The nutritional goodies in fruits and vegies

Almost everyone knows that fruit and vegetables are good for our health but the nutritional advantages of eating more fruit and vegetables are amazing.

As our population grows fatter, studies show that overall consumption of fruit and vegetableshas decreased. At the same time, many people, especially children, are eating more junk foods. The best way to drop consumption of junk foods is to eat more fruits and vegetables –everyday. Let's take a look at their virtues:

Vitamin C
Fruit and vegetables are virtually the only sources of vitamin C. The only other foods that provide this essential vitamin are breast milk and some offal meats. Vitamin C helps the body defences against infection and plays a vital role in bones, blood capillaries, cartilage, teeth and gums. It also functions as an antioxidant and the quantities present naturally in fruit and vegies are entirely safe which is not the case for vitamin C taken as a supplement. Vitamin C also helps the absorption of iron from plant sources.
Found in: 
All fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C.
Red capsicum, guava, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, citrus fruits, papaw, cauliflower, strawberries,mango, melon and cabbage are particularly rich in vitamin C.

Vitamin E
This antioxidant vitamin protects many cells throughout the body, especially in the membranes around cells.
Found in: 
Vegetables: The dark outer leaves of cabbage, sweet potato, tomatoes, pumpkin, spinach,sweet corn, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and parsnips.
Fruits: Blackberries, mangoes and tamarillos are good sources, with smaller amounts in plums,pears and raspberries.

Vitamin A
Most of our vitamin A is made in the body from compounds called carotenoids that are found in brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables. Beta carotene is the most important carotenoid for conversion to vitamin A.
Found in: 
Vegetables: Carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, capsicum, Asian greens, watercress, peas, tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, lettuce andbroccoli.
Fruits: Rockmelon, apricots, persimmons, tamarillos, yellow peaches, guava, passionfruit and oranges.

Vitamin B
There are eight different vitamins in this complex group and fruits and vegetables contribute to seven of them. The B vitamins play many roles in the repair of tissues, healthy blood and the body's ability to produce energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Found in:
Thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6) and biotin are widely distributed in foods such asmushrooms, peas, sweet corn, sweet potato, broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, cauliflower, avocado, bananas and passionfruit. Green veggies are top sources of the B vitamin folate.

Dietary fibre
All vegetables and fruits provide a combination of soluble and insoluble fibre. This helps keep the intestine functioning well and slows down the rate at which foods are broken down to form glucose in the blood. Soluble fibre can also help control blood cholesterol levels.
Found in: 
All fruits and vegetables with the top sources being peas, sweet corn, spinach, celeriac, asparagus,broccoli, cabbage and potatoes. Among fruits, the top sources include berries, passionfruit, pomegranate, quinces, pears, apples, plums, rhubarb, kiwifruit, bananas, figs and mangoes.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants from fruit and vegetables can help boost the body’s own supply of these vital compounds that help keeps is healthy.

Well over a thousand different compounds have an antioxidant action within the body and help to prevent adverse inflammatory changes and gradual breakdown in the way body cells function. Some antioxidants also contribute to eye health and many have anti-cancer activity.

Fruits and vegetables contain many hundreds of these antioxidants. Studies now show that those who consume the most fruit and vegetables have a lower risk of many serious health problems. However, when antioxidants are isolated from fruits and vegetables and taken as supplements, they do not have the same protective effect. Some even work the other way and can be harmful. This is a clear case that nature knows best and is yet another reason why we should eat more fruits and vegetables.

Artichoke

Hi, I’m so glad you’ve come to see me. You’re obviously a person who doesn’t make judgments on appearances and believes in a ‘fair go’. I appreciate that. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m a globe artichoke - not one of the vegetable world’s pin-ups but you’ll like me once you get to know me. Hey, don’t confuse me with those other guys - the Jerusalem artichoke. Now they’re really ugly, but what can you expect from a vegetable that grows underground!

Many people regard me as a prickly sort of character but that’s only because I grow on a pretty formidable thistle. Get to know the real me and you’ll fall for me in a big way. Let me tell you about myself.

