We know that fruits and vegetables are beneficial to our physical health. But what about our mental health? Could the food that makes us healthier also make us happier? Does the food that fuels our bodies best also fuel our creativity, our engagement in life and feelings of well-being? Recent studies suggest the answer is [...]
As I drive around Longmont, I notice apple trees everywhere. Their long, arching branches draped over fences or sweeping green lawns, loaded down with rosy hued or pale green fruit. Most of them will fall to the ground uneaten. Which is a shame, considering how delicious and beneficial this polyphenol powerhouse is. If you love [...]
That sweet cherry, flaunting its crimson or rosy blushed skin, has some secrets. On a nutrition panel, the health benefits are not so obvious. A cup of whole, sweet cherries is about 87 calories with 18 grams of sugar. The only vitamin it’s notable in is vitamin C, providing 16% of the daily recommended value. [...]
My son is in love with mangoes. When it’s time to make the weekly grocery shopping list, he eagerly asks, “Are you going to get some mangoes?” The answer is an easy “yes.” Although a whole mango has about 30 grams of natural sugar, it’s low on the glycemic index and provides lots of potassium, [...]
As I slice past the spiny exterior, revealing the golden, sticky-sweet flesh of the fruit inside, I know I’m in for a treat. I love the uniquely sharp and sweet flavor of the pineapple. Chopped and added to fresh salsas, it brightens meat, chicken and fish. Broiled to a syrupy golden-brown and spooned over vanilla [...]
May is National Strawberry Month, and I am deep into it. Baskets and baskets of those luscious red berries have come home with me, filling the kitchen with their warm berry scent. We have enjoyed every single bite – whether they be sliced in our cereal, hidden in our pancakes or frozen and whizzed [...]
Recently the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance (NFVA) released the National Action Plan to Promote Health Through Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption 2010 Report Card. You may recall that way back in 2005 the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans dramatically increased the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables from 5-9 daily servings [...]
