Watermelon – The Nutrient Dense Summer Fruit

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

Arizona watermelon picked fresh.

There is nothing like a big, juicy slice of watermelon on a hot summer day. Besides being an incredibly refreshing and delicious snack, watermelon is packed with lots of vitamins and minerals, as well as some great health benefits!

According to registered dietician Lindsey DeSoto, watermelon is a great source of vitamins A and C, lycopene, and citrulline. It is also comprised mostly of water, making it very hydrating.  Thanks to these nutrients and its high-water content, the watermelon keeps you hydrated, promoting satiety, boosting eye health, reducing muscle soreness, boosting the immune system, improving digestion, and promoting skin health.

Besides just eating the juicy red flesh of the watermelon, did you know that the seeds are edible and nutrient dense too? DeSoto notes that they are a great source of protein, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and zinc.

Arizona farmers grow lots of watermelons over the summer months! Check out the Fill Your Plate website for more information on where to find locally-grown watermelons to enjoy this summer! Or, go to your local farmers’ market. It’s summer; they’ll have Arizona melons.

Share This:
Posted in Fill Your Plate, Food, Health Tips, Healthy Eating | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fiber Filled Snacks to Fuel Your Day!

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We all know the importance of getting enough fiber in our diets. This little nutrient packs a major punch for our bodies when it comes to overall health. Whether it be improving our digestion, feeding our gut microbiome, promoting regularity, reducing cholesterol levels, or making you feel fuller longer, fiber does it all! Unfortunately, however, most people don’t get enough fiber in their diets. In fact, it is a whopping 95% of Americans that aren’t consuming enough fiber! 

According to registered dietician Jessica Ball, snacks are a great way to sneak a little more fiber into your diet. She also says that it is best to pair fiber-rich foods with other foods that are high in protein and healthy fats. The following are some of her suggested snack ideas!

grains

Know your grains (photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

 

  • Whole grains paired with fruit
  • Oat, nut, and seed energy balls
  • Whole grain crackers and veggie-based dips
  • Popcorn
  • Smoothies
  • Nuts
  • Chia pudding

Next time that you’re feeling snacky, try out a snack that is high in fiber! Not only will it be delicious, but you’ll also be doing your body a favor by giving it a boost of a powerful nutrient it needs to properly function!

Interested in reading more about fiber? Check out these related articles from Fill Your Plate!

Fiber is your friend – Fill Your Plate Blog

Give Your Gut what it Needs: Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog

Everything You Ever wanted to know about Fiber – Fill Your Plate Blog

Study: Increased Fiber Intake During Childhood Reduces Allergies – Fill Your Plate Blog

 

Share This:
Posted in Cooking, Fill Your Plate, Food, Health Tips, Healthy Eating | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Do You Have a Gluten Sensitivity or is it Something Else?

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Food sensitivities are never fun. As a person who has many sensitivities to certain foods, I know just how hard it can be to have to completely alter your diet to accommodate those sensitivities. If you’re experiencing digestive distress, there is a chance that gluten could be the culprit, as it is an incredibly common food that some people, including myself, are sensitive to, or even allergic. Gluten is especially hard to avoid because it seems like it is sneaked into so many different foods. But, before you go making any drastic dietary changes, doctors and dietitians point out a few other health issues that might be causing that distress rather than gluten sensitivity.

You may have a food sensitivity you have not even thought about. 

According to 4 doctors and registered dieticians, while common, gluten isn’t always the cause of your problems. They offer the following alternative causes for those digestive distress symptoms that aren’t caused by gluten.

  • A different food intolerance such as lactose or fructose
  • Added ingredients such as added fiber, artificial sugar, or alcohol
  • Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
  • Gastroparesis
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • High-fat foods

With that, it is important to thoroughly evaluate your symptoms and potentially see your doctor to properly diagnose the cause of your digestive distress, as there is a chance that it is not gluten sensitivity.

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

Share This:
Posted in Health Tips, Healthy Eating | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Different Nuts Provide Different Health Benefits

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

One of my favorite snacks to take whenever I’m on the road or just need a simple snack to pack is nuts. Not only are they satiating, but they are small, dry, not messy, and easy to just put in a little bag and stash somewhere. But not only are they a convenient snack, but they are also a super healthy snack.

According to registered dietician Maya Feller, “Nuts are a wonderful source of plant-based proteins, heart-healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Each contains varying amounts of these nutrients.” Since the nutritional content of nuts varies by kind, different nuts provide different health benefits. Nutritionists say that the following nuts provide the following benefits.

  • Almonds – Best for skin health due to high levels of vitamin E
  • Peanuts – Best for stress relief and reduced cholesterol levels
  • Cashews – Best for reducing blood pressure and reduced cholesterol
  • Pistachios – Best complete plant protein source
  • Walnuts – Best for brain health thanks to omega-3’s
  • Pecans – Best for heart health due to antioxidant content
  • Macadamia nuts – Best for lowering cholesterol
  • Brazil nuts – Best for thyroid health due to selenium content

Incorporating nuts into your diet is easy! Whether you simply snack on them straight from the bag, use them in granolas, trail mixes, or baked goods, or even take it a step further and make your own nut butter or milk, there are so many ways to take advantage of all the nutrients that nuts have to offer!

For more nutty articles, check out the following from Fill Your Plate!

Share This:
Posted in Fill Your Plate, Food Facts, Health Tips, Healthy Eating, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Choose Your Yogurt Wisely

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

We all know how important it is to pay attention to the nutrition labels on the packages of foods that we buy. This little piece of information can actually tell us a lot about the healthfulness of that product by giving us the full nutritional breakdown of that food as well as alerting us to any hidden or not-so-desirable ingredients.

We’ve all been told to never judge a book by its cover. This truth applies to many different things, food products included. While they may be promoted as healthy, or appear to be healthy, that isn’t always the case. One such product is yogurt, which is often touted as being a great source of gut-healthy probiotics. This can be true, but only in certain kinds of yogurts. Registered dietician nutritionist Kelly Plowe breaks down what you should be looking for when selecting yogurts in order to ensure that you’re getting a nutritious, probiotic-filled yogurt.

Fresh Assorted Yogurts With Fruits And Berries

There is no shortage of options when it comes to yogurt, and choosing the best option ultimately comes down to two criteria:

  1. Sugar content

Many kinds of yogurt are chock full of added sugar. The main culprits are typically pre-flavored yogurts or bottled yogurt drinks. While these may taste delicious, they are certainly not a healthy choice. Plowe even notes that the yogurts that are labeled as sugar-free, low-sugar, or light, are often filled with artificial sugars, which she says are not good for your gut health. So, choose yogurts that are plain and unsweetened to get the most nutrition out of your yogurt. If you’re not a fan of the slightly bitter taste of plain yogurt, my favorite thing to do is add a little bit of honey or fresh or dried fruit for just that hint of sweetness.

  1. Probiotic content

The probiotics in yogurt are the gut healthy bacteria that come from the yogurt fermentation process. According to the Food and Drug Administration, in order to be classified as yogurt, a product has to have at least these two strains of bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Yogurts can have more strains of bacteria as well. Plowe says that when shopping for yogurts, look at the labels and see how many CFU’s (colony-forming units) of each kind of bacteria it contains. The more probiotics, the better!

Yogurt can be a great source of healthy fats, protein, and beneficial bacteria, as long as you select your yogurt wisely! So, keep these tips in mind next time you’re out grocery shopping.

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

Share This:
Posted in Fill Your Plate, Health Tips, Healthy Eating, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment