It is common for American families to visit farmers' markets in the summer and fall seasons to purchase some of the freshest fruits and vegetables available. But how can you ensure a colorful plate on your table during the winter and spring months when produce is not as plentiful? And nobody can deny that fruits and vegetables are important in maintaining a healthy diet.
When shopping for food at the grocery, you can start coloring things up in the freezer case. Some fruits that are available any time of the year include frozen berries, peach slices, melon cubes and chunks of pineapple. Frozen spinach is one of my favorites for convenience-it is washed, cut and ready to be tossed into a soup or pasta dish. And it's just as nutritious and rich in Vitamin A as fresh cooked spinach - just ask my kids who make like Popeye and make tooting noises whenever I serve them spinach.
Your next stop would be canned fruits and vegetables - always interesting. Studies show that the nutrition value of canned fruits and vegetables is comparable to fresh and frozen varieties. Fiber remains intact despite the standard canning process. Canned pumpkin, apricots, carrots and other orange fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamin A. In fact, vitamin A levels in canned pumpkin are much higher than in fresh cooked because canned pumpkin is less watery and more concentrated.
The last part of your trip should be the cereal aisle. Fruit can now be freeze dried, which allows cereal manufacturers to conveniently add fruit to cereal in order to add more flavor. You will enjoy your breakfast while staying in shape with a bowl of cereal and fruit. You have several options for toppings - dried apricots, a merry assortment of dried berries or some banana slices. Dried fruit is a concentrated form of fresh and retains healthy nutrients like fiber and potassium.
Here are a few simple ways to add color to your plate:
Your boring old green salad could become more colorful with the following - radicchio, yellow peppers and/or red onion, preferably all of them.
For my all-time favorite frozen spinach, what I would do is to saute it with minced onion, before adding golden raisins, pine nuts and some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or balsamic vinegar to taste - ooh la la!
One unusual and delicious way you can add flavor to your cereal would be by simmering yellow and red pears and/or apples, maple syrup and apple cider, waiting till soft, then topping with the cereal. Crrrrunchy - and nutritious!
Add frozen mixed vegetables to your favorite soup.
When shopping for food at the grocery, you can start coloring things up in the freezer case. Some fruits that are available any time of the year include frozen berries, peach slices, melon cubes and chunks of pineapple. Frozen spinach is one of my favorites for convenience-it is washed, cut and ready to be tossed into a soup or pasta dish. And it's just as nutritious and rich in Vitamin A as fresh cooked spinach - just ask my kids who make like Popeye and make tooting noises whenever I serve them spinach.
Your next stop would be canned fruits and vegetables - always interesting. Studies show that the nutrition value of canned fruits and vegetables is comparable to fresh and frozen varieties. Fiber remains intact despite the standard canning process. Canned pumpkin, apricots, carrots and other orange fruits and vegetables are a rich source of vitamin A. In fact, vitamin A levels in canned pumpkin are much higher than in fresh cooked because canned pumpkin is less watery and more concentrated.
The last part of your trip should be the cereal aisle. Fruit can now be freeze dried, which allows cereal manufacturers to conveniently add fruit to cereal in order to add more flavor. You will enjoy your breakfast while staying in shape with a bowl of cereal and fruit. You have several options for toppings - dried apricots, a merry assortment of dried berries or some banana slices. Dried fruit is a concentrated form of fresh and retains healthy nutrients like fiber and potassium.
Here are a few simple ways to add color to your plate:
Your boring old green salad could become more colorful with the following - radicchio, yellow peppers and/or red onion, preferably all of them.
For my all-time favorite frozen spinach, what I would do is to saute it with minced onion, before adding golden raisins, pine nuts and some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) or balsamic vinegar to taste - ooh la la!
One unusual and delicious way you can add flavor to your cereal would be by simmering yellow and red pears and/or apples, maple syrup and apple cider, waiting till soft, then topping with the cereal. Crrrrunchy - and nutritious!
Add frozen mixed vegetables to your favorite soup.
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