LETTUCE ISN'T JUST FOR SALADS

We usually use lettuce in two ways, the first is for salad and the second is on a sandwich, but lettuce can be used in a third way.

Try using it as a wrapper instead of a high carb tortilla or bread. Take a good size leaf or two and put tuna salad, chicken salad, lunch meat, or vegetables in it and roll. It's tasty, crunchy, and healthy.

You may also want to use a sturdy leaf to top an open sandwich, using just one slice of bread for the base and the lettuce on top.

Lettuce has high levels of potassium and vitamin A, and very few calories and carbs. Choose lettuce that does not have wilted edges or brown spots.

When you get the lettuce home from the market. wash it in cool water, drain or spin it and wrap it in a sealed bag or container. Put it in your vegetable bin in the fridge, or other equally cool spot. You'll be surprised at how crisp and fresh the lettuce will become even if you did not buy it that way.

WHY GREEN BEANS

Green beans are very nutritious and in the lead for being one of the best vegetables you can eat. They have no cholesterol and although they are very low in calories and carbs they are extremely big on all the other important vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

At about 43 calories per cup don't be afraid to fill up on them. Add them to your favorite recipes, use them alone and steamed for a side dish.

What I like most about them is they are also low on the glycemic scale, which means diabetics can enjoy them guilt free.

If you only enjoy the holiday green bean casserole you only eat twice a year, you are missing out on a lot.

Green beans can be enjoyed many ways, but if you're looking to take off some pounds, just steam them and add some "fake spray butter" to them for extra flavor.

Green beans are good for you in all forms, canned, fresh, and frozen. Just remember though, if you are watching your sodium intake leave out the canned variety and stick with fresh or frozen.

Pick them while they are green with no brown spots and make sure they snap when you bend them. Wash and store in the fridge in a plastic bag or container for about a week. Otherwise you'll want to blanch them for a couple of minutes in boiling water and store in the freezer to enjoy at a later date.

Make them a regular part of your meals, you won't be sorry!

HEALTHY VEGGIE DELIGHT

Got some fresh vegetables in your fridge and tired of steaming or boiling them? Try this for a great dinner.

Get either some whole wheat or grain tortillas or pita bread and fill them with the following.

Fry your favorite veggies in some olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. I'm using mushrooms, onions, green and red peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes. You can also add some chicken, beef or pork strips. Cook till tender. You may want to heat the tortilla or pita prior to filling.

The olive oil is good for you in that it helps remove the bad cholesterol plus it gives your dish a great taste. Try it, you'll like it!

STEAM YOUR VEGETABLES

One of the healthiest ways to enjoy your veggies is to lightly steam them. To do that perfectly every time try this bamboo steamer from Cooks Kitchen Magic. You can get the steamer as is above or opt to get a set. Don't loose all those lovely colors and nutrients in your veggies, give steaming a try, your body will thank you!

WHAT TO DO WITH AN ARTICHOKE?

First wash the artichoke under cold running water. Then take a knife and cut the top petals that seem to be smaller than the rest. Next, cut the stem off, it is edible if you want to cut and cook it. You can also trim the tips of the petals if you want. Then all you have to do is cook it. Boil, microwave, or steam it. Or use it in a recipe.

To preserve color add some lemon juice or vinegar to cold water and put the artichoke in it. They can be eaten hot or cold.

The way to eat them is to cut the tip of the petals and pull out the inside with your teeth.

At only 25 calories for one and no fat plus vitamin C and plenty of potassium , you can't go wrong!

CUCUMBERS

Cucumbers are related to the watermelon and zucchini in the squash family. They are high in fiber and water and contain vitamin c. One cup of sliced cucumber is only about 13 calories and no carbs.

...one cup of sliced cucumber is only about 13 caloriesand no carbs...

Cucumber should be kept cool and not left out at room temperature where they can become limp. Do not choose a cucumber that has wrinkled ends, they should be firm and rounded. Do not choose one that is yellowed , they should be medium to dark green.

Some cucumbers are waxed. If you purchase those, it's best to peel the cucumber since the wax is not good to eat. Otherwise wash the cucumber and leave the skin on for more nutrients.