As I said, I grow on a large thistle which can reach 1.5 metres in height (how tall are you? Would it be bigger or smaller than you are?). It has prickly leaves which are grey-green to bronze-green in colour, often with a purplish tinge. We form on branches that grow out from the side of the main stem and are actually the flower buds of the plant. If we’re not picked we go on to develop into a beautiful purple flower, which then forms seeds with downy tufts so that we can leave home when we’re caught by the wind and blown away from our parent plant to land in the ground and grow into new thistles...oh, I’m dreaming...back to my story.

The right time to pick us is when we’re sweet and tender. If left to flower we can’t be eaten because we become dry, woody and you really wouldn’t like us.

We grow to about the size of a tennis ball (do you play tennis?) and are usually round to conical in shape and made up of large leathery petals (like an unopened rose). Our petals (botanists call them bracts) surround and protect our tender centre which would grow into a flower if not eaten first. You can eat both this centre part and the succulent base of each of our petals.

In Australia we come in two main colours - green and purple and are usually sold as a bud with the stem and a few leaves attached.

As the heading for this site is Artichokes I suppose I’d better tell you something about those other guys. Jerusalem artichokes are tubers with small knobs (swollen underground stems like potatoes and ginger) which belong to the yellow-flowered sunflower family. They grow to 7-10cm long and about 3-5cm thick, rather like ginger. I’m told they have a honey brown skin which encloses a crisp, tasty, white flesh but don’t you go off trying them before you try me. We made friends first, remember.

Availability
Although we’re available from February to November we’re at our peak in August - September.

Did you know?
• Artichokes are one of the oldest foods known to humans.
• Marilyn Monroe was the first official California Artichoke Queen in 1947.
• 90% of Globe artichokes are grown in Victoria.

Varieties
Here in Australia we’re not usually sold by our variety, so just look out for the name Globe artichoke.

Why Artichokes Are Good To Eat
Look, we not only taste great but we can do a lot for you.
Consider this:

• We’re a good source of folate (one of the B group of vitamins) which keeps your blood healthy and helps you grow well. It’s especially important for mums to get enough folate at the beginning of a pregnancy to help reduce the risk of some birth defects in the baby
• We are a great source of dietary fibre, and we all know that keeps your bowel working well
• We also have some vitamin C, no fat and very few kilojoules
• 100g globe artichoke has 145 kJ

How they are Grown and Harvested
As I told you, we grow on the thistle plant which has very long stems with large branches that arc out like a Christmas tree. Some varieties have long arching spiked leaves which makes them look like giant ferns. As I said, if we’re not picked for eating we turn into beautiful purple flowers.

We’re grown in rows and when fully mature our parent plant can cover an area over 2 metres in diameter. About 15 of us grow on each plant. We prefer to grow in a colder climate but a cold chill (less than 10ÌC) or frosts will blemish our budding flowers but we’re still perfectly good to eat if our outer bracts are removed.

Our parent plant is grown in one of two ways either from seed or from cuttings. Plants that are grown from cuttings start with a piece of root placed carefully into holes in long rows.

The Global Star variety produces artichokes that are spikeless, thus enabling safer and easier handling. They’re grown from seed as an annual which means that they’re replanted each year as opposed to the rest of us which are perennial (we have a long life span and flower every year).

Harvesting occurs about 5-6 months after the crop has been planted. I’m in my prime for eating just before my flower starts to open. If baby artichokes are needed it requires special attention to ensure they’re picked at the right time.

Choosing Artichokes 
To pick the best of us select small to medium, compact, bright green, plump globes that feel heavy for their size. Large artichokes tend to be a little tougher and have less flavour than the smaller ones.

How to Keep Artichokes 
Store us unwashed in plastic bags in the crisper section of the refrigerator. We’ll keep for approximately two weeks.

Prime Growing Areas

History of Artichoke 
Our ancestors were North African thistles which still grow wild today. People from the Middle East were thought to have been some of the earliest groups to use us as a food. Due to our great taste, we quickly become popular and by Roman times, around 70 - 80 AD, only the rich were allowed to eat us and we were forbidden to the common people, which wasn’t fair was it?

We were first cultivated in Italy in the early 15th century and were also eaten in France and England during the Middle Ages.
We were part of the First Fleet, you know, and in 1788 - the first year of European settlement in Australia - artichoke seeds were planted on Norfolk Island. Norfolk Island had better soil than the poor, sandy soil of Sydney Town.

