July Green Salad - A Vibrant and Zesty Meal for Your Eyes

This salad features the best green vegetables for eye nutrition. The herbs give it a vibrant and intense flavor. Use local fresh herbs and vegetables for the greatest nutritional benefit.

Salad ingredients:
2 cups romaine lettuce
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup raw broccoli florets
1 cup green peppers, sliced
1 cup green beans, steamed and sliced
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh dill, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash all ingredients thoroughly. Mix together in a large salad bowl.

2. In a small bowl or jar, mix well all ingredients of dressing.

3. Add dressing to salad. Toss and enjoy immediately.

Serves 4-8

Eye Nutrients: Lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E, fiber

Green Means Go when it Comes to Your Eyes

One of the best features of the Eyefoods plan is the vast number of foods that it includes. This makes it simple for everyone to choose Eyefoods on a regular basis, helping to maintain optimum eye health and prevent eye disease. Just when your evening meals start to become routine and boring, there is another great Eyefood to discover.

Green vegetables are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants that promote overall health, however, these four are the all stars for eye health. With a bit of creativity, these gems can be turned into a multitude of different dishes.

Broccoli

• Contains lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, fiber

• Make a stir-fry with broccoli and lean beef. Add low sodium soy sauce, garlic and pepper. Serve over a healthy whole grain such as quinoa or barley.

• Cut out broccoli florets. Peel the stem and shred it. Mix with you favorite vinaigrette for a new twist on coleslaw – broccoli slaw

• Mix small broccoli florets with a little olive oil and sea salt. Roast broccoli in oven until it starts to brown, about 15 minutes at 375. Enjoy.

Peas
• Contain lutein and zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, fiber

• Children love them half-thawed as a pre dinner snack

• Add to stir-fries and soups. 

• Add steamed peas and edamame to a bowl of rice, with sautéed chicken or tofu. Great in a thermos for lunch the next day.

Brussels sprouts

• Contain lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin C, beta carotene, fiber

• Roast Brussels sprouts in the oven to bring out their sweet, complex flavour.

• Use Brussels sprouts instead of cabbage in a soup for added nutritional value

Green Beans 

• Contain lutein and zeaxanthin, beta-carotene and fiber

• Mix steamed green beans with ½ can of light tuna and baby spinach for a quick lunch salad.

• Steam green beans until tender-crisp. Immediately shock in ice water to keep the color and stop cooking. Keep in the fridge and add to salads, soups, pasta dishes and stri-frys 

• Steamed green beans with sea salt and olive oil, garnished with slivered almonds are a classic side dish.

Citrus Zinger - A Juice for Your Eyes

This juice is pleasantly tart and full of vitamin C. It is the ultimate refreshment on a hot, humid day.

Ingredients:

2 oranges

1 grapefruit

1 lime

1 lemon 

1. Peel all fruit. Juice, using an electric juicer or a manual citrus juicer. Enjoy immediately. 

2. Garnish with a sprig of mint if desired.

Serves 2

Eye Nutrients: Vitamin C 

Which fruits are best for eye health? Feast on these to protect your vision!

Fruit is an important part of any healthy diet. It contains high amounts of a variety of vitamins and nutrients, especially antioxidants. Eating fruit often will help maintain overall health and may protect against many chronic diseases.

The following Eyefoods fruit recommendations will guide you to choose fruit that contains the highest amount of nutrients that have been shown to maintain eye health and prevent eye disease.

Kiwi 

• High in vitamin C. In fact one kiwi contains more vitamin C than one small orange. Vitamin C may decrease the progression of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. 

• Also contains vitamin E, fiber, lutein and zeaxanthin and zinc.

Cantaloupe

• Great fruit source of beta-carotene. 

Citrus Fruit

• Reliable source of vitamin C.

• Also contains some lutein and zeaxanthin, and fiber.

• Pink and red grapefruit are a source of beta-carotene and lycopene.

• Use both the juice and zest of lemons and limes when you’re cooking to boost your vitamin C intake.

• Add lemon and lime juice to water and tea throughout the day for an additional vitamin C boost.

Avocado

• Good fruit source of vitamin E.

• High in fiber and ALA (plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids)

• Also contains some lutein and zeaxanthin

Berries

• All berries are high in anti-oxidants and contain vitamin C, vitamin E and fiber.

• Goji berries are a great source of zeaxanthin. 

USDA Agricultural Research Service. Nutrient data laboratory. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/.

Tan, A., P. Mitchell, V. Flood, G. Burlutsky, E. Rochtchina, R. Cumming, and J. Wang. 2008. Antioxidant nutrient intake and the long-term incidence of age-related cataract: The blue mountains eye study. 

