Grilling up a delicious meal is a Father’s Day tradition. Whether it’s steak, pork, chicken, or seafood, focus on what you serve with the main entrée to enhance the flavor experience and boost the nutritional value of the meal. Look past the side dishes and find ways to top your grilled masterpiece with a rainbow of colors. You can’t go wrong with a flavorful, fresh salsa or relish. Enjoy some sweet and savory deliciousness with these topping options.

Directions:

• Combine marinade ingredients. Place beef Top Round Steak and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.
• Just before grilling steak, combine salsa ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Remove steak from marinade, then discard marinade. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, about 10 to 11 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, times remain the same) for medium rare (145°F) doneness, turning occasionally. (Do not overcook).
• Carve steak into thin slices. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve topped with salsa.

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, gently toss the corn, avocados, tomatoes, scallions, and lime juice
  until well combined. Season with salt.

You can’t go wrong when you create a DIY Taco Bar. Serve a variety of bases, proteins, produce and toppings to allow for varied flavor preferences. Whether you serve it for one meal or as a convenient menu of dinners throughout the week, prepping once and eating many times could save a lot of time and money.

HealthyFamilyProject.com suggests a Taco Bar with:
2-3 Bases
2-3 Proteins
3-4+ Produce
2-3+ Toppings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 1-1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. finely chopped mushrooms
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 12 whole-wheat tortillas warmed

Recipe and image courtesy of HealthyFamilyProject.com.

The intense heat from grilling makes it easy to cook a great meal quickly. That is especially true if you cut food into smaller pieces before cooking. That’s where kabobs come in as a great meal option. When trying to cook meat more quickly, cut it into smaller pieces and use a skewer. Smaller pieces cook more evenly and faster than a whole piece of meat. One meat that you might not think of cutting up before cooking is pork tenderloin!

As lean as skinless chicken breast, pork tenderloin meets the “extra lean” criteria for the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Checkmark. This means it contains less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams or less of saturated fat, and 480 milligrams or less of sodium per label serving. Pork is a health-forward choice containing an excellent source of Protein, Niacin, Thiamin, Zinc, Riboflavin, and Vitamins B6 & B12. Add a variety of colorful vegetables to pork tenderloin and you have a health-forward meal that will fuel any summertime activity!

Directions:

• Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat; soak skewers in water 20 minutes. In medium bowl, whisk lime juice, oil, lime zest, chili powder, salt and black pepper; add pork and toss.
• Alternately thread pork, bell peppers and onion onto skewers. Place skewers on hot grill rack; cover and cook 13 minutes or until internal temperature of pork reaches 145°, turning once.
• Optional: For a more complete meal, serve over a salad mix with slices of avocado and your favorite dressing.

One diabetic exchange for a serving of berries is:
Strawberries – 1-1/4 cup
Blueberries – 3/4 cup
Blackberries – 3/4 cup
Raspberries – 1 cup

Berries contain flavonoids which are more powerful antioxidants than Vitamins C & E. Their presence helps Vitamin C work more eff ectively. Strawberries are also a good source of folate, which is important for heart health. Serve up some red, white, and blue for Memorial Day or anytime, and reap the benefits from their preventative powers!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 pkg. (16 ozs.) strawberries
• 2 Tbsps. honey
• 2 Tbsps. lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 pkg. (6 ozs.) blackberries
• 3/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves

Recipe and Image source Driscolls.com..

• 3 Tbsps. sugar
• 3 Tbsps. water
• 1 tsp. grated lime zest
• 1 pkg. (16 ozs.) strawberries

• 3 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 pkg. (6 ozs.) blueberries
• 5-6 Tbsps. large mint leaves

Recipe and Image source Driscolls.com..

So much about food and nutrition is about what we need to limit or take away, but we should be focusing on what to add! Choosing meals that are high in good nutrients and finding ways to add another serving of fruits or vegetables is ideal. Rather than focusing on what you can’t or shouldn’t have, find ways to make what you can more exciting! A fresh variety of foods and flavors can make eating an elevated experience, rather than being deprived. This salmon with a new combination of salsa ingredients looks and tastes amazing! It loads your meal with heart-healthy Omega-3 fats, and other nutrients along with hydration from the watermelon. Why not add some colorful flavor to your next meal?

• 1 cup watermelon juice*
• 4 salmon filets, about 6 ozs. each
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 2 Tbsps. agave
• 2 Tbsps. soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup seedless watermelon, diced

• 2 large avocados, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 3 green onions chopped
• 2 Tbsps. lime juice
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
• 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed, diced
• Dash salt to taste

*TO MAKE YOUR OWN WATERMELON JUICE, PUT 2 CUPS CUBED SEEDLESS WATERMELON IN A FOOD PROCESSOR AND PULSE UNTIL SMOOTH. POUR THE PUREE THROUGH A FINE MESH SIEVE, PRESSING THE JUICE THROUGH WITH A SPOON OR SPATULA. THIS SHOULD YIELD ABOUT 1 CUP OF JUICE.

Recipe and image courtesy of Watermelon.org.