WELLSVILLE — All four launches for the 48th annual Great Wellsville Balloon Rally got off the ground this past weekend.
The high-rising, colorful balloons didn’t travel too far. Friday, July 18’s launch saw them head toward Stannards on a southerly wind that kept them close to the ground. The balloons were early visitors Saturday, July 19, as vendors set up for the Main Street Festival. Saturday night’s wind took the balloonists on a tour of the east side of the village, with many making a homerun or touchdown on school athletic fields.
The throng of people following the balloons were thwarted by yellow caution tape restricting passage due to current renovations and paving. Downtown residents were awakened Sunday morning, July 20, to the rush of hot air balloons when the behemoths once more headed downtown on their way to North Main Street, Riverwalk Plaza, the golf course and beyond.
Balloonists and their crews said goodbye to Wellsville and their colleagues at the traditional GWBR brunch held at the American Legion, where one of their own
received a national honor. Bill Abbott and Mike Mantione of the Federal Aviation Administration in Rochester and Syracuse, respectively, presented longtime hot air balloon pilot Carroll Teitsworth with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for safe flying in a hot air balloon for more than 50 years. Teitsworth, of Groveland, has been a participant in the Wellsville Rally for many years. A former U.S. Navy pilot, he received his balloonist’s license in 1976. He then went on to make ballooning his life’s work. At first he offered rides and then established a balloon pilot’s training school in 1983
with the Liberty Balloon Company.
In 1991 he started piloting the red, white and blue REMAX balloon. In 2019 he and his family purchased Balloons Over Letchworth. He has racked up over 8,000 hours in the air, over 5,000 of those in a hot air balloon.
When asked for a show of hands, the majority of pilots in the room indicated they had been trained by Teitsworth.
The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award recognizes pilots who have contributed to building and maintaining the safest aviation system in the world through practicing and
promoting safe flight for 50 consecutive years or more, Mantione said.
Along with his wife, Miriam, of 58 years, and his four children, Teitsworth has flown in the GWBR 48 times.
Accepting the award, Teitsworth said, “I’ve had some amazing experiences in ballooning, but it’s my family that I brag about most.”
His children are all pilots and help with the business. He went on to thank God for the opportunities he’s had and for his survival and the people he shares his balloon life with. He also recalled his experience at the 1988 GWBR when a 30 mph to 40 mph wind shear struck the balloonists on the Saturday flight.
“I was on the golf course and lined up about 130 feet from the $1,000 key grab when I saw the balloon ahead of me suddenly turn around and start flying towards me,” he recalled. “I’d never seen anything like it before. I knew it was a new balloon, but I didn’t think it was jet-propelled.”
Twelve people were injured due to the wind shear, with one person suffering a broken leg.
Teitsworth and his balloon ended up in a field in Pennsylvania, 30 miles south of the Rally site, after he decided it was safer to go with the wind and not try to land. “It was like a carrier landing,” he said. The wind shear was
the result of a thunderstorm 80 miles away from the Rally site. The 48th Annual Great Wellsville Balloon Rally came to an end with chairman Brad Thompson telling the balloonists that they, along with his committee members the community and sponsors, are what make the Rally happen every year. He also encouraged everyone to make plans to attend not just in 2026 but the 50th Rally celebration in 2027.
“We have some special plans in the works and we’re taking suggestions for more ways to celebrate our anniversary,” he said.
The 2026 Rally is set for July 19-21.
Photos by Kathryn Ross Three hot air balloons are nearly ready to launch the evening of July 18 for the opening of the
Youth Dairy Show held at Allegany County Fair
ANGELICA — The Allegany County Fair held the Youth Dairy Show, with this year’s show openiung with a meet and greet with the judge, Casey Arlig from Houghton.
Beginning the show with Senior Showmanship division first place blue to Morgan Holcomb from Friendship followed by Natalie Burrows from Cuba; Abigail Morton Caneadea; Jim Eshelman Scio; Shaelynn Eddy Cuba; and Riley Blarr of Belmont.
