Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - February 25, 2007
This week's features include:
Food > Almond
Recipe > Broccoli mandarin orange salad
Activity > Vacuuming the carpet
History
Almonds are an ancient fruit being mentioned as far back in history as the Bible. They were a prized ingredient in breads served to Egypt's pharos. Their exact ancestry is unknown but it is thought that almonds originated in China and Central Asia. Botanically, the almond is a stone fruit related to the cherry, the plum, and the peach. The almond tree was brought to California from Spain in the 1700's. Today, California is the only place in North America where almonds are grown commercially. Approximately 6,000 almond growers produce 100 percent of the commercial domestic supply and more than 70 percent of the worldwide production. Almonds rank as the seventh largest U.S food export with over 90 nations importing California almonds.
Health Facts
It's okay to go a little “nutty” once in a while. Especially if you go “nutty” by eating almonds. Almonds are one of the most nutritious of all nuts. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the first qualified health claim for conventional food, saying that eating one and half ounces of most nuts, including almonds, may reduce the risk of heart disease when they're part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Almonds contain no cholesterol and most of the fat they contain is monosaturated, also known as the “good” fat. Other health benefits of eating almonds include cancer prevention, high intake of phytochemicals, reducing heart attack risk, and lowering cholesterol. Almonds are also an excellent source of alpha-tocopherol Vitamin E, the form of Vitamin E most easily absorbed by the body. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that protects the body from oxidative stress from free radicals. It has been noted that most people in the United States are only consuming about half of the alpha-tocopherol Vitamin E they need daily, 7.5 milligrams as opposed to the recommended 15 milligrams. A one-ounce handful of almonds provides 7.3 milligrams of alpha-tocopherol Vitamin E. Along with Vitamin E, one ounce, or 20-25 whole almonds, also contains 12 percent of one's daily allowance of protein. Even though it is little, the almond is loaded with minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc as well as lots of healthy fiber, folate and calcium!
Nutrition Information per 1 ounce serving: 170 calories, 6 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat (10 g monounsaturated) , 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 10 IU Vitamin E, 75 mg calcium, 84 mg magnesium
Ingredients:
- 5 cups broccoli flowerets
- 2 tbsps. almonds
- 2 - 11 oz. cans of mandarin orange sections, well drained
- 1 orange, grated peel and juice
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 3 tbsps. white vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsps. olive oil
- salt and pepper, optional*
Directions:
- Steam broccoli flowerets in covered saucepan for 3 minutes only. Remove quickly and rinse with cold running water until broccoli is no longer warm. Do not cook further. Place in serving bowl and chill, covered.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine almonds, drained mandarin oranges, grated peel and juice from orange, green onions, and remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper. Toss gently and allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 to 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, pour marinated orange mixture on chilled broccoli and toss very gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.*
Nutrition Information (serving size - 1 1/4 cup): Calories 180, Total Fat 7g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 25 mg, Total Carbohydrate 27g, Protein 4g
Source: www.5aday.org
You probably read this physical activity idea and said the heck with that! Who wants to do housecleaning? Well to tell you the truth, vacuuming and other household chores are a great way to get your body moving, and moving your body means getting rid of those extra calories. Believe it or not, a person weighing 150 pounds can burn almost 100 calories in only a half an hour of vacuuming!
Plus, there is nothing better than coming home from work to a nice, clean house. It helps you relax and unwind after a hectic day. So look on the bright side, vacuuming can actually help you both mentally and physically! Who would have thought!