Gut-healthy Valentine’s Day meal ideas from an NH dietitian

For registered dietitian Lucy Hutchings of New Ipswich, the best Valentine’s Day dish would reduce inflammation and improve gut health while also tasting good.

When designing a gut-healthy Valentine’s Day meal, Hutchings thinks color and simplicity are key.

“The perfect meal would be steak with a sweet potato and a colorful salad,” she said.

Coating the steak in chimichurri not only will add some flavor, but it will also provide additional health benefits.

“Chimichurri is made of fresh parsley, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. In addition to providing Vitamin-K, parsley is both an anti-inflammatory and a natural liver detoxifier,” she said.

Sweet potatoes are best cubed and roasted, ideally cooked in extra virgin olive oil and Himalayan salt so they retain the health benefits while making them more flavorful, she said.

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According to Hutchings, the salad is best augmented with lettuce, arugula, fresh basil, and multi-colored carrots and peppers. “Covering it in olive oil with balsamic vinegar and Himalayan salt gives it zip and makes it extra special.”

Hutchings provided suggestions for healthy dessert options: “Strawberries dipped in 72% dark chocolate is a simple, elegant and healthy choice. But my personal favorite, though it may sound weird, is plain vanilla ice cream topped with a chocolate-infused balsamic vinegar from Monadnock Oil and Vinegar.”

Hutchings said that alcoholic beverages could augment dinner and dessert but said some options don’t sit well with women over 40 years old. “Wine tends to make us tired and grumpy and can cause headaches,” she said. “A better option would be a cocktail. One of my favorites is my version of the Tequila Sunrise.”

She noted the concoction calls for half of a fresh-squeezed lime, one whole squeezed clementine and a shot of tequila. Hutchings said the dessert strawberries and the juice from the lime and clementine add a dose of Vitamin-C to the meal, which is important for maintaining a strong immune system.

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