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Strawberry Drinks and Salads

Who doesn’t love strawberries?! They’re a good source of fiber and an excellent source of vitamin C. They’re also low in sugar and 1 cup of strawberries contains only 45 calories. Not to mention, they taste delicious!

Michelle Dudash, Registered Dietitian and Author of “Clean Eating for Busy Families,” shows us how to turn strawberries into a refreshing salad or drink!

Michelle says:

To pick the tastiest strawberries, look at the shoulders. They should go red all the way up to the stem and be a deep red. And give them a whiff-they should smell sweet and fruity.

Add strawberries to satisfying salads. A tasty combo is sliced strawberries, arugula, quinoa, and chicken. Toss with balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.

RECIPES:Fresh Strawberry Coconut Cooler

By Michelle Dudash, RDN, author of Clean Eating for Busy Families

1 cup diced strawberries (about 6 strawberries)

Mint or basil leaves (optional)

A few drops of agave nectar (optional)

1 cup crushed ice

3/4 cup chilled coconut water

1/2 cup chilled sparkling lime-flavored water

Place the strawberries in a pint-sized glass and smash with a muddler until mostly smooth, with small drinkable chunks. If you don’t have a muddler, you could use a stick blender, Bullet blender, or even try your hand at placing them in a plastic zipper bag and beating them into submission until desired consistency is reached. Add a couple of basil or mint leaves and muddle a few more times. If you’d like to add sweetener, now is the time to do it, since most sweeteners added to a cold liquid do not dissolve.

Add ice, coconut water and sparkling water and swirl with a spoon or straw. Enjoy immediately.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Makes 1 servings, 16 ounces each

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 85 calories, 0.5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 31 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 21 g total carbohydrate (3 g fiber), 1 g protein, 4% DV iron, 5% DV calcium, 0% DV Vitamin A, 163% DV Vitamin C.

Virgin Hibiscus Strawberry “Sangria” with Orange & Mint

3 3/4 cups water (1 3/4 cups hot and 2 cups cold)

5 hibiscus tea bags (such as Raspberry Zinger® or Passion®)

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 cup diced strawberries

1 orange, peeled, sliced and then cut into eighths

1/4 cup sliced red grapes or cherries

2 good-sized mint sprigs

Bring 1 3/4 cups (411 ml) water to a boil. Place tea bags in a glass pitcher or large jar. Once water has come to a boil, remove from heat for 1 minute. Pour hot water over the tea bags and steep covered for 5 minutes. Stir in agave nectar and cool tea to room temperature. Add 2 cups cold water, strawberries, orange, grapes and mint. Chill for at least a few hours, preferably overnight. Pour tea and fruit pieces over crushed ice.

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus cooling time

Cook time: 5 minutes

Makes 4 servings, 10 ounces each

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 53 calories, 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 7 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 13 g total carbohydrate (3 g fiber), 1 g protein, 2% DV iron, 2% DV calcium, 2% DV Vitamin A, 42% DV Vitamin C.

To learn more, visit www.michelledudash.com.