Fill Up on Fiber!

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Did you know that only 7% of adults in the United States get enough fiber? That means that the remaining 93% of us are significantly lacking in our intake of this important nutrient.

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Fill up on fiber with fruits, vegetables, nuts and more.

According to registered dietician Novella Lui, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that can’t be digested or absorbed. There are two kinds of fiber, soluble, which forms a gel when combined with water, and insoluble, which doesn’t dissolve in water. Both kinds of fiber can provide a whole bunch of health benefits such as preventing constipation, stabilizing blood sugar, improving gut health, helping to maintain a healthy weight, and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are full of fiber, but the following are some foods that have an exceptional amount of fiber in them!

  • Artichokes
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Kale
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Collard Greens
  • Beets
  • Beet Greens
  • Turnip Greens
  • Mustard Greens

Arizona agriculture grows lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and legumes! Next time that you’re out grocery shopping, choose locally grown products so that you support Arizona farmers while getting high-quality fiber while you’re at it!

For more articles about fiber, or for more information about finding locally grown produce, check out the Fill Your Plate website!

 

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Healthy Coffee Additives if Black Coffee Isn’t for You

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

One of my favorite things about also working at a coffee shop as my main job is getting to answer customers when they ask me for a coffee recommendation. Most of them expect me to have some complex, fancy drink with all these flavors, toppings, and more. But really, all I drink is black coffee, whether it be just straight espresso shots, black cold brew, or black americanos. After giving me a weird look for a second, most of them tell me that I’m crazy, or they compliment me and say they wish they could keep their coffee that healthy.

While coffee in general is chock full of health benefits, what you add or don’t add to it also contributes to its healthfulness. Many coffees, especially those from a coffee shop are full of added sugars from the flavored syrups, and lots of calories from both the milk and creamer as well as the syrups. This is why drinking your coffee black is the healthiest way to drink it.

But black coffee isn’t for everyone, so here are a few ideas on ways to flavor and add to your coffee without making it too high in sugar or calories!

Go for just milk.

If you want to cut back on the amount of sugar in your coffee, just adding a few ounces of milk, half and half, or heavy cream takes away the bitter acidity in the coffee and makes it smooth and creamy. In my opinion, you don’t even miss the lack of sweetness, and you can enjoy the flavor of the coffee without the interference of the sugary flavor.

Use flavored extracts.

If you like your coffee flavored but don’t want the hefty amount of sugar that comes along with those flavored syrups, try adding a few drops of a flavored extract. Vanilla, hazelnut, almond, and others are great.

Add spices to your coffee grounds.

While this might sound a little crazy, don’t knock it till you try it! Whether you’re pulling espresso or brewing a pot of drip, shake a little cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever spice you like into your coffee grounds before brewing it. It adds a nice spiciness to your coffee, and with cinnamon especially, it adds some natural sweetness to it!

The nice thing about coffee is that you can tailor it any way that you like, and there are plenty of ways to flavor it and add milk to it without making it too unhealthy.

Want to read more about coffee? Check out these articles from Fill Your Plate!

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Corn Silks are Packed with Nutrients

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Growing up, one of my favorite things to do every summer was to husk the corn that we would get from our friends who grew some just down the road from us. Besides getting super itchy while doing it, it was fun to peel off all the husks and silk and see how many worms we found inside. After we finished husking it all, we always threw away the silk and husks. But did you know that corn silk is actually full of nutrition and offers quite a few health benefits?

Arizona sweet corn

Make sure you don’t miss out on the Arizona sweet corn season coming up in the valley as early as late May! (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

Corn silk is that long, stringy stuff that surrounds a corn cob and helps to trap the pollen that fertilizes the cobs and promotes kernel growth. While it is definitely a weird one to think about, corn silk has long been used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of health issues thanks to its nutritional profile.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, corn silk contains carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and a variety of minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, sodium, and chloride.

Some of the health benefits that corn silk has to offer are:

  • Helps to prevent UTI’s
  • Helps to prevent kidney stones
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Fights inflammation
  • Lowers blood sugar
  • Improves cholesterol levels

Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what it even tastes like and how you would even go about consuming it. Apparently, it tastes just like corn, and is great for making tea, both hot and iced. It is also used fresh as a topping on salads, or dried and used as a powder to sprinkle on other foods.

Check out our other articles on sweet corn and especially Arizona’s sweet corn season!

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Beans Provide Lots of Nutrients and Health Benefits

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

“Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you…” You know the rest. When we think of healthy food items, we typically think of kale, spinach, carrots, lean meats, whole grains, etc. But how often do we think of beans as being a healthy food?

According to registered dietician Charlotte Martin, beans are actually incredibly healthy and are great to incorporate into your diet. They are a good source of fiber and protein, they promote a healthy gut microbiome, they are satiating, and they are a good source of resistant starch. Additionally, they are full of nutrients including folate, zinc, and potassium!

We have local farmers who grow pinto beans here in Arizona! Source for some of our other blog articles about beans including our recipes.

 

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What Does Vitamin C Actually Do?

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We think of taking more vitamin C during winter and cold and flu season so that we don’t get sick. But is this nutrient really a miracle preventative for getting sick? Read on for a little crash course on vitamin C including what it is, what it’s good for, and if it really helps prevent illness.

So, what exactly is vitamin C? According to registered dietician Devon Peart, vitamin C is an essential nutrient, meaning that it is an important nutrient our bodies need to function properly, but we must get through our diet because our bodies don’t make it themselves.

Some of vitamin C’s main functions include:

  • Protects against free-radical buildup – Too many free radicals can lead to cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.
  • Promotes eye health – Specifically it wards off cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
  • Improves iron absorption.
  • Encourages collagen growth.
  • Aids in wound healing.
  • Topical vitamin C promotes skin health.

You might have noticed that the list didn’t include improving our immune systems. That’s because this one needs a little more attention. It’s commonly said that vitamin C helps to prevent us from getting sick, and according to Peart, this isn’t true. Taking vitamin C doesn’t eliminate your risk of getting sick entirely, but it definitely does lessen the severity and duration of your illness.

Since vitamin C is so important to our health, how much of it do we need per day? It’s recommended that we be getting 75 milligrams to 120 milligrams of vitamin C per day, depending on gender, and if pregnant or lactating. Peart says that it’s worth noting that these recommended amounts are the minimum amounts required in order to keep you from being deficient. There is no harm in getting more vitamin C! He says that during times of sickness, taking up to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C helps to replenish your body after a time of physical stress.

One of the best food sources of vitamin C is citrus! Lucky for us Arizonans, citrus is one of the 5 C’s of Arizona, as we produce lots of it during the winter months. So, look for some Arizona grown citrus especially during the winter, and replenish your body with vitamin C! Check out the Fill Your Plate website for resources on finding locally grown citrus!

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