Fruits and/or vegetables should be served with every meal, targeting 5 or more servings per day. Fruits and vegetables not only add color to your plate, but they are full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and water. Each blog post this month will feature 3 ways to enjoy more produce in your diet. Our first three featured suggestions: smoothies, baking, and side dishes.
Quiche is a classic egg dish that has been a staple of French cuisine since the early 1800’s. Quiche is a tart filled with an egg and cream custard with added cheese, meat/seafood, and/or vegetables. Over time, healthier versions of quiche have emerged. One such modern day quiche is our vegetable quinoa quiche recipe detailed here.
Some people are hesitant to eat eggs because they are high in cholesterol (about 187 mg per egg); however, there is no strong research that links eating eggs to heart disease. In fact, the cholesterol from eggs has far less of an impact on the cholesterol in your blood compared to eating foods that contain trans-fat or are high in saturated fat. Thus, eggs can be consumed as part of heart-healthy diet.
Some leafy greens like spinach and arugula are best when eaten raw and do not require cooking. Kale can also be eaten raw, but it is generally recommended to lightly cook kale to temper the bitterness or massage it well with some oil to help make it more tender. And always be sure to remove the thick center stem!
Kale, spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, Bok choy, and beet greens are just some examples of leafy greens. These edible plant leaves are considered to be power greens because they are low in calories and fat, rich in fiber, and full of nutrients, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds that provide health benefits to the body.
Chocolate can be part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation. In addition to flavanols, dark chocolate is a source of iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, and fiber. You’re in for a sweet treat if you love chocolate as much as we do. These Double Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins are simply divine. Read on for the recipe!
Not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate contains 50-90% cocoa solids in addition to cocoa butter and sugar compared to milk chocolate, which contains just 10-50% cocoa solids and cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. White chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids and is comprised of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk. While dark chocolate offers the greatest health benefits because of the higher percentage of cocoa solids it also offers a more bitter flavor.
Chicken noodle soup is a common home remedy during times of illness. It supplies fluid and electrolytes for hydration as well as a variety of nutrients that support immune health. The chicken provides lean protein, vitamin B6, and zinc, while the noodles provide carbohydrates as a source of fuel for the body to help fight against viruses. In our version, spinach is a good source of iron, carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, and celery and onions are a good source of vitamin C as well as other micronutrients and antioxidants. Garlic contains a compound called allicin sativum, which fights off the infection, and ginger is an anti-inflammatory and potential pain reliever. Overall, chicken noodle soup offers good nutrition to strengthen the immune system, aiding recovery from illness while offering comfort.
The immune system is complex and influenced by a variety of factors like diet, age, stress, sleep, and health. As dietitians, we emphasize supporting immune function with good nutrition by eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, calcium sources, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. While there isn’t any single food or nutrient that prevents illness, some key micronutrients have been identified as essential to help your body battle against colds and viruses. Eating foods rich in iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin B6 is essential for immune health.
Chestnuts are more than just a classic holiday food. They have many nutritional and health properties. There are about 88 calories in ¼ cup of roasted chestnuts. Unlike other nuts and seeds, chestnuts are predominantly a source of carbohydrate rather than fat. Other unique features of chestnuts are their richness in vitamin C and folate. This nut is also a good source of vitamins (A, E, and B complex) and minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, and manganese).
Chestnuts are available for purchase in most grocery stores during the winter months. They are a versatile seasonal ingredient with a mildly sweet taste. They can be enjoyed roasted as a snack or incorporated into a variety of dishes. Roasted chestnuts can be added to salads, stirred into savory stuffing, cooked into soup, used as a topping for cooked vegetables, or pureed and added to muffin or pancake batter.
Cranberries are a tart and tangy fruit native to North America. They grow in freshwater bogs in the northern United States and southern Canada. These small, hard, round, red, nutrient-dense berries are bursting with health benefits. Most notably, the consumption of cranberries helps with urinary tract health and gut health. Cranberries are an acidic fruit that prevents bacterial growth, thereby lessening the risk of urinary tract infections, ulcers, and gum disease. The amount of cranberry product you would need to consume to achieve these health benefits is 10 oz of cranberry cocktail juice, 1 ½ cups of fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 oz of dried cranberries, or ½ cup of cranberry sauce daily.
Pumpkin is a low-calorie nutrient-dense fruit. Even though 80% of the U.S. pumpkin crop is harvested in the month of October, canned pumpkin puree is available year-round and offers the same nutritional benefits as a fresh pumpkin. In fact, a half cup of pumpkin puree has more potassium than half a banana, more vitamin A than half a cup of baby carrots, and more iron and magnesium than two ounces of ground beef.