Am J Clin Nutr Jun, 87 (6): 1899-905. 

Tan, J., J. Wang, V. Flood, S. Kaushik, A. Barclay, J. Brand-Miller, and P. Mitchell. 2007. Carbohydrate nutrition, glycemic index, and the 10-year incidence of cataract. Am J Clin Nutr 86 (5): 1502-8.

Eyefoods Nicoise Salad Recipe - A Tasty Way to Get Your Omega-3s

This classy salad is bursting with omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin C and vitamin E.



Salad Ingredients:
1 can of boneless, skinless sardines, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp capers, chopped roughly

1 green onion, sliced thinly

1 cup romaine lettuce, washed, cut into bite-sizes pieces (Use the large romaine leaves)

1 cup baby spinach, washed 

4 black olives

1 hard boiled egg, cut in half

½ cup green beans, blanched, then shocked in ice cold water to stop cooking. 

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp orange juice

2 tsp olive oil

Dash Dijon mustard

1. Make dressing: Mix lemon and orange juice together with mustard. While whisking, slowly add olive oil to create an emulsion. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

2. Arrange lettuces, capers, green onion, olives, egg, green beans, and sardines on two nice plates. 

3. Drizzle with salad dressing.

4. Enjoy!

Tip: To make more dressing, use same proportions and store in a glass jar with tight fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Serves 2

Eyefoods ingredients: Sardines, green onions, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, eggs,
green beans

SeeFood Facts - What Fish is Best for Your Vision?

Fish is an important part of a healthy diet. They contain the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA that are important in maintaining eye health as well as cardiovascular health, cognitive health and decreasing inflammation in the body. Eating fish also supports growth and development, making it especially important for children and pregnant women. Most North Americans are not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in their current diet. A great way to increase the amount of omega-3s in the body is to consume more cold-water fish. In fact, to help the prevent the onset of chronic eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome, the Eyefoods Plan recommends eating cold-water fish 4 times per week.

If only it were as simple as that… 

As important as it is to eat more fish, there are concerns of contamination of the fish available to us. We’ve created these guidelines to help you choose the cleanest and safest fish for yourself and your family. 

How clean is your fish?

Two contaminants of concern in fish are mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

One of the reasons that mercury is hazardous to health is that is enters into our cells effortlessly and interferes with the body’s normal functioning. It also crosses the placenta of mammals and can interfere with normal fetal development.

Small fish are lower on the food chain than large fish. So, small fish have lower amounts of mercury than large fish. The bigger the fish, the more mercury in the fish. 

Although dangerous, mercury can be eliminated from our bodies over time, however, in cases of long-term mercury exposure, it can take up to a year to fully eliminate methyl mercury from the body. 

PCBs (polychlorinated byphenyls) are man made chemicals that were used in industry before being banned in the 1970s. PCBs are slow to break down and may still be a concern in certain fish such as farmed salmon. 

Eyefoods Fish Recommendations:

The Eyefoods fish recommendations are high in omega-3 fatty acids, low in contaminants and sustainable.

Eat 2 servings of wild Alaskan salmon and 2 serving of other Eyefoods recommended fish per week.

• Wild Alaskan Salmon (both fillets and canned)

• Sardines

• Atlantic Mackerel

• Rainbow Trout (Farmed)

• Oysters (high in zinc)

http://blueocean.org/issues/fish-as-food/mercury/advice-mercury-in-seafood/

http://intraspec.ca/fish.php

A Lutein Loaded Meal for Tonight - Dill and Spinach Frittata

This popular frittata is loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as vitamin C and vitamin E.

Ingredients:
3 eggs (omega 3)
1 tbsp 1% or skim milk
½ orange pepper, diced
1 green onion, chopped
¼ cup frozen chopped spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh dill
Salt and pepper

1. Whisk together eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Saute pepper and onion in 1 tbsp olive oil for 1-2 minutes over med-high heat in a non-stick pan. Add frozen spinach and continue cooking until spinach has thawed and cooked. Reduce heat to low and add egg mixture, ensuring that vegetables and eggs are evenly distributed in the pan. 

3. Cook on low heat until top of frittata begins to cook, approximately 5 minutes. Ensure that the bottom does not burn. Flip frittata by placing a plate over top of pan, flip the pan and slide frittata back into pan and cook on low for another 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, place an oven-proof pan in oven and broil on low for 3 minutes or until top of frittata is cooked. 

4. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. The frittata can also be enjoyed at room temperature or even cold the next day. 

Serves 2

Eyefoods ingredients: Eggs, orange pepper, green onion, spinach, olive oil