My mom made two different cucumber salads for us as I was growing up. The first began here in the Midwest and has cucumber, sweet onion chopped, with a dressing of vinegar , sugar, and water to taste.

The second salad is sliced cucumber, chopped sweet onion, salt, and sour cream.

I made a great salad the other day using the same sliced cucumber, chopped sweet onions, but for the dressing I used two parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar. It was wonderful!

Cucumbers are a great food, get some today!

HOW TO GET VEGGIES INTO YOUR KIDS

I adore fresh fruits and veggies. I could eat them cooked, raw, or even frozen, but not everyone feels that way. In fact some people even avoid them all together. Kids are little people and are entitled to their likes and dislikes too. It's good to introduce produce and encourage the kids to try, but please don't ever force them. You may end up getting the opposite effect and turn the kids away from them permanently.



Instead we should concentrate on finding more creative and delicious ways of serving them and so with that in mind we at fruit and veggieville will have many more recipes and interesting ideas in the coming posts.

LEEKS

A leek is part of the onion and garlic family. It looks like a large scallion but has a milder flavor. They are available all year but they are best from fall to spring. Since they are a part of the garlic and onion family of vegetables called the Allium family, they also contain the same health benefits.
Eating them at least twice a week lessens the chance of colon and prostate cancers. It also helps to reduce cholesterol overall and lowers the bad and raises the good hdl. Leeks can also help lower high blood pressure and because of the combination of nutrients they contain, it also it good for stabilizing blood sugar, meaning its low on the glycemic scale.

HOW TO STORE AND BUY A LEEK

Leeks should not be wilted, but firm. The leaves should be dark green and the necks white. Do not buy them if they are yellowing or are bruised and cracked. Try not to choose the overly large diameter ones, the perfect leeks should be an inch or inch and a half in diameter at most.

STORAGE OF LEEKS

To keep them for up to two weeks in the refrigerator don't trim or wash them, just put them in an unsealed plastic bag. You can also freeze them for two or three months by blanching them first for no more than three minutes. Be aware they will loose a little quality, having them fresh is much better. After you've cooked them, only store them in the frig for a couple days, they won't be very good if stored cooked for longer.

Be sure to wash them before using by cutting the neck in half length wise and making sure the water gets in between the layers.

Leeks are a wonderful vegetable and there are many recipes and salads that contain them, so be healthy and enjoy!

WHAT MAKES A GREAT SALAD ?

The answer is anything and everything. In fact don't be afraid to pig out on salad. The things that make a salad fattening are adding too much egg, cheese, croutons, and dressing. Pasta salads should be eaten with care also if you are on a special diet. If you like mayo, or other salad dressings have them on the side. Try olive oil and a flavored vinegar, the olive oil has the right fat to help lower your bad cholesterol and the vinegar will lower your blood sugar by about 30%. Another great idea for dressing if you like it creamy is to cut the mayo with some sour cream. It's lower in calories and better for you. You can also try a simple tomato salsa as a dressing.

As for the salad itself, go crazy and put what you like in it. One thing that I do is if I'm putting in celery,onions, and peppers , is I cook them to soften just a little bit before adding them to the salad. Use any kind of lettuce, or use spinach or even cabbage.

Don't forget fruit salads , you can use those for dessert if you want. Some people use yogurt as a dressing, but I prefer no dressing because the fruit is usually very moist, sweet and flavorful on it's own.

It is a good idea to eat your salad about 20 minutes before the dinner is served, it helps to fill you up. Salads also make a perfect lunch and go great with some soup if you want.