In the Junior Showmanship division, Bentley Foster of Friendship received a blue ribbon followed by Cooper Hunt from Bolivar and Lily Morton of Scio. For the Novice division receiving blue ribbons Tinsley Foster of Friendship, and Damilynn Morton of Scio.
Winners in each of the showmanship divisions received a halter sponsored by Zane Covert. The top 2 from each division competed for Master Showmanship. This year’s winner Morgan Holcomb received a director’s chair sponsored by The York Agency, Lester York. Reserve Master Showman, Natilie Burrows, received a bucket of grooming supplies sponsored by Zane Covert.
The judge was Casey Arlig, owner of Lakeview Genetics.
Following the showmanship, breed classes were held. Awards include:
• Brown Swiss Res. Senior Champion, Abigail Morton
• Grade Grand Champion, Cooper Hunt
• Grade Reserve Grand Champion, Damilynn Morton
• Ayrshire Grand Champion, Morgan Holcomb
• Ayrshire Reserve Grand Champion, Natalie Burrows
• Ayrshire Senior Champion, Natalie Burrows
• Guernsey Senior Champion, Jim Eshelman
• Guernsey Grand Champion, Jim Eshelman
• Holstein Grand Champion, Abigail Morton
• Holstein Reserve Grand Champion, Riley Blarr Jersey Grand Champion, Shaelynn Eddy
• Jersey Reserve Grand Champion, Morgan Holcomb
• Brown Swiss Grand Champion, Abigail Morton
• Brown Swiss Res Grand Champion, Abigail Morton
• Supreme Champion – Brown Swiss, Abigail Morton
• Guernsey Reserve Grand Champion, Jim Eshelman
• Best Breed and Owned, Riley Blarr’s Holstein
• Dairy Herd – 1st place Friendship Everlasting 4-H
•
Youth dairy exhibitors with judge Casey Arlig (front, from left) Damilynn Morton, Cooper Hunt, Lily Morton, Tinsley Foster, Bentley Foster. Casey Arlig (rear, from left), Riley Blarr, Abigail Morton, Jim Eshelman, Morgan Holcomb, Shaelynn Eddy, Natalie Burrows.
BY CONNOR JACKSON
Big 30 baseball player of the year Landon Barkley has been great for Bolivar-Richburg, and he also knows that sports are about fun and opportunities to make friends and further relationships.
He speaks humbly about himself, and would rather put the emphasis on experiences with friends and family to get this prestigious award. “My family really supported me on the long nights, all the money they put into investing in me. I couldn’t be more appreciative for my family, I thank God for everything he continues to do.”
Mason Roessner has pitched great this past season. He earned the Big 30 pitcher of the year with a 2.13 ERA, also eclipsing 100 career strikeouts in 2025 with 51 on the season. “All throughout his career he has had an instinct that only certain athletes have,” Coudersport coach Doug McClintick said, “He will smile at you and then he will strike you out.”
Each player just finished their senior season. Both made the most of it. They made a huge impact on their teams and have great stories.
Barkley was a power player both on the mound and at the plate. He hit .456 with two home runs and 19 RBI’s, he also had a 1.78 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 39.1 innings pitched. “Landon is just an all around great athlete,” Bolivar-Richburg coach Dustin Allen said. “He shows great sportsmanship, this year he was one of the guys we really had to lean on.”
Bolivar-Richburg lost seven seniors from 2024, meaning that Barkley needed to be even more of a key player. Playing shortstop, he was a lead-
er in the field. “He was a coach out in the field, “ Allen said. “He could pitch and play short without his arm bothering him throughout the year.”
As a hitter other teams respected him. “He was always getting on base,” Allen said. “Other teams respected him in the aspect that he intentionally walked numerous times this year.”
Barkley focused on being a big role model as a senior. He invited his teammates to come to his house and work on their game. “We got together as a team. We came to my garage, I have a big garage. We hit a lot of balls off of my pitching machine. A lot of hard work went into it and it paid off, I couldn’t be more proud of last year.”
