Fill Your Plate Blog

Prickly Pear Cactus are Hydrating and Nutritious

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

One of my favorite plants of all time is cactus. Luckily for me, they grow abundantly here in Arizona! All of the different varieties and the unique shapes, sizes, and colors that they offer are always so cool to look at! But besides being visually pleasing, some varieties, prickly pear in particular, are actually edible and very nutritious too! Edible Food Prickly Pears

According to Hope Wilson, a dietician and nutritionist from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension both the prickly pear fruits and the pads are edible and nutritious.

When it comes to the fruit of the prickly pear, peeling back the spiny outer skin reveals a soft, watermelon-flavored flesh that can be scooped out and used for jams or jellies, eaten plain, and more. These fruits are full of vitamin C, fiber, and other minerals, and are low in sodium, fat, and have zero cholesterol.

Wilson also says that the pads, on the other hand, are very hydrating, and taste sort of like a mix of green beans and okra. Tender pads harvested in the spring are the best, and can be grilled whole, or diced and sauteed, after the spines have been removed, of course! My grandma loves to cook Nopales, which is a Mexican dish comprised of diced prickly pear pads, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chiles all stewed together and eaten in corn tortillas.

While eating cactus might not be your thing, it’s still interesting that this spiny desert plant can offer so much nutrition! If you want to read some more about prickly pear cactus, check out this article from Fill Your Plate!

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Quinoa is Versatile and Nutritious

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

If you don’t already use quinoa in some of your recipes, you should. Despite its tricky-to-say name, this little, tiny seed is packed with lots of nutrients and health benefits. To top it all off, it’s a great ingredient to use in lots of warm, cozy, fall dishes, which is the season right around the corner!

Portion of uncooked Quinoa (detailed close-up shot)

When it comes to nutrition, quinoa really packs a punch. According to registered dietician Beth Czerwony, quinoa is considered to be nutrient-dense, meaning that ounce for ounce, you get a lot of vitamins and minerals, especially compared to refined or processed foods. One cup of quinoa clocks in at 222 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 5.2 grams of fiber. Additionally, it is a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese.

Besides its stellar nutritional value, quinoa is also great because of its versatility. You can use it in place of rice, add it to soups or stews, make quinoa salads, and even bake with it! My personal favorite is to make quinoa salads both warm and cold, during the fall months. I love just experimenting with different ingredients and making it up as I go. So far, the best that I’ve tried is quinoa with chicken, dried cranberries, roasted butternut squash, and Brussels sprouts, with rosemary, thyme, and Dijon vinegarette. But, the possibilities are really endless!

For more recipes and articles about quinoa, check out these from Fill Your Plate!

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Substitute Ingredients for a Healthier Diet

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Have you ever wanted to start eating healthier but been slightly intimidated by the idea of eliminating lots of different foods from your diet? While sometimes that is a good strategy to take when it comes to dieting, another more simple and gradual method is to eliminate bad foods from your diet while replacing them with healthier, more nutrient-dense foods.

According to registered dietician Julia Zumpano, swapping out certain ingredients when cooking such as refined grains, added sugars, and saturated fats with veggies, fruits, natural sugars, whole grains, and healthy fats really does add up and make a big difference in your diet. Not only do they reduce a lot of the calories that you would be consuming, but they also provide you with additional vitamins and minerals you might not have gotten otherwise.

Some easy swaps that Zumpano suggests include:

Avocado or hummus instead of mayonnaise
Riced veggies rather than white rice
Spiralized veggies or bean pasta rather than regular noodles
Mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes
Crushed seeds or almond flour instead of breadcrumbs

These are just a few ideas, the possibilities for healthful swaps are endless! Go ahead and give some of them a try and gradually work towards a healthier diet!

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

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Did Your Honey Crystallize? No Problem!

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Do you always keep a jar of raw honey sitting on your counter or in your pantry? If so, you’ve probably seen it change to a lighter color and get a grainy texture to it over time. This is called crystallization, and you might wonder how it happens and if it affects the quality of the honey. I took some time to quiz my little brother who owns his own beehives and raw honey business and get his opinion on the topic.

(photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

So, first up, why does it crystallize? Raw honey crystallizes because it’s a supersaturated sugar solution made up of water and the sugars glucose and fructose. After a while, the water begins to separate from the glucose, causing the honey to become crystallized. It’s important to note that it doesn’t mean that the honey is old, or that it has lost its quality. It’s just a natural process that happens to raw honey.

Some other factors that play a role in the crystallization of honey are the nectar source, as well as whether or not the honey is raw or processed. The nectar source of the honey influences the speed at which honey crystallizes as well as the texture of those crystals. Honey made from the nectar of mesquite tree flowers, like what my brother makes, is known for crystallizing exceptionally fast. Likewise, honey that is raw is more likely to crystallize than processed honey. This is because crystals like to form around things, and because it has been minimally processed, raw honey still contains some of the natural elements that are in honey, such as pollen.

Some people like their honey to be crystallized, as it isn’t as runny and can be spread a little easier. And then there are others who are not fans of having their honey crystallized. To make your honey runny again, simply heat it up gently in a pot of water that’s about 100-110 degrees F. It’s very important to not heat your honey any more than 100-110 degrees because then you run the risk of disrupting the pollen, enzymes, and other good stuff that is present in raw honey.

Well, I definitely learned a lot from my little brother about honey and its crystallization process, and I hope you did too! For some cool bee pictures, more information about raw honey, as well as a way to order some local, raw honey, check out his Facebook page!

For more articles on honey and bees, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

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A Collection of Fill Your Plate’s Articles on Back to School

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Back-to-school season is just around the corner! This means that lots of shopping for books, supplies, uniforms, and lunches is about to take place! We’ve written quite a bit about tips for the back-to-school process, and below you’ll find a consolidated list of them all!