Food, Recipe, and Activity of the Week - January 14, 2007
This week's features include:
Food - Bell peppers
Recipe - Sweet red pepper soup
Activity - Snowshoeing
Originating in South America, sweet bell peppers have been grown on earth since 5000 BC. Spanish and Portuguese sailors, who traveled through South America, commonly ate this popular vegetable. Today bell peppers are primarily grown in China, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Nigeria, and Mexico, but are also found in California, Florida, and New Jersey.
Bell pepper can be found in a variety of colors including, green, red, yellow, orange, purple, gold, and white. The yellow, orange, and red peppers are simply ripe versions of the green bell pepper. Bell peppers can be 3 inches wide and 4 inches long and have 3 to 4 lobes and blocky appearance. The vegetable grows in warm climates with day temperatures of 75 ° F to 85 ° F and night temperatures of 15 ° F to 20 ° F. However, bell peppers are sensitive to extreme temperatures such as 100 ° F and have a rapid decrease in germination at 68 ° F . The bell pepper is harvested green before maturing to a different color. However, some fresh markets sell bell peppers that have been ripened red before harvest.
Red peppers have higher amounts of beta-carotene, thus are more nutrient dense than their green counterparts. In addition, red peppers are high in vitamin C and have a fair amount of vitamin E. These vitamins and other nutrients have been shown to prevent heart disease, stroke, some cancers and cataracts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information per 1 large yellow pepper: calories: 50, carbohydrates: 12 g, proteins: 2 g, fat: 0 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, fiber: 2 g, sodium: 4 mg, potassium: 394 mg, vitamin A: 45 RE, vitamin C: 341 mg
Ingredients:
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1 medium onion, chopped
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1 small jalapeno chili, seeded, deveined and minced
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1 garlic clove, minced
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1 jar (15 oz.) roasted red bell peppers, drained
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2 cups, low sodium tomato juice
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2 cups, low sodium vegetable stock
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1 tsp oregano
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1 tsp basil
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1/2 cup fat free sour cream
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1 small green onion, thinly sliced
Directions:
Coat medium saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Sauté onion, garlic, and chili until tender. Process onion mixture, red bell peppers, and tomato juice in food processor or blender until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan, add chicken stock, oregano, basil and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and green onions.
Nutritional Information (per serving): 100 calories, 0 grams fat, 21 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 2 grams dietary fiber, 440 mg sodium, 5 mg cholesterol.
Recipe courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more recipes and other information about fruits and vegetables visit: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/index.htm
What burns more calories -- running, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing? Guess snowshoeing? you are correct! In addition, snowshoeing will improve or maintain cardiovascular fitness. Because it uses major muscle groups at relatively high intensities for extended periods of time, a high number of calories are expended. Snowshoeing can burn up to 45 percent more calories than walking or running at the same speed. Snowshoeing in powder snow on a hilly course, at about 3 mph, can burn up to about 1,000 calories per hour.
Snowshoeing is a great winter activity that offers great recreation with family and friends and an opportunity to enjoy the great winter outdoors. Snowshoeing is something that almost everyone can participate in, no matter their age, fitness level, or expertise. It is becoming one of the most popular winter recreation and outdoor fitness activities. The skills needed to start snowshoeing are very few-- if you can walk, you can snowshoe! Snowshoeing is a low-impact and safe form of activity, which is ideal for anyone interested in an aerobic workout combined with strength training and muscle endurance.
Some research has shown that individuals who substitute snowshoeing for running or jogging during the winter actually improve their fitness over those who continue their running/jogging. Whether you're looking to get in shape, maintain your fitness level during those winter months, or just enjoy the beauty of natural terrain and gain a mental connection with the outdoors, snowshoeing is an excellent activity for you and your family.
Adapted from North Country Trail Association, http://www.northcountrytrail.org/news/snowshu1.htm