It’s All About Nutrition!

Adding Fruits and Vegetables to your Meal Plan

Most of us know by now that we should be eating more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and processed food. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are 8 ideas to “sneak” some extra fruits and vegetables in your family’s diet.

1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. Just blend for a few seconds and you have an easys ready to travel breakfast.

2. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your spouse’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking. You can also add dried fruit such as banana chips to oatmeal and cereal in the morning.

3. Add some fruits and vegetables to your family’s sandwiches. Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato or thinly sliced cucumber for example.

4. Have a salad bar at meal time. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, lettuce, some low-fat cheese and croutons as well as several choices of low-fat salad dressing and let everybody create their own perfect salad.

5. Try this for dessert. Put a small scoop of low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit.

6. How about sampling some new fruits and vegetables. Maybe exotic fuits like Pepino Melons, Sapotes, Ugli Fruit, Cherimoya or Kumquats for example. On the vegetable side you might try Chayote Squash, Bitter Melon or Calabaza Squash.

7. Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold.

8. Start “My Veggie Day”. Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week. They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before, otherwise they loose a turn and Mom gets to pick.

Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.

Tags: Cherimoya, Dried Fruit, Salad, Technorati, Ugli Fruit, Vegetable

Figs, One of Mankind’s Oldest Fruits

Figs, one of mankind’s oldest fruits, is only now receiving its due attention in homes across the United States. Although considered a fruit, the fig is actually a flower inverted into itself. They are the only fruit to ripen on the tree. Originally native from Turkey to northern India, the fig fruit spread to many of the Mediterranean countries.

The primary producers of dried figs today are the United States, Turkey, Greece, and Spain. This highly nutritious fruit arrived in the United States by Spanish missionaries settling in Southern California in 1759. Fig trees were soon planted throughout the state.

Varieties

There are hundreds of fig varieties but the following are most commonly found in today’s markets.

The Calimyrna Fig: Is known for its nut-like flavor and golden skin. This type is commonly eaten as is.

The Mission Fig: Was named for the mission fathers who planted the fruit along the California coast. This fig is a deep purple which darkens to a rich black when dried.

The Kadota Fig: Is the American version of the original Italian Dattato fig, that is thick-skinned with a creamy amber color when ripe. Practically seedless, this fig is often canned and dried.

The Brown Turkey Fig: has copper-colored skin, often with hints of purple, and white flesh that shades to pink in the center. This variety is used exclusively for the fresh fig market.

Fig varieties and photos courtesy of the California Fig Advisory Board

Availability

Fresh figs are available July through September. Dried figs are never out of season, and are available all year. You can find them in your favorite grocery store in the produce or dried fruit section.

Selection

Look for figs that are soft and smell sweet. Handle carefully because their fragile skins bruise easily.

Storage

Store fully ripened figs in the refrigerator up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Using Dried Figs As a Replacement For Fat in Your Recipes

Dried figs are excellent replacement for fat in baked goods. Just remember when using dried figs to replace shortening or oil in baking do not overmix or overbake. Use only half of the normal amount of shortening, margarine, butter or oil, in a recipe when using dried puree. For instance, if 1 cup of margarine is called for, use only ½ cup. Then use ½ of the fig puree.

Figs Nutrition Information

Serving Size 1/2 cup raw (74g)

Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 90
Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Sugars 11g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 15%
Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.


Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

Tags: Dried Figs, Dried Fruit, Fig Fruit, Fig Trees, Fig Varieties, Figs Nutrition Information, Kadota Fig, Technorati

So what is a cup of fruit anyway?

In general, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or 1/2 cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the fruit group. Examples of 1 cup of fruit are the following:

1 small apple
1 large banana (8″ long)
32 grapes
1 large orange
1 large peach
2 large plums
8 large strawberries

The following are examples of 1/2 cup of fruit:

4 ounces of applesauce
1/2 medium grapefruit (4′ diameter)
16 grapes
1 small orange
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup of raisins (1 small box)
4 large strawberries

Here is a fruit recipe to enjoy!

Quick-Start Fruit Smoothie

(from the “It’s All About Nutrition” kitchen)

1 apple (skin on)*

1 banana

1 kiwi

8-10 strawberries

1 cup of orange juice

1 cup of cranberry juice (100% juice)

1 cup of non-fat plain yogurt

*Wash skin of apple thoroughly, then cut in quarters. Add half the ingredients to a blender and blend until fine. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Serve at your convenience. Keep unused portions refrigerated (may need to be reblended before serving).

Yield: approximately 40 ounces (5 – 1 cup servings)

This recipe provides vitamin C, potassium, fiber, folic acid, and calcium.

Tags: Cup Servings, Dried Fruit, Fruit Group, Fruit Juice, Fruit Recipe, Fruit Smoothie, Technorati