By Debra Nessel R,D., C.D.E. .
Now that you’ve covered up the barbeque and prepared your last fruit
salad for the summer are you thinking of going into hibernation for the
winter? Think again! This is a great time of year to enjoy the warm and
flavorful foods of fall!
There's something special about fall flavors that speaks to our hearts
as well as our stomachs. Autumn represents tradition and celebration which
usually means comfort foods and over eating. This is the perfect time
of year to reassess your current diet and exercise routine and outline
an early New Year resolution list. Use these early resolutions to get
you through the upcoming holiday season when over indulging and lapse
of exercise can leave you open to weight gain.
The autumn brings a harvest of fruits and vegetables unique to the season.
Make the most of them with some of my favorite fall recipes.
Pumpkins make great jack-o-lanterns and they're also great for nutritious and
flavorful meals. Pumpkin provides carotenoids to help fight heart disease
and cancer, vitamins C, E and riboflavin, iron, fiber and potassium. You
could run out and start making pumpkin pies or you could try something
healthier like my pumpkin parfait.
Pumpkin Parfait
1 cup canned pumpkin pureed, or 1 cup pureed cooked fresh pumpkin
1 package (4 serving size) artificially sweetened, low fat instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup skim milk
Mix all ingredients together in a mixer bowl. Divide among parfait dishes
and chill for several hours before serving.
Serving Size 6 - 1/2 cup servings
Calories 75, Protein 5g Carbohydrate 13g, Fiber 1g, Fat 14g, g, Cholesterol
2mg, Sodium 149 mg
Beets It is difficult to believe from the rough looking exterior of raw beets
how they can be transformed into something wonderfully soft and buttery
once they are cooked. These colorful root vegetables contain powerful
nutrient compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects
and certain cancers, especially colon cancer.
Beet & Fennel Salad with Oranges & Balsamic Vinaigrette
SALAD:
1 fennel bulb, peeled and thinly sliced
2 beets, peeled
2 oranges
1/2 Bermuda onion, thinly sliced into rings
VINAIGRETTE:
1 tablespoon freshly chopped shallots
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
freshly ground black pepper
1. Place beets in a sauce pan, cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat and simmer until beets are easily pierced with the tip of a knife.
Drain, cool, peel and dice into medium size cubes.
2. Peel the oranges and remove the segments over a bowl to reserve the juice.
Vinaigrette:
1. Place all of the ingredients plus the reserved orange juice in a container
with a lid. Shake.
2. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss with beet mixture. Refrigerate for ½ hour.
Serving Size 4 - 1cup servings
Calories 210, Protein 3g Carbohydrate 25g, Fiber 6g, Fat 10g, Cholesterol
0mg, Sodium 219 mg