Last week we talked about eye protection for a safe and healthy grilling season. Now for the fun part – food! Grilling does not always have to be just for fatty meats. It can involve a lot of healthy tasty foods which add essential nutrients into your diet and strengthen your eyesight. Living at the beach allows for a lot of seasonal fresh seafood, and it all tastes great baked, pan seared, or on the grill!

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for eye health as they protect your eyes against chronic dry eye and age related macular degeneration. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in many types of fish such as salmon, halibut, tuna, mackerel, and trout. Another great nutrient found in popular seafood such as oysters and crab is Zinc, which produces melanin in the eye.

Next time you fire up the grill, try out a few of our favorite tasty, eye healthy recipes. Here is a simple way to grill any fish with a healthy side of grilled veggies.

Simple Grilled Fish

Season your favorite fish with a little olive oil, salt and pepper
Heat the grill, grill pan or cast iron skillet to medium-high
Place fish on the grill or in the skillet and cook roughly 5 minutes each side until the fish is flakey.

You can dress your fish with a compound butter or this simple Shallot Vinaigrette.

Shallot Vinaigrette (optional)

Combine into a food processor:

Zest and juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 ¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar (such as Champagne vinegar)
1 small garlic clove, minced

Once combined, turned the food processor back on, and slowly pour in ¼ cup olive oil so it emulsifies. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over fish.

Don’t forget your veggies! A great way to get your daily vegetables is by grilling them. We all know carrots are good for your eyes, but there are a lot of other great vegetables out there that act as superfoods for your eyes.

Grilled Veggies

You can choose any veggies you like, but some of our favorites for grilling are yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant and asparagus.
Slice your squash, zucchini, and eggplant lengthwise into½ inch thick rectangles
Seed and half your bell peppers
Coat all veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper
Toss the veggies (work in batches if needed) onto the medium-hot grill for about 7 – 10 minutes, rotating once. You want your veggies to be tender and lightly charred.
Optional: Once veggies are off the grill, coat with a Balsamic Dressing for a little extra pop of freshness.

Balsamic Dressing (optional)

To me, everything tastes better with Balsamic, so here is a quick and simple dressing you can whip up to dress your veggies. Make it your own with a variety of herbs or even some fancy herb infused oils.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Pinch of salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and pour over veggies once they come off the grill.

More great ways to prepare eye healthy seafood:

Eating Well’s Healthy BBQ and Grilled Seafood Recipes

Cooking Light’s Essential Grilling Guide

Eating Well’s Fish and Vegetable Packets

Kick off this football season right with eye healthy cooking and a comprehensive eye exam from Optikk 30A. You certainly do not want to miss the big play simply because you do not have the right eyewear or contact lenses. Grilling at the tailgate or going to the game and need prescription sunglasses? Stop in our eye boutique in Red Fish Village, and we will be happy to make any pair of sunglasses the perfect fit for your vision needs. You never know when an accident may occur, so plug our number into your phone as we offer emergency and same day service to give our customers the attention they need.