Food, Recipe and Activity of the Week - January 20, 2008
This week's features include:
Food - Mango
Recipe - Cantaloupe slush with mango
Activity - Snowshoeing
History
Mangos are native to southern Asia, especially eastern India, Burma, and the Andaman Islands where they have been grown for over 4,000 years. Since ancient times, the mango has been highly praised in its homeland. Through the years mango groves have spread to many parts of the tropical and sub-tropical world where the climate is best for growing mangos. Most of the mangos sold in the US are imported from Mexico, Haiti, the Caribbean, and South America.
Facts
Mangos are the most widely consumed fruit in the world. And yet many in the US still consider them an exotic fruit. As they gain popularity in the US they are becoming a regular in the grocery produce section.
There are more than 1,000 different varieties of mangos throughout the world. Mangos come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Colors range from yellow to green to orange or red. Yet, all varieties have a rich tropical flavor when ripe. The flavor resembles a mix of oranges, peaches, and pineapples, thus the reason for mangos being known as the “king of fruit”.
When selecting mangos for purchase, choose firm, plump mangos that give slightly when pressure is applied. Avoid fruit that is very soft or bruised. With the stem end up, smell the mango. If ripe, it will have a fruity aroma. Color is not always a good indicator of ripeness but most common varieties turn yellow as they ripen.
Leave unripe mangos at cool room temperatures. To speed ripening, place two mangos in a paper bag. Ripened mangos should be stored in the crisper bin of the refrigerator, away from vegetables, for up to five days.
The skins of mangos are inedible, thus knowing how to cut the fruit is important. First wash the mango. Next stand the fruit on one end and make a vertical slice down one side of the pit. Repeat on the other side. Gently peel the flesh away from the pit. Use a paring knife to score the flesh of each half into cubes being careful not to cut the skin. Turn the fruit inside out so the cut fruit pops out. Lastly, cut the cubes off the skin.
Being a tropical fruit, mangos are rich in vitamin C. They are also a low fat source of vitamin E.
Mangos can enhance the flavor of many dishes including mixed fruit salad, stir-frys, omelets, and even meat dishes. For breakfast, try mango muffins or the following recipe for tropical pancakes.
Nutrition Information (per 1/2 mango): 70 calories, 0.5 g fat, 17 gram carbohydrate, 1 g fiber
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sized cantaloupe
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 mango
Instructions:
- Peel and seed cantaloupe.
- Cut into 1-inch pieces (should be about 6 cups).
- Place in blender or food processor with lemon juice and honey and puree until very smooth.
- Pour mixture into shallow 9x12" glass pan and set in freezer for 2 hours.
- With a fork, chip and stir the icy mixture and return it to the freezer for 2-4 more hours.
- Peal and cut mango into long, thin slices.
- Remove frozen cantaloupe mixture from freezer and chip it with a fork until it resembles shaved ice.
- Spoon into four bowls, top with mango slices, and serve.
Nutrition Information: 90 calories, 0 grams total fat, 23 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram protein, 2 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
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