Grapes and Grains
Contributed by: NAPSA
Red, Green and Blue-Black Grapes The Color of Health
by Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D.,
President, Produce for Better Health Foundation
(NAPSA) - People love grapes. Red grapes, green grapes, blue-black grapes-they're fun to eat as a healthy snack and a perfect addition to salads, appetizers, entrees and desserts.
Even in winter, sweet, juicy grapes can grace your table and frequent your lunch bag. When it's winter here, it's summer in Chile; and thanks to dedicated growers and the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, enjoying a colorful array of grapes as part of your 5 to 9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables is deliciously easy. Three- quarters of a cup of grapes provides about 90 calories, about six percent daily value of potassium, is a good source of vitamin C, and provides an abundance of health-promoting phytochemicals. These phytochemicals, particularly the flavonoids, are concentrated in grape skins.
Flavonoids help fight heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels and all varieties of grapes contain flavonoids.
Fruits and vegetables contain hundreds of different phytochemicals, so it's important to eat a varied diet each day. To make choosing a variety of fruits and vegetables simple, we've identified 5 color groups: red, yellow/orange, white, green, and blue/purple. The goal is to eat at least one serving of fruit and/or vegetable from every group every day. Make our super simple Grapes and Grains salad for dinner using red grapes from the red group, green grapes from the green group and blue-black grapes from the blue/purple group. Or, instead of grapes, try making it with fresh slices of peach, plum or nectarine for a salad at lunch. Either way you've got the beginnings of a healthful diet.
Grapes are versatile and their delightful colors make them a welcome addition to many dishes. Freeze grapes and add them to a tall refreshing glass of white grape juice. Stir a handful of grapes into chicken salad along with some celery and carrots. Thread different colored grapes on skewers with cubes of grilled turkey and slices of red bell pepper. Choose grapes that are plump, full-colored and firmly attached to the stems. Store unwashed grapes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator; they will keep for up to one week.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 cups cooked barley (do not overcook)
- 1 1/2 cups seedless or halved, seeded Chilean grapes
- 1/2 cup sliced celery
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
In mixing bowl, whisk together oil, lemon and orange juices. Add barley, grapes, celery, and onions, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper; chill until serving time.
Serving Size: Makes 4 Servings
Nutritional Information: Per Serving: calories: 246, total fat: 8.2g, saturated fat: 1.2g, % calories from fat: 28%, protein: 4g, carbohydrates: 42g, cholesterol: 0mg, dietary fiber: 8g, sodium: 89mg
