Beach and mountain recipes, tasty, but above all healthy

How to feed yourself with tasty, but above all healthy dishes on vacation? We asked Francesca Albani, dietitian of Humanitas San Pio X.

Can you give us any idea of ​​balanced and healthy beach meal?

A balanced beach meal could be, for example, a salad with celery, tofu or tuna, walnuts, flaked parmesan or fresh feta cheese and cherry tomatoes, or even a cold dish with cereals of your choice, such as barley with green beans, pesto and tuna. 

Recipe: Fresh egg salad with lettuce and avocado

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 4 eggs
• 1 head of lettuce
• Edamame soy (frozen or canned) 200g
• 1 avocado
• *Fresh toasted bread (preferably wholemeal, rye or cereal)
• Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
• Pepe
• Iodized salt

Procedure

Boil the eggs and peel them; blanch the frozen soybeans or, if canned,

Rinse the contents. In the meantime, wash and dry the lettuce and cut it finely. Slice the avocado and eggs. Combine everything in a bowl and drizzle with an emulsion prepared with 4 tablespoons of oil and 1 squeezed lemon. Add a pinch of pepper and iodized salt to taste. Toast the bread and cut it into small pieces and add it to the salad.

* advice: avoid ready-made croutons, which are often very seasoned and full of salt

And for the mountain?

Traditional dishes and mountain huts can be quite caloric , but the expenditure of calories is greater in the mountains , due to the cooler temperatures and the walks, often at high altitudes and more demanding than those by the sea.

However, the palate must also be satisfied, therefore it is better to pay attention to the portions , which should never exceed the size of the fist of one’s hand, and limit unbalanced dishes such as roasts, foods seasoned with butter or melted cheese.

On the other hand, a mixed platter of local cheeses and cured meats is fine, to be associated with a mixed salad or vegetables, where the fiber content allows for better absorption of fats and sugars; all accompanied by rye or cereal bread.

The idea of ​​a dish of polenta is also excellent, but proteins and vegetables as an accompaniment must never be missing.

What foods to put in the trekking backpack?

First of all water, followed by fruit, chunks of parmesan which bring energy, calcium and protein, and are an excellent snack especially during long climbs.

The sandwich can then be prepared with local products, from rye bread to cold cuts, better lean, such as speck or raw, a little cheese and lettuce or grilled vegetables. Finally, a blueberry or apple juice, rich in vitamin C and dried and dehydrated fruit, rich in vitamin E , both antioxidants and energy sources.

Is a sandwich with local products a healthy idea for the sea too?

I’d say it’s a healthy choice , especially if you opt for healthy and balanced ingredients , with a balanced amount of protein, grains, vegetables and low fat.

For example, rye or cereal bread with bresaola, goat cheese, lemon and lettuce; smoked salmon, fresh spreadable cheese, ox heart tomato slices or rocket; tuna or roast beef, a veil of mayonnaise or oil, rocket and parmesan flakes; omelette and grilled zucchini; eggs cut into slices, a veil of sour cream, or yogurt mayonnaise, lettuce or rocket; sliced ​​tofu sautéed with sesame seeds with turmeric or curry, and grilled eggplant.

Can you give us some recipes to prepare wherever you go on holiday?

The ” smart sandwich “, in my opinion, is made with rye or cereal bread, chickpea hummus, dried cherry tomatoes, rich in fiber and flavour, to which you can add some raw baby carrots to munch on or rocket.

Never forget about movement , because it helps us, together with a balanced diet, to better control our weight!