Seasonal Eating

Two of the oft-heard complaints about eating fruits and vegetables are:

1.  “I get bored with eating fruits and vegetables.”

2.  “It is too expensive to eat healthy.”

One of the easiest ways to help solve both of these problems is to “eat for the seasons”.  By paying attention to what produce is available at what times, I make sure that I don’t get bored because it’s changing every 2 to 3 months.  Summer has been wonderful with all the fresh produce: berries, green beans, corn, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, etc.  But as the weather turns colder I start to look forward to the new crop of apples, pears, grapes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin.  Plus, buying produce that is in season means that you get it for a cheaper price, it’s more likely to be grown closer to you, and IT TASTES SO MUCH BETTER.  Seriously, don’t waste your money on blueberries outside the summer months.

If you’re wondering what’s in season right now, check out these two links:

What's In Season? Fall

What's In Season?  Year-Round

If anyone out there has a good recipe for butternut squash, please share it with me.  I am looking for a good recipe because I’ve struck out the last few years, and we need some vitamin A!

Eat This Now: Pineapple!

One of the most unfortunate fruit tragedies of our day is that most of us grew up eating this:

And not this:

The first time I can remember eating fresh pineapple was in Hawaii when I was 16 years old.  If you come back from Hawaii and don't love pineapple then you were stubborn and didn't try it.  I was surprised to learn that the pineapple is not native to Hawaii, but was brought over from South America.  It is most associated with Hawaii, though, because 1/3 of the world's commercially grown pineapple crop is produced there, most notably at the Dole plantations.  If all you know is canned pineapple, you are missing out.  Fresh pineapple is much, much more flavorful than canned.  It's almost like a different fruit!

Pineapple is available year-round, but its peak growing season is March - July.  Most of the pineapples at the grocery store are still pretty green.  Go ahead and buy it but wait until it turns more yellow and has a pleasant smell.  Avoid buying any that are soft or have brown spots - that pineapple is past its prime.  I think one of the main reasons many people avoid pineapples is that they are not sure how to cut one up.  It is very simple and there are a ton of videos on YouTube explaining how to do it.  You don't need anything fancy except a sharp knife.

Health Benefits:

2 slices provide 50 calories, 0 g fat, 13 g carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 1 g protein

Pineapples provide:
- Manganese (a trace mineral important to bones, thyroid, etc)
- Vitamin C
- Thiamin (vitamin B1)
- Copper (another trace mineral important for many things, including acting as an antioxidant)
- Fiber

Did you know?  Pineapple is a symbol for hospitality....and deliciousness.

"Besides potatoes, corn, and peas, what vegetables do you like?"

I live in the Midwest.  I counsel Midwesterners.  Midwesterners eat a Midwestern diet.  Traditionally, we grow a lot of potatoes, wheat, and corn and raise a lot of cattle.  So that's what we eat.  It's what our grandparents and parents grew up on and fixed in their homes.  I often ask, "Besides potatoes, corn, and peas, what vegetables do you like?"  (Mainly because these are all starchy veggies and I'm looking for any non-starchy vegetables that they like).  In response, I get a lot of blank stares.  Not their fault.  They just haven't been introduced to other types of veggies.  However, we now have more access to different vegetables and fruits than ever before and we should use that to our nutritional advantage.

I am going to try to do regular posts about seasonal produce that you might not always include on your grocery list.  These posts are not for you produce section rockstars (although any preparation ideas are welcome!).  These posts are for those who need to shake out of that potato, green beans,and corn rotation that's been going on far too long.  You know who you are....

Spring produce that you should try this week:

SUGAR SNAP PEAS

Sugar snap peas are one of my absolute favorite spring vegetables (although technically they are a fruit...but that's another post).  This variety of peas is a cross between garden peas and snow peas.  This results in a delicious combination of an edible pod and, unlike the snow pea, larger and sweeter peas on the inside.  The sugar snap pea has been around for a few centuries, but was not really available in the United States until the late 1970's.  No wonder our grandparents didn't eat them! 

They are a cool weather crop and are available from late spring to early summer.  Fresh snap peas have a limited distribution throughout the U.S. and are most often available pre-packaged in the refrigerated section of the produce aisles.  You can also find them frozen, but don't expect to see them among the other canned peas because the canning process turns them into mush.  Bigger supermarkets or Wal-Marts should carry fresh snap peas consistently this time of year.  I can't find them every time that I shop at my local grocery store, but every once in awhile I get lucky.  Granted, I could probably ask the produce manager what days they are delivered, but there's something thrilling about such an unexpected surprise when I roll past the bagged salad (it's the small things in life isn't it?).

The best thing about these peas is how easy it is to prepare them.  Many times they are sold in steamable packages and only need to be popped into the microwave.  If your package isn't steamable or if microwaving plastic freaks you out, just put them in a saucepan with ~1 inch of water and let them steam.  They honestly only need to be cooked for 3-4 minutes or just until tender.  Any longer and they will lose some of their sweet taste.  I only add a little salt and pepper.  Sugar snap peas are pretty flavor-packed and don't need a lot of extras.

Health benefits:

• 1 cup has 67 calories, 0.3 g fat, 11.4 g carbs, 5.2 g protein
• Good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin (the last 3 are all B vitamins and necessary for us to be able to process other nutrients).
• Also a source of iron, phosphorus, and potassium
• 1 cup has 4.5 grams of fiber.  For perspective, you could eat 2.5 cups and have almost half your daily fiber requirement.
• For anyone counting carbs, sugar snap peas are considered a non-starchy vegetable.  If you eat 3 or more cups, count it as 1 carb serving.

When you buy them, look for bright green, firm pods and avoid any that are yellowed or speckled. 

Anyone else love sugar snap peas??