandwich spread, a topper for grilled meat, and you can put it on baked potatoes or portabella mushrooms if you're a veggie! I recently found some pesto turkey burgers at Trader Joe's--all they did was mix some pesto sauce in with the turkey meat before making patties…something you can easily replicate at home.
It's easy to find the ready made version in just about any store these days, but it's super easy to make at home. Here is one recipe I found online.