PIZZA AS A FRUIT AND VEGGIE BASE

Pizza is a good excuse to get your vegetables in. Most pizza parlors have a long list of toppings for pizza that you can choose from, or make your own. You can make the crust or buy the crust pre made. Or use french bread or biscuits or even crackers for a base. You can buy pizza sauce, and shredded cheese. Some families even get the kids involved by letting them top their own pizzas. Use small bowls and fill them with mozzarela, and cheddar cheese, you can offer choices of meats, really anything goes. Here are some veggie suggestions

• garlic
• onions
• green, yellow, or red peppers
• hot peppers
• leeks
• lettuce
  
• mushrooms
• pineapple
• green or black olives
• tomatoes
• avocados
• broccoli
• zucchini

CELERY

Celery adds wonderful flavor to recipes and is great for a lo-cal snack. The thick bottom part can be very bitter especially in wild celery. You want to use it within a couple of days, because once it starts to wilt it releases more of its oils, which are said to contain carcinogens and can be very bad on contact with skin. The leaves are the most flavorful so don't throw those away.

Celery that has gone soft can be re-crisped by adding a little water and storing in the refrigerator.

I really love the combination of onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and celery. Cooked or raw, those flavors work well together.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO COOK FRUIT

You probably find this more in oriental cooking, but don't be afraid to get your fruit by cooking it and using it as a sauce or topping for meat, rice, or with vegetables. Here are some ideas

• cook apples cut in wedges and serve with pork chops
• puree apples and add to gravy for pork roast
• top your ham with pineapple
• cook chicken with peaches and raisons
• cook mango, mandarin oranges, and peaches and pour over chicken breasts
• broil grapefruit and add a bit of sugar for breakfast
• cook pineapple, onions, tomatoes and green peppers to serve over rice

Don't be afraid to experiment, you may find you've created a dish your whole family will love!

BE CREATIVE WITH PRODUCE

You don't have to settle for a piece of raw fruit or cooked plain veggies. When I was a kid my mom would make creamed vegetables, just adding a little milk and flour. She would make creamed potatoes or creamed peas and carrots. We couldn't get enough of it.

Mind you, in a perfect world the best would be to eat just picked raw fruits and vegetables, but as you know the world is not perfect so we need to focus on getting the fruits and veggies in our bodies any way we can. If you can't eat them plain go ahead and use cheeses and sauces as long as you control your portions and eat the produce.

I will tell you something you probably won't believe, but I was on a diet for four days with no salt and only low sodium foods and they at first were tasteless, but I did get used to it. I didn't realize this until I started using salt again and everything tasted too salty. I'm not a doctor of course but if you are doing fine with water retention and blood pressure under control, I don't see why you would need to do without salt. Always consult your doctor first of course, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

SALSA IS PRODUCE TOO

I would venture a guess that most of us like salsa which is good because salsa is produce. You can buy a low sodium salsa if you want or you could even make your own.

It's easy, chop tomatoes and add other things you like to taste. Here are some ideas.

• lemon or lime juice
• hot sauce
  
• hot peppers
  
• garlic
  
• avocados
  green, yellow, or red, peppers
  
• cilantro
  
• finely chopped cucumbers
  
• celery
  
• eggplant
  
• mushrooms
  

Put it on chips, use it as a dip for raw veggies, put it on baked potatoes, top your meat or fish with it, use it as a taco topping, the list is endless of what you could do with it. The important thing is it's produce and it's good for you, and it helps fill you up. If you add water or broth you could even have it as a cold summer soup.

PROMOTE PRODUCE POWER

Some people can enjoy a piece of fruit or a plate of cooked vegetables. I understand that a lot of people just don't like them that way. However they are so important that even if you have to doctor them up a bit to make them tasty, you should and need to do that.

I happen to love soup, my husband doesn't care for it, but if you're like me, soup is a great way to get your veggies in. Don't be afraid to just open a can and add some veggies to it. Or you could make your own soup from scratch. If you are trying to loose weight and eat healthy, start with a low-sodium chicken, vegetable, or beef broth and add fresh, canned , or frozen veggies to it. If you find you can't eat it because it lacks enough flavor for you, go ahead and add a bit of salt to taste. I have a problem with salt so what I do is shake some hot sauce into it. It is the only thing I have found that gives enough flavor to be palatable. If you are watching your sodium intake make sure you count the amount in the hot sauce and deduct it from you personal daily allowance.