Bolivar-Richburg had a 12-8 season, and lost to Genesee Valley-Belfast 4-3 in the sectional quarterfinal. But they were the only team to defeat Genesee Valley-Belfast in the regular season with a 5-2 win in April. Barkley was happy to highlight his teammates and the fun they had. “We didn’t win, but it was a very fun time. At the beginning of the season we had a little rough patch, but we figured our ways out.” Barkley will be
headed to Finger Lakes Community College. His hope is that he will become a Game Warden. He won’t be playing sports though, “I’m putting my full attention towards classes and schooling,” Barkley said. “Sadly I will give it a break and bunker down and get good at what I need to be good at.”
Pitching is incredibly important, and consistency is a big deal when it comes to high school pitching. Roessner was used and relied upon as just that. “Roessner’s numbers become even more impressive when you consider that I marched him out there
for every tough game,” McClintick said. “If we played defense and scored a few runs we were going to win the game.”
Roessner surprisingly wasn’t even going for strikeouts on the mound, he would rather pitch for contact. “I haven’t always been a strikeout pitcher,” Roessner said. “As I have grown since freshman season, I have kind of gained some velocity and that kind of helped me with strikeouts and keeping my ERA down overall.”
Roessner played T-Ball and found out early on that he wanted
Barkley and Roessner earn Big 30 baseball honors
baseball. Roessner was a 1000 point scorer in basketball as well as playing soccer in the fall, but baseball is his most important sport.
“The team aspect of it I think I enjoy more than soccer or basketball,” Roessner said. “I think towards the end of the season you get tired of the sport you are playing, but baseball I never truly felt that.”
Coudersport went 11-6-1 and lost to Port Allegany in the District 9 playoffs. “I think we did better than I thought we would do, which is good,” Roessner said.
“Coming into the season we had four seniors and three of the four have played all the way up through,” Roessner said. “But we had a lot of freshmen, I wasn’t quite
sure how the season would shape up.”
“We just worked hard every single practice. The first game we were pretty rusty and that was a wake up call for us. My goal is to win the league and obviously we came up short.” Roessner is going to Penn State-Mont Alto this fall and will play baseball. The Nittany Lions are going to get the arm from Coudersport that gave the Falcons so many wins.
The awards put a bow on the 2025 high school baseball season. With the baseball awards going to seniors, there will be fresh faces being honored in the future. Next year it will be a fight to the finish to fill Barkley and Roessner’s positions.
Pictured is the 2025 Big 30 Baseball All-Star team. Front row (from left): Landon Barkley (BolivarRichburg), Nick Wilfong (Port Allegany), Kellen Veilleux (Port Allegany). Back row: Chase Vogtli (Olean), Matthew Spittler (Franklinville), Ryan Shaffer (Cameron County). Missing from the photo were Ryan Daciw (Genesee Valley/Belfast), Ethan Davenport (Genesee Valley/Belfast), Mason Roessner (Coudersport), Tyler Vogel (Wellsville), Damon Potter (Fillmore), Manning Splain (OttoEldred) and Finn Ricketts (Cuba-Rushford).
Seniors Dunbar, Edwards graduate with Big 30 awards
BY
Their high school softball careers are over, but the sport isn’t done with them yet.
Before Makenna Dunbar and Emma Edwards go on to play collegiate softball, they both earned prestigious honors from the Times Herald’s Big 30 Softball All-Star committee. For the second time in her career, Wellsville’s Dunbar earned a Big 30 Player of the Year award, while Edwards capped her Olean High career by winning the Big 30 Pitcher of the Year.
Both players are new three-time Big 30 AllStars and Dunbar was previously a Co-Player of the Year in 2023.
For Dunbar, the sole POY honor caps a high school career marked by
consistent winning and power hitting. She was a crucial contributor to a state title run in 2024 and she ended her Lions career as a state champion, a four-time Section 5 champion and tied for the program record for home runs at 24.
“It feels really nice,” Dunbar said of her second POY honor. “I really wanted to make an impact my senior year so being able to come out with an award like this feels really good.”
