Food, Recipe, and Activity of the Week - April 1, 2007
This week's features include:
Food - Lettuce
Recipe - Sweet and sour leafy green salad
Activity - Hiking
Lettuce is the most popular and commonly consumed vegetable in the United States with a consumption exceeding 25lbs per person every year. Lettuce originated from the Mediterranean and Near East (Persia) area in Greek historical records from 450 BC.
There are many varieties of lettuce including iceberg, romaine, leaf, and butterhead.
Lettuce is grown in the spring and the summer when the temperature is moderately hot. The optimal temperature for growth is 60 to 65° F, but lettuce can germinate at 35° F. The plant flowers and produces seeds at 70-80° F and if the nights are cool, lettuce can withstand 80-85° F. The capability of withstanding heat depends on the type of lettuce where types such as romaine, butterhead, and leaf types can withstand higher temperatures. The crop can be produced in 40-50 days, but most head varieties require 60-80 days to mature.
Nutrition
The nutrient contents of lettuce vary with the type, where darker greens tend to be more nutrient dense.
- Shredded romaine lettuce (1/2 cup): 4 kcal, 26.6 g water, 0.5 g protein, 0.7 g carbohydrates, 0.1 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 mg sodium, 0.5 g fiber, 219 RE vitamin A.
- Shredded iceberg lettuce (1/2 cup): 3 kcal, 26.5 g water, 0.2 g protein, 0.6 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 0.3 g fiber, 2 mg sodium, and 4 RE vitamin A.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 5 cups romaine lettuce leaves, torn and lightly packed
- 3 cups spinach leaves, lightly packed
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 2 oranges, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup pitted prunes, halved
- 1/2 cup sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup nonfat honey mustard dressing
- 1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Directions:
Toss all ingredients in a large bowl.
Nutritional Information: (per serving): 190 Calories, 1 g Fat, 47 grams Carbohydrate, 4 grams Protein, 7 grams, Fiber, 310 mg Sodium
Recipe courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more recipes and other information about fruits and vegetables visit: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/index.htm
Hiking is one of the most enjoyable activities because while you are getting exercise, you can enjoy the beauty of nature. Hiking is basically walking, except climbing a few more hills and perhaps carrying a backpack for food and water. The hills can increase the amount of calories you burn because unlike walking on a flat surface, walking uphill creates more gravity that your body has to work against. This gives your hamstring, quadricep and calf muscles a great workout. A 150 lb. person can burn up to 400 calories per hour of hiking.
Caution: It is always important to pack enough water to stay hydrated, particularly if you hike on a hot day. It is also important to pack some snacks (fruits, vegetables, granola bars) if you plan on a long hiking trip. Make sure you know the difficulty of the hiking trail before you take children or older adults with you, as they have a tendency to get tired and dehydrated faster. Older adults with heart or lung conditions, diabetes, arthritis, or back troubles should avoid hiking as it might be too strenuous of an activity.
To find a trail near you in the state of Iowa, visit
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/trailresources/trails-index-iowa.html