Читать книгу Everyday Healthy Cookbook - Dana Jacobi - Страница 12

flavor than for ease of shipping and stor-age, show off the unique personalities of each variety of this beloved nightshade family. Ripen tomatoes on the counter; do not refrigerate.

FRUITS

The natural sugar in fruit is a better wayto satisfy your sweet tooth. Fiber in fruit helps you absorb the sugar more slowly, so your blood sugar spikes less. The pig-ments that give fruits their vibrant colors also happen to be potent antioxidants. Along with serving fruits in desserts and for snacks, they can go well in savory dishes like Pan-Seared Scallops with Sautéed Citrus (page 85) and Cider-Braised Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Figs (page 108).

APPLEScome in numerous varieties and are rich in an array of antioxidants, from vitamin C to quercetin, a very useful anti-inflammatory. They also contain pectin, a form of soluble fiber that helps reduce blood cholesterol. Apples are good in savory dishes, particularly with pork and root vegetables, as well as in desserts and for snacking.

BERRIESare all good sources of fiber. Each kind of berry contains its own unique combination of the antioxidants known as anthocyanins, which also give them their red, blue and purple colors, so enjoy them all, from raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries to blue-berries and blackberries. When local berries are out of season, using frozen ones is a good choice. Go organic when-ever you can.

KIWIFRUITcontain even more vitamin C than oranges, plenty of potassium, and a useful amount of fiber. Eating them helps reduce inflammation, regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and lutein, another antioxidant, helps lower the risk of cataracts. Kiwis get sweeter and soften when allowed to sit out at room temperature.

MANGOflesh gets its rich orange colorfrom a variety of antioxidant pigments, including anthocyanins and several kinds of carotene. Their fiber helps protect against type 2 diabetes. Yel-low-skinned mangoes are the sweetest varieties. Ripen mangoes on the counter; do not refrigerate. Include them in your Supercharged Kale Smoothie (page 179).

CITRUS FRUITS are rich in antioxidant vitamin C and potassium, which helps keep blood pressure even, plus a huge variety of phytochemicals—an orange contains about 170 different ones. Many overlap, but each kind of citrus has some unique phytochemicals. Cit-rus peel contains aromatic oils with health benefits, so grate the colorful zest over soups and salads and include some in salad dressings.