This year, the Lions won Section 5 Class B2, beating Avon 2-1 with Dunbar in the pitcher’s circle and earning B2 MVP honors.
“That was my first big game that I pitched in, so when we came out to win it was pretty good,” she said. While the Lions
have set a high bar for themselves, they entered the season with four starting spots opened up by graduation, including two-time Big 30 Player of the Year and two-time Big 30 Pitcher of the Year Makenzie Cowburn.
“We lost a really good group of seniors last year so we knew we had to kind of step it up from last year,” Dunbar said. “So just knowing that we had to give 100%, the whole team had to, that was kind of what we focused on.”
In the circle, Dunbar held a 1.865 ERA this year and struck out 113 batters.
At the plate, she hit for a .457 average with four home runs and eight doubles. She drove in 19 runs and scored 28 herself. Dunbar was a third-team all-state selection in Class B.
She won the honor from a field of nominees including Fillmore catcher Morghyn Ross and Allegany-Limestone pitcher Kailey Truman.
Dunbar plans to play at SUNY Corning Community College for “at least a year” and focus on pitching but remaining a batter as well.
“I just hope that girls that are coming up that I kind of know, look up to
me seeing what impact I made — and not just me but the entire team,” Dunbar said of graduating from WHS.
Edwards has been a constant for an OHS program that’s consistently been competitive with her in the circle. That was never more evident than this year, when she played alongside a team that often started multiple freshmen and eighth graders.
“I’m proudest of the younger girls stepping up, honestly, because I mean two of our infielders were eighth graders,” Edwards
said of Olean’s season, which finished at 11-8.
“So I think that (with) them stepping up we came together, an eighth grader and a 12th grader working together, it’s a big age gap and I think we worked really well together.”
Fellow nominees for Pitcher of the Year included Bolivar-Richburg’s Kylee Whiting, Wellsville’s Kennedy Perry and Northern Potter’s Jaylyn Williammee.
117 innings. Edwards helped her own cause as much as any OHS batter, with a .482 average and 24 RBI. She made the CCAA West I First-Team honors and All-Western New York Large School Second Team.
The Huskies were second in CCAA Div. I, at 10-2. They won a playoff game before falling to Grand Island in the Section 6 Class A semifinals.
“I had to make sure everyone was involved and they understood how important each game was, that you have to bounce back from your mistakes so if you have one error, that’s OK,” Edwards said of playing with a young team. “You have to bounce back. Being a younger player, you don’t recognize that. You think that it’s the end of the world but it’s not. You just have to make the next play and I think that I’ve really focused on how we acted as a team and how we would bounce back from a mistake.”
“I think every game we just grew together more as a team and we had good things every single game,” Edwards said. “So I think just those all adding up together meant a lot.” Edwards plans to play softball at Division I Tarleton State and study psychology in Stephensville, Texas, where she’s expected to be a utility player. So she’s focused on “flexibility” this summer to help the Texans in a variety of ways. She threw two no-hitters this year and held a 2.91 ERA with 143 strikeouts in
Edwards reflected back on her team, dedicating all the work that brought her the award to her fellow Huskies.
“I really focus on it during the spring season because of my high school team,” Edwards said. “So this award means a lot to me because all of the hard work that I did put into it for my high school team paid off.”
Pictured is the 2025 Big 30 Softball All-Star Team. From left: Kylee Whiting (Bolivar-Richburg), Ande Northrup (Ellicottville), Hannah Powers (Genesee Valley/Belfast), Morghyn Ross (Fillmore), Rylee Whiting (Bolivar-Richburg), Emma Edwards (Olean), Kailey Truman (Allegany-Limestone). Back row: Rayel Hakes (Otto-Eldred), Courtney Marsh (Ellicottville), Peyton Young (Portville), Mylee Miller (Fillmore), Kennedy Perry (Wellsville), Makenna Dunbar (Wellsville), Anna Bates (Olean). Missing from the photo was Jaylyn Williammee (Northern Potter).
