What’s in Season: Asparagus

April 27th, 2011 | Posted by Catherine Metzgar in Blog - (0 Comments)

As you visit your local Farmers Markets this spring, you’re likely to come across fresh asparagus. Asparagus is a nutritional powerhouse for important vitamins and minerals and is naturally low in calories.

Asparagus is a source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, antioxidants which may help reduce your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and other health conditions. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, so asparagus makes an excellent side dish to your chicken breast, hamburger, or other iron containing foods.

Potassium and fiber are also found in asparagus. Potassium helps to counteract sodium to keep your blood pressure in check while fiber can help lower your cholesterol. Fiber is great for keeping you full longer and may help lower your risk for developing diabetes and heart disease.

Fill up on fruits, veggies and whole grains to get plenty of fiber each day.  How much fiber do we need?  Most adult American’s need at least 25 grams fiber/day.  Sadly, most of us aren’t getting even half of the recommended amount.

Look for crisp, round spears when choosing asparagus. Aim for spears that are relatively the same thickness to make cooking easier. Store in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days.

Steam, sauté or blanch your asparagus for a quick and healthful side dish. Top with lemon juice or shredded low-fat cheese.

Tired of asparagus as a side dish? Puree and substitute for avocado when making guacamole for a guilt-free option with fewer calories and no fat. Try the recipe below – I promise you won’t even miss the avocado!

Mock-A-Mole

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
  • ½ cup fresh salsa
  • 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tsp minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

  1. In a large pan, combine the asparagus with ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until asparagus is tender, but crisp.
  2. Drain and run under cold water to cool and stop cooking process; pat dry.
  3. In a food processor, pulse the asparagus, salsa, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt. Pulse until desired consistency. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 1 ¼ cups.

Nutritional Information (per ¼ cup serving): 6 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 94 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein.

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Go Bananas for Potassium

April 6th, 2011 | Posted by Catherine Metzgar in Blog - (1 Comments)

 

Never one to pass up a good deal, I couldn’t resist the deal I found on bananas during a recent trip to the Farmers Market. Four pounds of bananas for just $1 – what a steal considering bananas not only taste good, they also a good source of potassium.

Dietary potassium can help lower blood pressure by having the opposite effect of sodium (which is found in excess in our diets and is associated with high blood pressure). Potassium rich foods decrease bone loss and can help reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. The Adequate Intake (AI) for potassium in adults in 4,700 mg per day – an amount most of us are not meeting. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines encourage Americans to increase their potassium intake by consuming more fruits, vegetables, and milk products. One banana provides about 400 mg of potassium and is sodium free! Choose your favorite potassium rich foods from this list (Appendix 12) to increase your daily intake.

After some quick calculations, it occurred to me I would have to eat my entire 4 pounds of bananas to meet my daily potassium recommendation. Talk about a lot of bananas. Realizing there was no way I could actually consume 4 pounds of straight bananas in a day (or even a week), I spent some time researching some new and unique ways to use my bananas. Next time you find yourself with excess bananas, try one of these ideas.

  1. Make banana pops. Peel and cut banana in half and place on a wooden ice cream or popsicle stick. Place on a piece of wax paper and freeze. For a sweet treat, dip frozen banana in melted chocolate or butterscotch and roll in nuts or other toppings.
  2. Blend bananas with fresh or frozen fruit for a quick and healthy fruit smoothie.
  3. Top your morning cereal or oatmeal with banana slices.
  4. Spread peanut butter or almond butter on whole wheat bread, slice some bananas and make a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
  5. Use a food dehydrator to make dried banana chips.
  6. Whip up banana bread or muffins. Add walnuts for some extra protein.
  7. Combine milk, peanut butter, and bananas for a peanut butter and banana smoothie.
  8. Try grilled bananas. Lay banana on its side (unpeeled) and cut a slit lengthwise being careful not to cut all the way through. Mash together brown sugar, margarine, and cinnamon and stuff banana with mixture. Place on grill and cook until blackened. Serve warm.

What are your favorite food sources of potassium? Do you have creative ways to use bananas?

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Tasty Snacks at 200 Calories or Less

March 14th, 2011 | Posted by Melissa Nodvin in Blog - (0 Comments)
food

Tip of the Day

This month, celebrate National Nutrition Month by choosing colorful and tasty snacks with 200 calories or less:

  • One 6-inch flour tortilla with ¼ cup black beans and 2 tablespoons fresh salsa
  • Three cups air-popped popcorn sprinkled with three tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • One tablespoon of peanut butter spread on slices of a medium apple
  • A colorful veggie snack with 6 baby carrots, 10 sugar snap peas or green pepper strips, 6 cherry tomatoes and 2 tablespoons reduced-fat ranch dressing for dipping
  • One cup of tomato soup with five whole-grain crackers
  • A toaster waffle topped with ½ cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons low-fat yogurt.

For videos, tips, games and other resources to help you eat healthfully this National Nutrition Month, visit www.eatright.org/nnm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Produced by ADA’s Strategic Communications Team

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