By Rene’ Norman, Bailey Bariatric dietitian
As temperatures reach 100 degrees, we start reaching for foods that will help cool us down. Do vegetables come to mind for cooler food options? They should! Most of us don’t eat enough vegetables, so maybe we can sip them.
Try making a green protein smoothie by blending together a large handful greens in your protein shake. Spinach, kale, spring mix, arugula, romaine, leaf or butter lettuce are type of greens that work well in a green protein smoothie.
How about gazpacho? This is a cold soup that is a mixture of vegetables and seasonings. There are many versions of this type of soup, so the combinations are unlimited. A bariatric-friendly version can be made by pureeing 6 oz. of low-sodium tomato juice or V-8 juice (the vegetable juice) with 1/2 cup diced cucumber (peeled and seeded), ¼ cup diced green pepper, 10 grams of protein from unflavored protein powder, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon cream and 1 small clove of garlic, pressed or finely minced garlic or a pinch of garlic powder. You can season with a pinch of pepper, a seasoning blend of your choice or a dash of Tabasco sauce. Let the soup chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours and up to two days. This makes two servings.
Stir in 5-7 grams protein from unflavored protein powder in tomato juice or V-8 juice. Drizzle in about ½ tsp olive oil. Stick in a celery stick, and you’ve got a virgin Bloody Mary.
The oil is added to the tomato-based sippers to help absorb lycopene. This is an antioxidant that is responsible for the red color of tomatoes.
Enjoy these summer sippers!