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
1:00–5:00 PM Rides 5:00 PM Barnyard Olympics 6:00 PM Animal Dress–Up Contest (Sheep, goat, dairy & beef animals that are entered in fair)
6:00–10:00 PM Rides 6:00–10:00 PM Music by Ryen Doud (country)
THURSDAY, JULY 31
RUNNINGS DAY Discount arm bands provided by Runnings of Wellsville, NY 9:00 AM Dairy Show 9:00 AM Horse Gaming Classes
1:00–5:00 PM Rides –Discounted arm bands
6:00–10:00 PM Rides –Discounted arm bands 6:00–10:00 PM Music by Happy Days (a SO’s Review) 8:00 PM Crowning of the Fair Queen FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
9:00 AM Junior Dairy Show 10:00 AM Horse Fun & Costume Show (makeup if needed)
1:00–5:00 PM & 6:00–10:00 PM Rides 7:00 PM 4–H/FFA Jr Livestock Auction 6:00–10:00 PM Music by Dave Shields & Friends SATURDAY, AUGUST 2
1:00 PM–5:00 PM Rides 5:00 PM Release of Exhibits
6:00–10:00 PM Rides 6:00 PM–10:00 PM Music by Spencer Easton RIDES CLOSE AT 10:00 PM • Schedule Subject To Change
AGRI–PUPPETS every afternoon and evening all week at the Agri–Puppet stage Entertainment for the young and young at heat Come, sit and enjoy! NO PETS ALLOWED Certified Service Animals only All certified service animals are requested to please register your animal at the office upon your arrival to the fairgrounds Remember valid rabies vaccination identifications are required
Youth exhibitors showcase beef projects at Allegany County Fair
ANGELICA — Youth exhibitors showed off their beef projects at the Allegany County Fair.
In the Senior Showmanship division, Mason Findlay of Fillmore finished first, receiving a blue ribbon along with a shoulder bag, followed by Conner Armison Farmersville Station, receiving a blue ribbon. Shane Ploetz of Cuba received the first red ribbon, followed by Wyatt Tyler.
For the Junior Showmanship Caidence Armison of Farmersville Station topped the class followed by Garret Ploetz of Cuba, both receiving blue ribbons. Caidence received a shoulder bag sponsored
by Bugman & Son’s. Beverly Ploetz of Cuba received a blue ribbon and show harness for the Novice Division.
The top from each division competed for Grand Champion Showman. This year’s winner Mason Findlay received a shoulder bag. Reserve Grand Champion Showman, Conner Armison received a shoulder bag.
Following showmanship, the market classes were held starting with the Lightweight Division with two entries. First blue ribbon awarded to steer shown by Shane Ploetz, followed by second blue exhibited by Wyatt Tyler.
In the Medium Weight Division receiving blue ribbons Caidence Armison first followed by Mason
Findley; first red to Garrett Ploetz with second red exhibited by Shane Ploetz. The heavyweight Division with two blue ribbons winners exhibited by Conner Armison and Mason Findlay.
Grand Champion Market Beef was awarded to the heavy weight steer exhibited by Conner Armison. He received a banner. The Reserve Grand Champion Market beef was exhibited by Mason Findlay, awarded to his heavy weight steer. He received an award banner. One blue ribbon entry in the Dairy Beef Steer division exhibited by Shane Ploetz, He received a banner.
In the breeding beef division, a group of blue-ribbon stock exhibited by Conner Armison, Mason Findlay, Beverley
Garrett
and Shane
Grand Champion Female awarded to Simmental Senior Calf exhibited by Mason Findlay. Reserve Grand Champion Female shoulder bag was awarded to Mason Findlay’s Simmental Junior Yearling. Grand Champion Bull and Reserve Grand Champion Bull were exhibited by Shane Ploetz. Both bulls were awarded shoulder bag. This year’s judge for the show John Kriese.
Ploetz,
Ploetz,
Ploetz.
HOT SUMMER SALE!
30Celebrating YEARS of Business!
home improvement
What you need to know about home equity loans
(BPT) — If you have large or unexpected expenses on the horizon, you may have access to an untapped resource: your home. You could use some of the equity you’ve built up in your house to meet financial
goals, depending on how much equity you have and how you use it.
