GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
PEANUTS We think of peanuts as nuts, and for all culinary, research and nutritional purposes they are. But they aren’t a typical “nut” – botanically a fruit whose ovary becomes hard at maturity. This is because along with peas, beans and lentils, they belong to the legume family, whose members produce those familiar pods typically …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
SWEET POTATO They were cultivating sweet potatoes in Central and South America for about 7–8000 years before Columbus arrived. He thought they looked like yams and tasted like chestnuts, and shipped them back to Spain along with chillies and chocolate. Like ducks to water they took to local conditions and thrived in the Mediterranean climate. …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
CABBAGE Dietitian Nicole Senior wrote this for us a few years ago. We asked her to update it for Good Carbs Food Facts this month as sauerkraut is a must for our fermented issue. Rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and cancer-fighting phytochemicals, cabbage is one of those veggies you can enjoy in many …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
RED KIDNEY BEANS Dietitian Nicole Senior is such a fan of red kidney beans, we asked her to share the facts in this month’s Good Carbs Food Facts A to Z. Raw red kidney beans (Phaseolis vulgaris) are beautiful. Their deep dark colour is delightful and their smooth rounded edges are pleasing to touch – …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
DATES Fresh dates “are so remarkably luscious that there would be no end to eating them, were it not for fear of the dangerous consequences that would be sure to ensue” noted Pliny the Elder long ago. In moderation however, they make the perfect snack and they bring moist deliciousness to fruit breads, cakes, cookies, …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
Honey Honey is made by bees after gathering nectar from flowers. It’s a beautiful image and a lovely example of the generosity of Mother Nature (or the greed of man, depending on your world view). It’s also a great example of how food can be regional. Much like winemakers talk of the “terroir’ (soil, climate, …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
SPELT Spelt is one of today’s trendy grains with organic cred and a mystical “ancient grains” health halo. An older wheat variety of uncertain parentage – possibly a hybrid of emmer and bread wheat – it was long cultivated in parts of Europe, but fell out of fashion because it is a hulled wheat (meaning …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
STRAWBERRIES Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, with one cup providing 180% of the recommended daily intake,” says dietitian Nicole Senior. “They are also high in the B-vitamin folate needed for a healthy heart and a healthy pregnancy. Like other berries, strawberries are low in natural sugars, low in kilojoules, low in sodium, and low …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
PUMPKIN What’s not to like about rambling pumpkins with their softly hairy stems and elegant tendrils reaching for the sun. Boil and steam them for a quick side dish or soup, but roast when you want concentrated flavour and creamy sweetness. Toss some seeds on the compost and bingo, you’ll find yourself with a pumpkin …
GOOD CARBS FOOD FACTS A TO Z
BROWN RICE Grains are at their most nourishing when we eat them as whole as possible or as minimally processed staples. They certainly figure prominently in the diets of the long-living Blue Zones folks and observational studies around the world (think of these as head counts) suggest that eating plenty of whole grains may reduce …
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