Balanced Eating

Flexible Food for Life by Theresa Stahl RD LDN

Category: Nutrition Tips

Enjoy Fresh Spring Onions!

Today I enjoyed the thrill of eating fresh spring onions from my garden!  Planted mid-march, these onions withstand the fickle temperature fluctuations of early spring. 

These are the first veggies I plant each spring and I replant them every couple of weeks through the spring and then again in late summer for a fall harvest.  They are tender and mild and add so much to meals, whether eaten alone or in salads or stir-fries. 

In Latin, the word onion means “large pearl.”  Onions may have been one of the earliest “health” foods enjoyed by Europeans as a breakfast food and salad ingredient.  They rank fourth among the United State’s leading vegetable crops.  

Onions belong to the allium family, along with leeks, garlic and shallots.  While all onions are low in calories, green onions contain vitamins A and C, folic acid, potassium and fiber.  Onions contain important phytochemicals, including organosulfur compounds that may fight against cancer, lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure.  They also contain quercetin, a flavonoid that helps fight cancer and heart disease. 

Enjoy tender, mild spring onions alone or in salads.  They are delicious grilled, stir-fried or added to many dishes calling for onions.

Craving Texas Reds

It’s that time of year…the time when I can’t seem to get enough Texas red grapefruit. 

Juicy, refreshing, naturally sweet and tart, these delicious, nutritious red grapefruit are true stars at any meal.  They hold their own well at breakfast, dress up a lunch salad, and mix well with bananas, oranges and pomegranate seeds for a delightful dinner dessert.

And grapefruit is truly a nutrition powerhouse! Studies have shown that grapefruit helps improve heart health, decreases risk for certain types of cancer, aids in weight loss efforts, decreases insulin resistance and improves gum health.  Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.  Red grapefruit contains more caretenoids, powerful disease-fighting antioxidants, and vitamin A than white varieties. 

According to registered dietitian, David Grotto, in his book, 101 Foods that Could Save Your Life, one-half of a grapefruit contains more than 150 phytonutrients, mostly flavonoids, believed to help the body fight against aging, allergies, infection, cancer, ulcers and heart disease. 

So dig in. With all that good stuff, why wait?  I’m heading to the kitchen  for some red, sweet, tangy, tart, juicy red grapefruit. How about you?

Pomegranate Power

It’s pomegranate season!  I’m always so excited when I see fresh pomegranates in my grocery store and even more excited to taste their juicy, tangy, sweet, refreshing flavor.  I hope you’re enjoying their great taste and reaping all of their great health benefits. 

 Pomegranates are beautiful, delicious and nutritious!  They make stunning holiday decorations and are festive additions to fruit and vegetable salads.  One medium pomegranate contains only about 100 calories and is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants.

 Pomegranates have a leathery reddish skin and are filled with hundreds of seeds that are surrounded by a translucent red pulp.  They’re grown mostly in California, Asia and the Mediterranean. They’re only available in the U.S. from September through December so don’t let their season pass you by.  Look for fruit that’s heavy for its size with bright, fresh color and blemish-free skin.  Fortunately, they’ll last in the refrigerator for a couple months and seeds packed in an airtight container can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

 Try a beautiful fall fruit salad with Texas red grapefruit (my favorite), apples, grapes, bananas and pomegranates. For easy cleaning, cut off the crown, then score the pomegranate skin into four sections without cutting the whole way through.  Place the pomegranate into a bowl of water and break off the sections under the water, then roll out the seeds with your fingers.  Discard all else.  Finish by straining the pomegranate seeds from the water and enjoy!

Healthy regards to all!

It’s transition time…migrating my blog from Nubella.com to QualityHealth.com to Theresastahl.us.  For previous  blog posts visit:

http://www.qualityhealth.com/blog/balanced-eating