Spice up your diet with SALSA

Add some spice to your life with this healthy condiment and meal saver.  Salsa is delicious and nutritious and can be enjoyed many ways, not just with tortilla tips.  Try salsa on meats, sandwiches, eggs, whole grain crackers such as Triscuits, on salads instead of using a salad dressing, on baked potatoes instead of fatty butter and sour cream, or as a tasty topping for brown rice and quinoa. 

This low calorie topping adds flavor without all of the calories, sodium and fat found in many other traditional condiments.  Tomato salsa is high in lycopene and beta carotene which help to prevent cancer and keep the heart healthy.  Lycopene and beta carotene are better absorbed with fat so add some chopped avocado to your next batch of homemade tomato salsa.

Traditionally salsa is made with tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and cilantro.  Today there are 100s of different salsa recipes that use a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and beans.  Some tasty examples include

·         black beans, sweet red peppers and hot chili peppers with oranges and avocado

·         peaches, cucumber and lime

·         mango with avocado and cilantro

·         pineapple with corn and mango

For more tasty salsa creations, check out the following recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/dips-and-spreads/salsa/top.aspx

Don't want a super chunky salsa?  Food process majority of your salsa ingredients and then add the remainder of the chopped ingredients for a smooth salsa sauce.