Highly regarded nutritionists Nancy Bennett and Manuel Villacorta provide recipes, advice

Many West Coast families kick off the summer season with great intentions for healthy living. In fact, more than 60 percent of Americans are estimated to be eating better to achieve a healthier lifestyle this summer, as opposed to just three percent who are eating better to "look healthy." So what's the best way to keep that healthy momentum going all season long, without burning out on standby recipes? Leading nutritionists from the West Coast's poultry grilling experts, Foster Farms, offer the following advice to help good intentions hold strong all season long.

"Summer lends itself to healthy eating," says Nancy Bennett MS, RD, CDE, one of the company's two nutritionist spokespersons and CNBC-TV's Diabetes Life expert. "Warm weather tends to inspire us to eat fresher, lighter foods. After a while though, even a favorite grilling recipe can seem tired."

  Tip 1: For better nutrition and to stay on track, include a variety of
  fresh foods at every meal and experiment with new recipes to avoid turning
  healthy eating into a bland routine.

"Grilling enhances the flavor of foods naturally," adds Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD. Villacorta was recently named "2007's Best Nutritionist in San Francisco" by popular search directory, CitySearch.com. "When you start with high-quality, fresh ingredients, you will find that you won't need to rely on excess oil and salt for flavor."

  Tip 2: Be creative -- experiment with different blends of herbs and
  spices, use marinades and dry rubs instead of higher fat and sodium
  options.

"Fresh, locally-grown foods taste incredible," says Bennett. "Keep those qualities in mind as you select your ingredients."

  Tip 3: Take advantage of the best summer has to offer. Start with a
  naturally lean source of protein, like Foster Farms' locally-grown, fresh
  chicken breasts. Add healthy carbohydrates, such as corn on the cob or
  sweet potatoes, then fill half of your plate with a selection of steamed
  or grilled seasonal vegetables. Enjoy grilled or sliced seasonal fruit for
  dessert."

Foster Farms' web site (http://www.fosterfarms.com/) provides expert poultry grilling tips to liven up any outdoor meal, food safety advice, as well as literally thousands of new recipes that can be customized to fit consumers' nutrition needs. With more than a hundred recipes created specifically for the grill, including Tangy Grilled Chicken and Lemon Ginger

Skewers (recipes below), it's easy to find a new and refreshing grilled entrée no matter the occasion.

FOSTER FARMS RECIPES FOR SIMPLE, HEALTHY GRILLING

Try these Foster Farms recipes, customized by nutritionists Nancy Bennett and Manuel Villacorta for healthy grilling.

  Tangy Grilled Chicken

  INGREDIENTS
  4 Foster Farms Bone-In Chicken Half Breasts with Skin Sauce
  1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
  1/2 teaspoon salt

  DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat grill to medium heat and lightly oil grate.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine the sauce
     ingredients. Stir often, until the sauce just starts to bubble.
  3. Place the chicken on the grill and brush with the sauce, turning
     breasts every 7 to 10 minutes. Continue to brush the chicken every time
     you turn it, cooking for about 45 minutes. Remove chicken when internal
     temperature reaches 180 degrees F.

  Lemon Ginger Skewers
  (Copyright 2005 Allrecipes.com; by Laura Ramanjooloo)

  INGREDIENTS
  2 packages Foster Farms Boneless Skinless Breast Tenders

  Marinade
  1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  3 tablespoons dry white wine
  2 tablespoons lemon juice
  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  3/4 teaspoon dried Italian-style seasoning
  1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
  1 clove garlic, crushed
  1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  1 pinch ground black pepper

  DIRECTIONS
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Reserve half of
     marinade for later. Place chicken in a large, resealable bag and add
     half the marinade. Seal the bag of chicken and marinate in the
     refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.
  3. Thread the chicken onto skewers, and cook on the prepared grill for
     approximately 5 minutes per side, basting with the reserved sauce
     several times. Remove chicken when internal temperature reaches 165
     degrees F.

About Foster Farms' Nutritionists

Foster Farms works with leading nutritionists, Nancy Bennett and Manuel Villacorta, to promote good health and nutrition to families throughout the West Coast. The two experts specialize in simplifying complex nutrition information with easy-to-follow hints for everyday life.

About Foster Farms

Founded by Max and Verda in 1939, Foster Farms remains family owned and operated to this day. The company has stayed committed to providing the highest quality fresh, locally grown chicken to consumers in the West. Foster Farms specializes in producing high quality fresh chicken products that are all natural with no preservatives or sodium-based additives, in addition to a full line of other delicious poultry products. The company produces and delivers premium quality poultry products to retailers, warehouse clubs and foodservice customers throughout the West. The Foster Farms Web site at http://www.fosterfarms.com/ offers thousands of delicious recipes for all seasons, categorized by preparation time, ingredients, nutrition attributes, and more.

Source: Foster Farms

Web site: http://www.fosterfarms.com/