CARROTS

First, the healthiest way to eat a carrot might be to cook it , and not eat it raw. A raw carrot has a lot of material that our bodies can't digest, so by cooking it, the process allows us to actually get more antioxidents and nutrition. An experiment was done where the carrots were cooked and then stored for a month. It showed that for the first week of storage after cooking, the value seemed to increase and did not stop increasing until the start of the second week, where it continually fell from weeks two to four.


When the plant is cut with a knife prior to harvesting it causes stress and the stress causes the plant to release even more nutrients to the vegetable.

"Carrots have the highest content of beta carotene (vitamin A) of all vegetables.

Carrots were first grown as a medicine not a food.

Carrots are not always orange and can also be found in purple, white, red or yellow.

Carrots were the first vegetable to be canned commercially.

The carrot is a member of the parsley family including species such as celery, parsnip, fennel, dill and coriander.

• Researchers at the USDA found that study participants who consumed 2 carrots a day were able to lower their cholesterol levels about 20 percent due to a soluble fiber called calcium pectate.

There is as much calcium in 9 carrots as there is in a glass (250ml) of whole milk.

Wild rabbits do not eat carrots

Three Carrots give you enough energy to walk three mile

• One pound of carrots will make approximately six to eight ounces of carrot juice.

Cooked carrots are rated at 49 in the Glycemic Index.

• Large Carrots make excellent baby teethers.

Roasted carrots can be used as coffee substitute.

Carrots are not recommended for diabetics " Thank you to the Carrot Museum !

One more thing, it is true that you can discolor your skin from eating too many carrots, or drinking too much carrot juice. If you are eating a lot of carrots don't eat or drink them all at once. Spread it throughout the day.

Serving : 1 medium carrot, calories 35, fats and cholesterol 0, sodium 40mg, carbs 8g, fiber 2g, sugar 5g, protein 1g, vitamin A is 270%, vitamin C is 10% , calcium is 2%, iron is 0 , on a 2000 cal diet.

TOMATOES AND BROCCOLI

We all know that tomatoes and broccoli are very healthy things to eat, but a recent study says that when eaten together at the same meal they are so powerful they shrink tumors in prostate cancers.


The very best way to eat them of course would be raw and as fresh as you could get them, but cooked is good too!

HUMMUS

Just recently I have discovered hummus. For those of you who don't know what hummus is, it is a dip or spread that is made mainly from chick pea paste and sesame seed paste, along with some oil and seasonings.


It can be found in almost any grocery store and comes plain as described above. or flavored, such as tomato, garlic, parsley and scallion, for examples.

I tried it with crackers, chips, and tortilla chips, and it was equally good with all. In fact I even made some salsa to top it with and it was fantastic!

It's low calorie, low fat, and low carb. So this is a snack food I plan on keeping around. It's filling so just on a few crackers you can't go wrong!

LEFTOVER TURKEY IDEA

Now that we've finished our last couple of slices of leftover turkey, I want to pass a personal delicious idea to you.

I love sandwiches and warm turkey sandwiches are no exception. When I build a sandwich I want everything on it, like in the old Dagwood and Blondie cartoons. It ends up being more than you can get in even a big mouth like mine.


Having said all that, here is me controlling myself for one heck of a sandwich. Soft fresh bread, warm turkey slices and mayonnaise with a spread of cranberry sauce right on the turkey. To make it easier why not blend the mayo in advance with some cranberry sauce. That way your cranberry mayo is ready to go.

It makes a quick and delicious lunch or snack. Speaking of snacks, how about if we take out that leftover turkey from the freezer that we made at Thanksgiving, get some cocktail pumpernickel or favorite cracker, put some turkey and a smear of our cranberry mayo, and serve it as an appetizer before Christmas dinner? You can even put the turkey in your food processor with the cran-mayo and use it as a hot or even cold dip for your favorite bread, cracker, chip, or vegetable. MMMMmmmmmmmmm !

TOO MANY INGREDIENTS

I love to cook but the problem I have with most recipes is that they call for too many ingredients. If I had all the things I needed on hand in my kitchen it would be different, but if I had to go out and buy everything just to make that one dish I would be broke, I'm sure.

I found a couple books with recipes that only called for four ingredients or less and they made great meals.