How often have you purchased a bucket of fried whatever and a super-size of what’s this because it was cheap and filled you? On the flip side, how many of you or your friends have been on fat free diets and have avoided carbohydrates like the plague? Eating healthy does not necessarily mean eating bland foods. By understanding the role that calories, fats and carbohydrates play in your diet you will be able to make decisions that contribute to a healthier and happier lifestyle.

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Eat fruits and vegetables the way nature provided—or with fat-free or low-fat cooking techniques.

Try steaming your vegetables, using low-calorie or low-fat dressings, and using herbs and spices to add flavor. Some cooking techniques, such as breading and frying, or using high-fat dressings or sauces will greatly increase the calories and fat in the dish. And eat your fruit raw to enjoy its natural sweetness.

Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are good options when fresh produce is not available.
However, be careful to choose those without added sugar, syrup, cream sauces, or other ingredients that will add calories.

Choose whole fruit over fruit drinks and juices. Fruit juices have lost fiber from the fruit.
It is better to eat the whole fruit because it contains the added fiber that helps you feel full. One 6-ounce serving of orange juice has 85 calories, compared to just 65 calories in a medium orange.

Whole fruit gives you a bigger size snack than the same fruit dried—for the same number of calories.
A small box of raisins (1/4 cup) is about 100 calories. For the same number of calories, you can eat 1 cup of grapes.

FRUIT OF THE MONTH

Persimmons

Persimmons origins go back to ancient China. Fate intervened in the 1880’s when a United States Commander brought back a native Japanese persimmon variety to Washington, D.C. Now, persimmons are grown in California where hundreds of different varieties flourish. This brightly colored, glossy orange red skinned fruit is an excellent source of vitamin A, a good source of vitamin C, and rich in fiber.

Although there are countless different varieties of persimmons, only two are commercially available. There are distinguishable by their shape.

Hachiya: This type of persimmon makes up approximately 90 percent of the available fruit. It is identifiable by its acorn like shape. This persimmon is tart until it becomes soft ripe.

Fuyu: This persimmon is gaining popularity here as it is in Japan. Similar in color, but looking like a squashed tomato, this variety is smaller, sweeter, and is edible while still firm.

Availability, Selection, Storage, Preparation

Persimmons are widely available September through December, with a peak during November.

Choose persimmons with deep red undertones. Look for persimmons that are round, plump, and have glossy and smooth skin. Avoid fruits with blemishes, bruises or cracked skin and missing the green leaves at the top. Select ripe persimmons only if you plan to eat them immediately. Otherwise, buy firmer fruits and allow them to ripen.

Ripen persimmons at room temperature in a paper bag with an apple or banana. Store them in the refrigerator when ripe. Be sure to eat the fruit as soon as possible because overripe persimmons quickly turn to a mushy texture.

Ripe Fuyu persimmons, which look kind of like flattened tomatoes, will be crisp, while the acorn-shaped Hachiyas will be very soft and juicy.

Unripe Hachiya persimmons taste very bitter and will suck all the moisture from your mouth — not very pleasant. The tartness will go away as the fruit ripens.

Recipe

Persimmon and Apple Salad
Makes 6 servings
Each serving equals 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetables

Ingredients

1 Tbsp walnut pieces, toasted
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 sweet variety apples, rinsed, cored, and thinly sliced lengthwise
3 firm-ripe Fuyu persimmons, rinsed, stemmed, and thinly sliced lengthwise

In a bowl, combine orange juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Add apples, persimmons, and toasted walnuts and mix to coat.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 90, Protein 0g, Fat 3g, Calories From Fat 29%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 16g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 15mg.

Give it a try!

VEGETABLE OF THE MONTH

Rhizomes - Gingerroot, Galangal, Tumeric

Spice up your Food!

Rhizomes are knobby underground stems that are known for their pungent and flavorful flesh. The rhizome family includes ginger, turmeric and galangal among a few other, lesser known rhizomes. Rhizomes are not a significant source of any nutrients – most especially because they are rarely eaten in great enough quantities to constitute a serving. Ginger is a tropical Asian herb that is known for its spicy aromatic roots. In ancient India, ginger was believed to spiritually cleanse the body.

Gingerroot

It was also used in ancient times as a food preservative and to help treat digestive problems. To treat digestive problems, Greeks would eat ginger wrapped in bread. Eventually ginger was added to the bread dough creating that wonderful treat many around the globe love today: gingerbread!

Ginger ale eventually stemmed from a ginger beer made by the English and Colonial America as a remedy for diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Ginger thrives in the tropics and warmer regions and is therefore currently grown in parts of West Africa, the West Indies, India and China with the best quality ginger coming from Jamaica where it is most abundant. In the United States, ginger is grown in Florida, Hawaii, and along the eastern coast of Texas.

Gingerroot is characterized by it’s strong sweet, yet woodsy smell. It is tan in color with white to creamy-yellow flesh that can be coarse yet stringy.

