Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - February 3, 2008
This week's features include:
Food - Potato
Recipe - Vegetarian split pea soup
Activity - Sit-ups
History
The common “Irish” potato that we consume today has a long history. The potato, also known as tuber, was discovered in the South African mountains over 7000 years ago. In the early 1500s, the Spaniards came to Peru to find gold. However, their trip resulted in the unexpected discovery of the potato. They brought the potato back to Spain in the 1570s, which then spread over Europe. However some were skeptical to its use. Farmers considered the tuber to be inedible, distasteful, and fearful, thus only used it for cattle feed. On the other hand, the upper class had a different opinion and in the 1660s the Royal Society promoted its cultivation in England. During the Revolutionary Wars food shortages affected the country and the potato consumption increased. From England it spread to the British colonies in the Bahamas and later made its way to the United States. The use of the potato became extremely popular after Thomas Jefferson served the food to his guests in the White House in 1789.
Potato Facts
Potatoes are grown in every state of the United State and in approximately 125 countries in the world. The most commonly known states for their potato production are Idaho and Washington.
The potato is the secondly most consumed food in the U.S. with the average consumption reaching approximately 124 lbs of potatoes per year.
The crop belongs to the same group as tomatoes, chili pepper, eggplant, and tobacco. The potato plant is different from many other plants in that its fruit is produced underground and the flowers above. The plant originates from tubers that are planted in the early spring. After 90-110 days the plant can bear crop and each plant can carry a few to up to 20 tubers. When mature the potatoes are harvested between July and November, depending on state and climate.
There are many varieties of potatoes. Some types are “waxy” and others are “mealy”. These different characteristics determine their properties and use. Waxy potatoes are usually more suitable for potato salads, whereas mealy potatoes are good to mash. Some of the most common varieties of potatoes found in the Northwest are:
- Burbank Russet – large, brown skin with white flesh
- Yellow Finn – small with yellow skin and flesh
- Red Gold – red skin and yellow flesh
- German Butterball – oval potato with a yellow flesh
- Yukon Gold – yellow skin and flesh
When selecting a potato, make sure to choose well-formed potatoes with, smooth and firm skin with eyes and no discoloration, cracks, bruises or soft spots. Red potatoes and some whites are sometimes treated with colored or clear wax to make them appear fresher that they are. Also avoid "green" potatoes. They have been exposed to light and have a bitter taste. Store potatoes in a cool, dark place that is well ventilated. Optimum temperature for storing potatoes is 45 to 50°F. Do not refrigerate potatoes. Potatoes stored below 40°F will develop a sweet taste, due to the conversion of starch to sugar, which will cause potatoes to darken when cooked.
Nutrition Facts
The potato is a highly nutritious food that consists of approximately 80% water and 20% solids. It is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and iron, but provides many other important vitamins and minerals. Despite many people's belief, the majority of the potato's nutrients are not found in the skin, but in the potato itself. Raw potatoes are not readily digested in the human digestive system, thus provide a smaller amount of calories. Therefore, the following nutrition information will be referring to a baked potato.
Nutrition information:1 baked potato without skin (156 g): calories: 156, carbohydrates: 36 g, protein: 3 g, fat: 0 g, cholesterol: 0 g, fiber: 3 g, vitamin C: 24 mg, sodium: 11 mg, potassium: 641 mg, iron: 1 mg
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups split peas
- 6 cups water
- 1 medium onion, diced (white or yellow)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 2 medium carrots, grated
Instructions:
- In a large pot, combine split peas and water, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer until tender (1 hour).
- Add onion, potato, garlic powder, dried parsley, and carrots and stir to combine.
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Transfer soup in batches to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Return to stove and heat until warm through. Serve.
Nutrition Information: 210 calories, 1 grams total fat, 41 grams carbohydrate, 12 gram protein, 12 grams fiber, 25 milligrams sodium, 0 milligrams cholesterol.
Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more recipes and access to the recipe’s full nutritional profile, visit www.cdc.gov.
When winter weather is here, it is often hard to stay in shape and keep those muscles toned. However, one easy way to keep your abdominal (stomach) and lower back muscles in shape is to do some sit-ups. The great thing about sit-ups is that you can do them in your own home without the cost of fancy equipment!
It is very important to keep in mind the proper technique of doing sit-ups in order to avoid injury on your back and neck muscles. Here are some steps you can follow to ensure proper technique:
Lie on a padded surface, with your knees bent at about a 90 degree angle and your feet flat on the floor.
If you are a beginner, rest your hands at your sides because the closer your hands are to your head, the more difficult the sit-ups become. As you become more advanced, begin crossing your arms over your chest and eventually cross your arms behind your head. Avoid intertwining your fingers as this will put undo pressure on your head and neck.
As you bring your torso up, breath out. This will help focus the tension on your abdominal muscles.
To get the most out of your sit-ups it is best to stop halfway, when your head is about 6 to 12 inches off the floor.
After stopping halfway, pause for a bit, and then slowly and gently bring your torso back down to the floor.
It is important to do sit-ups slowly. Going too fast will not work the appropriate muscles and could cause injury and strain.
Don't overdo it. Try a set of 5 repetitions at the beginning. Then with each work-out, add more repetitions. And remember that going fast does not mean a better work out. Your muscles will become more toned if you do slow, concentrated sit-ups.
It is also important to keep in mind that exercises like sit-ups are considered "muscle toning" exercises, meaning they focus on strengthening a specific group of muscles. Muscle toning exercises are not meant to burn a lot of calories or benefit your cardiovascular system a great deal. For cardiovascular benefit, exercises such as brisk walking or jogging are great ways to benefit your heart and burn calories.
Caution: If you suffer from acute or chronic back pain, seek advice from a physician before doing sit-ups or any other exercise that could put strain on your back.
Adapted from The Physician and Sportsmedicine http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1997/06jun/sit_up.htm