Enjoy Summer Produce Through the Colder Months!

Posted on October 14, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

If you grow a garden through the summer, you have firsthand experience that some of the best, most fresh fruits and vegetables can come out of it during the hottest months of the year. If only there was a way to enjoy that produce all year long without having to go through the long process of canning or picking! Well, you’re in luck, because with a few simple steps, you can prepare vegetables and freeze them, and then enjoy them all fall and winter long!

Arizona in season

(photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

 

According to New York Times cooking columnist Melissa Clark, freezing is a great, easy way to preserve all your leftover summer produce, without compromising nutrition or taste! Frozen foods are a great alternative to their canned varieties. All you have to do is cook them down in a saucepan to condense down, blanch them, or roast them in the oven. Then, just let them cool, and put them in plastic storage containers and voila! You have delicious summer produce to use all year long in sauces, soups, pastas, and more!

Here are a couple summer fruits and vegetables that are great frozen and used later:

 

  • Peaches
  • Apricots
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Plums
  • Corn
  • Tomatoes
  • Summer squash
  • Figs
  • Okra
  • Pears
  • Peas
  • Beans

Frozen fruits and vegetables are at their peak quality for about 8-12 months. They are still edible after that; they just won’t be as good as they were.

Each one of these vegetables grows well here in our hot Arizona summers! If you don’t grow them yourself already, pick some up from a local farmers market! You can enjoy some of them fresh, and then you can freeze the extras for later use!

For more articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

 

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Time Your Bananas Right!

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Timing is everything…especially when it comes to eating bananas. Yep, you read that right, from a nutrition standpoint, there are certain times of the day when you should and shouldn’t eat bananas.

According to registered dieticians, eating a banana first thing in the morning or on an empty stomach is actually not a good idea. This isn’t because bananas are unhealthy for you, but rather it is due to their incredible natural sugar content. Registered dietician Lauren Manaker explains that eating something high in sugar on an empty stomach messes with your blood sugar levels, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin, and is usually followed by a crash, which can ruin your mood or make you tired.

But, bananas still have so much nutrition to offer, such as an overabundance of potassium, gut-friendly fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and antioxidants. So how can you still enjoy bananas without throwing off your mood and energy levels in the morning? Manaker suggests always pairing the banana with another food if you’re going to have one early in the morning or on an empty stomach. Foods with protein, healthy fats, or other fibers help to ensure a steadier energy release and mitigate a spike in blood sugar. Other optimal times to eat bananas are as a midday snack, or before bed.

So, time your bananas right and enjoy all the nutrients they have to offer! And, if you’re interested in some delicious and healthy banana recipes, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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Pickles – A Crunchy, Salty, Snack!

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you that one of my absolute favorite foods is pickles. In fact, we keep a gallon-sized jar of those giant whole pickles in the fridge at all times. They’re the perfect snack when you’re looking for something salty, crunchy, and sour.

Even though pickles are made from cucumbers, which are comprised of mostly water, they still do have some nutritional benefits along with hardly any calories. According to registered dietician Devon Peart, pickles are a good source of:

  • Fiber – that helps your digestive tract and keeps you feeling fuller.
  • Vitamin A – Promotes eye health and overall cell health in general.
  • Vitamin K – Important for heart health as well as bone and blood health.
  • Antioxidants – These help to combat free radicals in the body which are known to cause cancer, heart disease, and other issues.
  • Probiotics – Pickles that are made through fermentation rather than brining are full of gut-healthy probiotics that benefit your gut microbiome.

Peart cautions however that pickles are typically very high in sodium, so they’re not the best snack option for those with heart or blood pressure issues. Another thing to watch out for is sweet pickles, which are high in added sugar, which takes away from their healthfulness.

While pickles are great to just be eaten straight from the jar, there are so many fun recipe ideas that feature pickles!

So, next time that you’re feeling like having something salty and sour, crunch on a pickle or two, or try out a recipe with pickles in it for a little added nutrition without all the calories!

For more food and health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

 

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Lemon Water: Start Your Day off With a Nutritional Boost

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you go to as you start off your day? A cup of coffee? A glass of water? Breakfast? If your answer was a glass of water, good job! You’re off to a great start, because early in the mornings is one of the most important times to rehydrate our bodies. But did you know that you can make that same glass of water do so much more for you by simply adding a little lemon juice?

According to registered dietician Julia Zumpano, drinking lemon water is great for you at any point in the day, but the benefits are especially good in the morning. This is because it:

  • Rehydrates your body.
  • Gives a vitamin C kick right off the bat.
  • Provides a digestion boost because of the acidic properties – Even more effective on an empty stomach.
  • helps prevent kidney stones.
  • Gives an antioxidant boost.

On top of all that, 48 grams of lemon juice, which is approximately the juice from a whole lemon only has 11 calories, while giving you 18.6 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 21% if your recommended daily value.

So, consider switching up your morning to routine to include lemon water. We grow lots of lemons here in our state, which is why citrus is one of the 5 C’s of Arizona!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

 

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Want to Change Your Eating Habits? Try Small Changes.

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Many of us often find ourselves trying to commit to adopting new diets to have more energy or to be healthier, but how many times do we actually persevere with those changes? Some of us find that a week or two into a new diet we end up reverting back to our old ways and never see any changes. So, instead of doing a complete diet overhaul, registered dietician Delores Wood suggests making small, manageable changes, as they are more realistic to attain, still provide results, and provide more motivation.

A few small yet effective diet changes you might consider trying include:

 

Add protein to every breakfast.

Whether it be scrambling up some eggs, putting peanut butter on toast, or having a bowl of Greek yogurt, there are many delicious protein-rich breakfast options to consider. Having more protein in your breakfast provides you with long-lasting energy to start your day, leaves you feeling fuller, and slows the release of blood sugar. (By the way, Arizona produces lots of healthy breakfast protein options like eggs, meat, and dairy products!)

 

Try New Whole Grains.

We all know that eating whole grain products offers way more fiber and B vitamins than refined grain products. Fiber is important for our digestion and promoting fullness, and B vitamins help with metabolism and other body functions. In fact, a study found that eating whole grains is especially important for older adults, as it led to improved heart health, less weight gain, and better blood pressure and blood sugar. So, switch up your oats and brown rice and try out some quinoa, barley, farro, or buckwheat!

Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables in your diet provide you with a wealth of vitamins and minerals.  In fact, registered dietician Judy Simon says that each fruit and vegetable contains their own unique combination of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that fight inflammation. So, she says that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables provides you with the biggest benefits as you’re getting a whole assortment of nutrition.

So, if taking on a whole new diet seems too overwhelming or unrealistic for you, take some small steps and make little changes. The results do add up!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

 

 

 

 

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