Food, Recipe, and Activity of the Week - April 26, 2009
This week's features include:
Food - Grape tomato
Recipe - Greek whole wheat couscous
Activity - Gardening
The grape tomato is a hybrid of a beefsteak and a roma tomato. This combination created a small, thick-skinned, sweet tomato with low water content. It is about the size of a grape and grows in clusters on a vine, similar to grapes. The first grape tomatoes were grown in Southeast Asia. The grape tomato was introduced to the United States in 1997.
The cherry tomato is larger and round when compared to a grape tomato. Cherry tomatoes are easy to grow and produce a large crop of sweet fruit. There are many varieties of cherry tomatoes that can be found around the world.
Consumers currently seem to prefer grape tomatoes over cherry tomatoes because they are easier to eat, have a sweeter flavor, and are easier to transport because of their thicker skin. In addition, grape tomatoes have a year round growing season, so they are not as expensive as other tomatoes in the off season.
Both cherry and grape tomatoes should have a smooth skin and firm texture. To store tomatoes, do not put them in the refrigerator because they will lose their flavor, rather set them on a counter top or shelf not exposed to direct sunlight.
One cup of cherry tomatoes contains 27 calories, 1 gram of protein, 0 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of fiber, 353 milligrams of potassium, 63 RAE vitamin A, and 19 milligrams of vitamin C. Note: regardless of variety, one cup of raw tomatoes has similar nutrient content according to the USDA nutrient database.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat couscous
- 3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup seedless cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil
- Gradually stir in couscous
- Remove saucepan from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes
- Fluff couscous with a fork
- In a large bowl, combine couscous with remaining ingredients
- Serve
Nutrition Information: 140 calories, 5 grams total fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 5 gram protein, 4 grams fiber, 380 milligrams sodium, 0 milligrams cholesterol
Recipe is from Fruits and Veggies More Matters website. For more recipes and access to the recipe’s full nutritional profile, www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
Are your tulips beginning to bloom? For many of us, this is one of the greatest treasures of spring.watching tulips and many other beautiful flowers bloom. Gardening not only provides us with beautiful flowers to enjoy, it provides us with physical activity from which we gain many health benefits.
For example, gardening for 30 minutes can burn anywhere from 120-200 calories. Fitness experts recommend focusing on major muscle groups while planting such as bending down at the knees when picking things up to work the quadriceps in the thigh. This will help increase muscle tone. It is also recommended to stretch muscle groups like the hamstrings (back of thigh), quadriceps (front of thigh), calf muscles, biceps, triceps, back and even hands and feet before you plan to garden. If you have been cooped up in the house for most of the winter, they recommend to start stretching 2-3 weeks prior to gardening.
It is also important to keep these tips in mind:
- Use a cushion to protect your knees
- Always bend at your knees when picking things up
- Keep your back straight at all times to avoid excessive strain
- If you are planting or pulling weeds for a long period of time, remember to get up and stretch your legs every 10 minutes
- Drink plenty of water, especially if it is hot outside - avoid gardening if it is too hot and humid
- Where plenty of sunscreen and perhaps a hat to avoid sunburn
Remember to consult your physician before starting a new physical activity to avoid health problems.
Adapted from: CBSNews.com