Here’s a guide from the experts at Navy Federal Credit Union to explain how home equity loans work and
when you should - or shouldn’t - use your home’s equity.
What is a home equity loan?
In basic terms, a home equity loan is money you’re borrow-
ing using your home as collateral. The equity in your home equals how much of your home’s value you actually own (not counting the mortgage you’re still paying off).
• Debt consolidation
• Large purchases
• Life events
Home equity loans are frequently offered at lower interest rates than other loans, so they may be a great option for consolidating debt on higher interest credit cards, or large home improvement projects. You can determine how much equity you have in your home, and how much your home equity loan payments are likely to be, using online calculators.
Here are the two most common types of home equity loans:
Home equity line of credit (HELOC): This is a line of credit secured by the home, which lets you borrow funds if and when needed, up to a set maximum credit limit. You only have to repay the funds you borrow. HELOCs are typically used for:
• Home improvements
• Emergency funds
• Medical expenses
• Debt consolidation
The best use of a
home equity loan or home equity line of credit is when the money you borrow increases your home’s value via renovations or repairs, as this continues building the equity you’re borrowing against. You may also have tax benefits for using the loan toward home improvements, so it’s recommended to consult a tax professional.
When NOT to use a home equity loan or HELOC
Because these loans
Fixed-rate equity loan: This is a lump sum amount you’ll draw from your home’s equity, paying back monthly at a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan, so you’ll know exactly what to expect. Fixedrate home equity loans are typically used for:
• Home improvements/repairs
home improvement
use your home as collateral, remember that you’ll want to be sure you can stay on track with loan repayments. For this reason, financial experts advise against using home equity to borrow for things including:
A car purchase: An auto loan is usually a better choice for purchasing a new or used vehicle. Interest rates on auto loans tend to be similar or lower than home equity loans, and auto loans usually require little paperwork and fewer fees.
Vacations: It’s better to save up for near-term wants like vacations or large-screen TVs than using your home’s equity for something offering no financial return.
College: Consider all options - including federal student loans, scholarships, grants and private student loans - before tapping into home equity. A home equity loan may be a consideration if current mortgage rates are significantly lower than federal student loan rates, especially for
graduate or professional degrees. But unlike federal student loans, if you use home equity to pay for college, you won’t qualify for income-driven repayment plans or loan forgiveness programs.
Starting a business: Your best bet for launching a business is
a business loan through a financial institution or the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). If your business fails and you have a home equity loan or HELOC you can’t repay, you’re putting your home on the line.
Recurring expenses: Using home equity to cover everyday bills
can be a slippery slope.
Consider your longterm ability to repay the loan. Since your home is your collateral, missed payments could lead to foreclosure.
Make a smart plan
Your home equity is a valuable resource for managing your finances. Planning ahead and understanding your repayment responsibilities is crucial for making the best use of a home equity loan or home equity line of credit. For more information and to explore your home equity options, visit NavyFederal.org/ equity. Navy Federal is federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender.
Ribbons awarded at Allegany County Fair Youth Sheep Show
ANGELICA — Youth exhibitors showed off their sheep projects at the Allegany County Fair. The contest is an opportunity to be rewarded for the months of hard work caring for and training their animals.
In the Senior Showmanship division, Sarah Wilson of Dansville received a blue ribbon along with a banner. Second blue went to Collin Wilson of Dansville, followed by Jim Eshelman of Scio, Shane Ploetz of Cuba, and Ben Eshelman of Scio. For Junior Showmanship, Brenden Wilson topped the class followed by Faith Wilson and Garret Ploetz, all receiving blue ribbons. Brenden received a banner. Novice Beverly Ploetz received a blue ribbon along with a banner and harness.
The top from each division competed for Grand Champion Showman. This year’s grand winner was Sarah Wilson and Reserve Grand Champion Showman was Brendon Wilson. Both received a banner.
