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Summer Recipes 2022
If there’s one thing we all love, it’s good food! This week, we’d like to share with you a variety of our favorite recipes to make your summer all the more delicious and nutritious.
As Dr. Price and Dr. Pottenger taught, we believe that healthy food is rooted in the traditions of countless generations before us and that the replacement of naturally raised, minimally processed foods with industrialized ones is a major source of disease.
Each of these recipes features healthy ingredients that humans have been enjoying for hundreds – if not thousands – of years. Plus, we’ve added their origin stories to help us all better appreciate our long-standing relationships with these foods and the important nutrients they provide.
Find the scrumptious details below!
Although the exact origins of the domesticated chicken remain a mystery, there is evidence that it traveled southward from the Middle East to the Mediterranean between the fourth and second centuries B.C.E., where they began to be raised as the valuable food source we know today. There is some debate regarding when this popular fowl landed on North American shores, but since the 20th century chicken has remained a common protein on tables across the country (particularly during WWII when beef and pork became relatively unattainable).
Since then, conventionally-raised chicken has made up the majority of what is available in grocery stores. However, pasture-raised chicken is still very much in demand, and it’s easy to see why. Unlike its conventional counterpart, pasture-raised chicken packs a punch with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat. Pasture-raised chicken also contains higher levels of Vitamin A (which is essential for a healthy immune system) and more collagen than industrially-raised chicken. Get the recipe here.
Originating in Africa (most notably grown by the ancient Egyptians), sweet melons, like cantaloupe, first began to surface in Europe during the Bronze Age. Early settlers first introduced melons, such as honeydew and casaba, to North America as early as the 17th century. To this day, a number of Native American tribes (such as the Navajo and Acoma) continue to cultivate and preserve heirloom melon seeds from Spanish settlers.
A much-loved addition to barbecues and picnics, cantaloupe and other sweet melons provide an excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well as potassium (which are a must-have to replace nutrients we lose when we sweat). For those who are following a FODMAP diet this summer, cantaloupe and heirloom tomatoes are unlikely to cause belly bloat (unlike other popular summer fruits, such as apricots or blackberries), and you can also easily swap out the sweet onion in this recipe for chives or the tops of green onions. Get the recipe here.
The only tree nut native to North America, pecans were originally cultivated by Native Americans in wild groves since the 16th century (“pecan” is derived from the Algonquin word “paccan”). Spanish colonists took to growing them in orchards during the late 17th century, and this highly-valued nut remained a critical crop for most of the South; during the 18th and 19th centuries, they were worth more than popular row crops, such as cotton! To this day, pecans remain an important, nutrient-dense crop in the Southern states (and Mexico).
Loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, pecans provide a great source of thiamine (B1) and copper, both of which are important for proper brain function. And, if you are looking for a “good mood food,” pecans are abundant in manganese, which is an essential nutrient in supporting both mental focus and emotional balance. Get the recipe here.
Although the origins of frozen treats like ice cream remain a mystery, some accounts describe ice-cream-like foods originating in Persia as long ago as 550 BC. Over time, ice cream recipes began to crop up across Europe (although, before the mid 19th century, this treat was mainly savored by the affluent). The nutritional powerhouse portion of this recipe, kefir, also has ancient roots and originally hails from Eastern Europe.
Containing more than 50 species of probiotic bacteria, kefir has been shown to boost immunity and support skin health (which is intimately tied to maintaining healthy gut flora). Raw cream adds a significant dose of Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamin A and K). It’s best to use raw kefir and raw cream for this recipe to get the most nutrients, but, if your local store does not carry either, your local farmers might! Get the recipe here.
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To your best health,
The Price-Pottenger Team