Healthy As A Horse

By Kirstin Hill, RD and certified EQUESTRIAN PILATES® Instructor

Horses can be good role models when it comes to nutrition; they have plant-based diets and forage frequently. This is a good reminder for most of us that we need to start incorporating more daily fruits and vegetables into our diets. Between 5-9 total servings of fruits and vegetables are ideal. A serving of fruit is about 1 small piece, 1/2 c.berries or in the instance of kiwi, about 2-3.

Consider vegetables free foods, you can munch on them all day long without having to feel guilty about adding inches to your waistline (as long as they are not dunked in dressing or sauteed in calorie-laden sauces). About 1/2 c. cooked or 1 c. raw vegetables are a serving.
Summer is the perfect time of the year for purchasing luscious, ripe produce from your local farmer’s market. Often most, if not all, of the produce is organic, meaning it’s free of pesticides, fertilizers, GMOs, sewer sludge and ionizing radiation. I find the taste far superior as well.
Refer to this website for the dirty dozen, a list of produce you should buy organic because they are high in pesticides: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#fbIndex1 -apples top the list, yikes!
In addition, another nutrition rule of thumb is to eat every 2-3 hours. If we eat moderate portions like we are supposed to, you will want to eat every 2-3 hours.
Think of an 8-10 in plate divided in four sections; half of the plate should be a vegetable(s) or veg/salad combo, a quarter should be your starch, ideally a whole grain (ie quinoa, brown rice, etc) and the last quarter should be protein (chicken, fish, tofu, beans, etc). Small snacks, ideally a mix of protein and carbohydrate (toast + nut butter, fruit + string cheese, etc) are good for keeping your metabolism (body’s fat burning mechanism) going between meals.
Happy munching and crunching…on your greens of course!
Tip: We often remember to bring carrots or apples for our horses. Use this as a reminder to pack yourself some carrots, celery, apple wedges, etc for yourself.
Below are 2 simple recipes for incorporating more greens into your diet:

Baby Purple Russian Kale Salad

  • Baby Kale( remove stems on larger leaves)
  • Chopped Onion
  • Feta Cheese
  • Roasted pine nuts or almonds
  • Dressing: Olive oil, Lemon & Sea salt to taste
Toss all ingredients in a bowl, then toss in dressing. Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy goeorganics.com

Dreamy Chocolate Avocado Pudding-healthy treat

  • 4-6   large organic avocados
  • 1/4   cup organic dark cocoa  or cacao powder
  • 1/3   cup organic coconut cream
  • 1/3 – 1/2   cup organic coconut sugar or dark agave syrup
  • 1   Tbs organic vanilla
  • Pinch of good quality sea salt
These are approximations because it depends on the size of the avocados and the water content in them. Run it all through a food processor until thick and smooth, adding more sweetener, vanilla or cocoa powder as needed.
Can be eaten immediately, chilled or frozen like ice cream.

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