Diabetes Recipes
Bring a Taste of Spring tp Your April Table
By Marilyn Helton
Last month we discussed the latest dietary guidelines, which are offering and encouraging a great deal of flexibility in selecting the foods we eat. Rather than adopting a "Thou shall not eat" tone, the newly developed guidelines are focusing more on the importance of moderation in portions, variety in food selection, paying attention to individual tastes and lifestyle, and balancing food intake with physical activity. This approaches gives you the opportunity to gradually change your eating habits to incorporate healthier foods without feeling that healthy eating is an "all-or-nothing" battle. And instead of feeling guilty for indulging in a special high-fat treat, you can learn to enjoy your favorite foods occasionally, in moderate portions. What a refreshing change!
Spring heralds rebirth and change and it's hard to go wrong in the supermarket produce department at this time of year. Peak spring vegetables are making their way to market and the color, flavor and nutritional content of these seasonal delights couldn't be better. This is a perfect time to try new vegetables that you may not be accustomed to eating to help add variety to your diet. Artichokes, asparagus, radishes, rhubarb, spring onions and spinach are all at the peak of perfection for your spring menus.
For starters, give artichokes a try. Look for firm, compact globes that have an even green color.
Be sure not to pass up the spring asparagus. Choose spears with tight, compact tips and medium green color with purple highlights. Pick spears of similar diameter so they all will cook in the same amount of time.
The height of radish season is right about now as well, so look for red globes sold in batches with their greens still attached. Fresh looking greens are a good sign of quality, and they're edible as well!
Rhubarb is best in spring, and choice rhubarb is firm and has good color. Be sure to remove the leaves before cooking, as they are quite toxic. This vegetable is sensational paired with spring strawberries in a sweet/tart crisp.
Good spring spinach is the greenest of the green, fresh and crisp with no signs of wilting or yellowing.
Eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains is key to diabetes control and to maintaining a healthy heart to take you into your golden years.
The major holiday observance this April is Passover, one of the most ancient of religious festivals still celebrated. Passover is the most widely observed Jewish Holiday, commemorating the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Passover lasts for eight days and most often falls in April, according to the dates of the Hebrew calendar.
Since Passover once had a strong seasonal festival aspect, produce heralding the arrival of spring is most welcome and used in abundance in Passover recipes. Be creative and bring some new foods to your table by sampling the pleasures of Passover with your Jewish friends.
Until next month, eat well and stay healthy!