Two market lamb divisions were part of the show, with all lambs receiving blue ribbons. In the medium weight first went to Sarah Wilson, followed by Bren-
den Wilson, Shane Ploetz, Sarah Wilson, Collin Wilson, and Faith Wilson. For the heavyweight division, first place blue went to Garrett Ploetz, followed by Beverly Ploetz, Brenden Wilson, and Collin Wilson. Grand Champion Market Lamb went to Sarah Wilson. The Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb was awarded to Brenden Wilson. Best Bred & Owned by exhibitor in the market lamb class first to Sarah Wilson and second to Brenden Wilson. Each received a cash award.
In the breeding sheep division, an excellent group of blue-ribbon stock exhibited by Ben Eshleman, Jim Eshleman, Garrett Ploetz, Brendon Wilson, Collin Wilson, and Faith Wilson, and Sarah Wilson. Grand Champion Ewe exhibited by Sarah Wilson. Grand Champion Ram exhibited by Sarah Wilson. Grand Champion Flock exhibited by Brenden Wilson Each of these championship classes received a banner.
This year’s judge for the show was Kirby Palmer from Cowlesville.
health & Wellness
(BPT) — You don’t have to go vegan to get the benefits of plantbased protein. Here’s how to sneak more into your routine - without overhauling your diet. Forget food fads and restrictive rules. Today’s wellness movement is all about adding the right things in - especially when it comes to protein. Whether you’re a weekday vegetarian, a smoothie lover, or just trying to incorporate more plant protein in your diet, one thing is clear: Plant-based nutrition is a staple, not a trend.
It might be surprising but data from researchers at Abbott and The Ohio State University found that more than 1 in 3 of adults over 50 years old are not getting the daily recommended amount of protein they need. Plant proteins are a great place to start. Why the plant-based boom?
More than 70 million U.S. households now identify as flexitarian, meaning they’re cutting back on meat and dairy and increasing plant-based meals and foods. Their reasons? Health, sustainability and energy. Increasingly, people are turning to plant-based protein to help them feel strong, stay active and support long-term wellness. In fact, 96% of people buying plant-based drinks aren’t vegan or vegetarian.
5 easy ways to add more plant-based protein to your day
plant: 5 surprising ways to power your day with plants
1. Add it to overnight oats Overnight oats are back and better than ever. Mix rolled oats with an Ensure PlantBased Protein shake, chia seeds and cinnamon. Let it sit overnight in the fridge for a revamped grab-and-go breakfast option. One Ensure Plant-Based Protein shake offers 20 grams of plant-based protein, 25 essential vitamins and minerals, and 5 grams of fiber.
2. Swap croutons for roasted chickpeas Top your salads with crunchy roasted chickpeas instead of croutons. They add texture, flavor and a solid dose of protein and fiber.
3. Turn soup into a superfood Stir pureed white beans or lentils into soups and stews for a creamy texture and extra protein.
4. Make a dense bean salad Swap in beans like chickpeas, black beans and great Northern beans for leafy greens to make a hearty salad that’s packed with fiber and protein. The best part? Dense bean salads can marinate in dressing and soak up flavors, giving them a longer fridge life and making them perfect for meal prepping and enjoying as leftovers.
5. Use quinoa as a base for bowls Swap rice for quinoa in grain bowls. It’s a complete protein and pairs well with roasted veggies, beans and tahini dressing for a satisfying, balanced meal. You don’t need to overhaul your diet to reap the benefits of plant-based eating. Small, smart swaps can help you feel stronger, more energized and more in control of your health - one bite (or sip) at a time. Visit Ensure. com to learn more about the importance of protein. Protein
MOVIE NIGHT MOVIE NIGHT
Tuesday, August 5 Wellsville Little League, Island Park Family Activities start at 7pm Cardboard Car Contest (First 20 people) Lawn Games and More from Local Agencies
Judge Kirby Palmer (from left) presents awards to Grand Champion Showman Sarah Wilson and Reserve Grand Champion Showman Brenden Wilson during judging at the Allegany County Fair in Angelica.