Galangal

Galangal (guh-LANG-gul) comes from the plant Alpinia galanga (or Languas galangal) and has many common names including greater galangal, galangale, and galang.

The rhizome (root) of galangal resembles ginger in taste and appearance. It is predominantly found in Asian markets and sold fresh, frozen, dried, or powdered. Galangal is also well known in European medieval cooking. Only a pinch of dried and powdered versions are typically needed.

Galangal is frequently used in fish and shellfish recipes in combination with garlic, ginger, chilli, and lemon.

Galangal Varieties

Greater Galangal: Orange-brown skin with pale yellow or white interior. Greater galangal can be found in sliced form or powder. Used as a flavoring throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, and parts of India.
Flavor: Not as pungent as lesser galangal.

Lesser Galangal: This rhizome has a red-brown interior and fibrous texture. It can be founded as slices or powder. Lesser galangal comes from China where it is used as a medicinal herb, but it is now grown in Indonesia and regarded as a spice. 
Flavor: Aromatic and pungent, peppery and ginger-like. Stronger, more medicinal taste than greater galangal.

Kaempferia Galangal: Often identified as greater galangal. Red skin and white interior. Used as a flavoring in South East Asia.
Flavor: Medium in strength.

Different galangal varieties vary in their hotness and flavor. Flavor ranges from flowery to ginger-like to peppery cinnamon (see box below).

In addition to being used as a spice in cooking, galangal has been used in Asia and the Middle East in perfumes, snuffs, aphrodisiacs, and as flavors for condiments (including vinegar and beer), in teas in Germany and wines in Russia. Like ginger, galangal has been used for medicinal purposes to treat nausea, flatulence, and dyspepsia.

Tumeric

Tumeric is the root of a tropical plant that has been used in cooking since 600 B.C. It is native to the Orient and now can be found in India and the Caribbean. It has a bitter, pungent almost woodsy flavor, is yellowish-orange in color.

The tumeric root has light brown skin and bright reddish-orange flesh. Turmeric was used in biblical times as a perfume but now it is most commonly used to flavor and color food. Ground turmeric is widely used in East Indian cooking particularly in curries as well as other soups and stews.

Rhizomes: Availability, Selection, and Storage

Rhizomes can be found as roots in some Asian grocery stores, farmers markets and natural food stores (gingerroot can even be found in many chain grocery stores). In spice form, ginger and tumeric can be found in almost any food store.

Galangal: When ripe, galangal should be ivory white and firm with very little separation between skin and flesh. Never buy galangal that is wrinkled or shriveled. Store refrigerated uncut and unwrapped for up to 3 weeks or, peel the root and place it in a jar of sherry and store it refrigerated for several months. Galangal can be frozen if tightly wrapped in foil.

Ginger: Ginger is available year-round. When selecting gingerroot, choose robust firm roots with a spicy fragrance and smooth skin. Gingerroot should not be cracked or withered. It can be stored tightly wrapped in a paper towel or plastic wrap (or put into a plastic bag) in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks and like galangal, gingerroot can also be placed in a jar of sherry and refrigerated for 3–6 months.

Tumeric: Fresh tumeric roots should have a spicy fragrance and stubby fingers protruding from the sides of the root. Refrigerate unpeeled tumeric, tightly wrapped, for 3 weeks.

Preparation

Galangal: Galangal can be sliced and used to flavor soups and stews (remove before serving). It can also be mixed with lemon grass, chilies, shallots and garlic into a paste that can be used to flavor rice dishes. Galangal can also be mixed into a curry paste for similar purposes.

Ginger: Peel skin from the root and gently peel the skin beneath (that closest to the root is the most flavorful). Gingerroot can be sliced or minced (minced gingerroot gives the most pungent flavor). Ginger is popular in Asian cuisine where it is used both fresh and dried. Ginger can also be found crystallized, candied, preserved and pickled. The powdered, dried form of ginger has a more spicy, intense flavor and is often used in baking (gingerbread, gingersnaps, ginger cookies).

Tumeric: Tumeric is typically boiled or steamed and then dried and ground into powder. Use ground tumeric in fish or rice dishes. Be careful with fresh turmeric, it will stain your hands and clothing. Saffron (very expensive) is sometimes substituted for tumeric.

Recipe

Spiced Cabbage
Makes 4 servings
Each serving equals 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetables

Ingredients

half a medium cabbage
1 small onion (or half a medium one)
1 hot green chili pepper
1 Tbsp coconut
½ tsp. turmeric powder
2 cm piece of fresh root ginger
spray oil

Shred the cabbage very finely and chop into small pieces. Finely chop the onion, chilli and ginger. Spray frying pan with spray oil. Add the onion, ginger and chilli. Cook for 30 seconds then add the cabbage and turmeric. Cook at a high temperature for about ten minutes stirring all the time. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut. This dish can be served on it's own but can also accompany many different rice dishes.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 58, Protein 2g, Fat 1g, Calories From Fat 22%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 11g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 36mg.

Credit: FoodandVeggiesMatter.gov