Seed catalogues show we were available throughout the 19th century but by the first half of this century we seemed to lose our popularity. It was the Italians, who migrated to Australia in the 1940’s and 1950’s, who brought us back into favour. They adore us and cook us so well that now everybody wants to eat us.

Fun Ways to Eat and Cook Artichokes
Artichokes are not as difficult to prepare and eat as we may appear. To prepare an artichoke, cut off the stem and remove any tough outer leaves. Cut the top 20mm off and trim tips of remaining leaves.

Brush all cut surfaces with lemon juice or soak in lemon and water to prevent browning. Cook whole, discarding the fuzzy centre or ‘choke’ either before or after cooking. Stems can be left on for some recipes if the leaves and fibrous outer green layer are removed first. The base or ‘bottom’ of the artichoke is the most succulent part. Artichoke hearts, mostly available in cans, are baby artichokes.

Artichokes may be steamed, boiled, microwaved. Boil or steam for 20-40 minutes or microwave for 4-8 minutes depending on size and serve hot or cold. Gently push fork into base of the artichoke to test if it is cooked. They can be stuffed, added to stews, casseroles, soups, sauces, dips, salads or served as a vegetable.

Simple but fun ways to cook artichokes:

Simple Tasty Artichokes
Prepare artichoke, cook and drain. Remove choke. Serve hot with melted butter and lemon juice or cold with favourite salad dressing. Simply remove leaves by pulling downwards. Dip in sauce and pull leaves through teeth to remove flesh. Eat remaining artichoke with extra sauce if required.

Stuffed Artichokes
Trim 4 medium artichokes and cut top 2cm off. Cook and drain. Remove choke. Mix 2 cups soft breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup each Parmesan cheese, minced onion and parsley and 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic. Fill centre of each artichoke and place in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil and bake in moderate oven (180ÌC) for 15 minutes.

Artichoke and Seafood Salad
Discard outer leaves and choke of cooked artichokes. Cut heart into quarters. Mix with cooked seafood (crab, lobster, prawns), chopped shallots and celery. Pour favourite salad dressing over top and serve chilled on a plate of lettuce leaves with chopped roasted brazil nuts

Mango

Greetings! It’s wonderful of you to come and visit us here at the Mango site - a place of sweet serenity, where you can savour the flavour of the tropics in cyber space. Yes, we’re mangoes, originally from India but now from tropical countries around the world. In India we’re considered to be a sacred fruit and it’s thought that Buddha used to meditate under a mango tree. But you don’t have to be a sage or a prophet to appreciate our fragrant aroma and succulent flesh. We’ve certainly been enjoyed by many people over thousands of years, so let me tell you a little more about us.

We’re a smooth-skinned fruit with a beautiful, sensuous feel and sweet aroma. Our shape and size can vary considerably, as well as our flavour and colour. Typically, we’re plump, egg or kidney-shaped, compressed (pushed in) sideways with a slightly pointed end. Our skin is peeled off to expose our flesh which is fragrant, succulent, moist, orange-coloured, with some fibrous (but edible) strands, surrounding a large seed.

Availability
We’re available from September to March with our best value being from November to January.

Did you know?
• We are known as the King of Fruits
• A mango tree doesn’t produce fruit until it’s about four years old
• We’re picked when mature, and more green than yellow
• We belong to the same family as the cashew and the pistachio nut
• We’re eaten green in parts of Asia, often sprinkled with a mixture of salt and sugar. We’re also made into chutneys to serve with curry
• We’re now grown in most tropical countries and are abundant in the northern parts of Australia.

Varieties
We’re sometimes sold by variety. In Australia, the most common mango is Kensington Pride or Bowen Special, a large, bright orange mango, often with a red blush. The flesh is deep orange and free of fibrous strands. Some other varieties are Irwin, Keitt, Nam Dok Mai, R2E2 and Kent.

Why Mangos Are Good To Eat
• When ripe we’re an excellent source of vitamin C, beta carotene and other valuable members of the carotenoid family. The deeper the colour of our flesh, the higher our carotenoid levels.
• We also supply dietary fibre.
• We’re a good source of potassium. That’s handy because potassium helps balance the sodium that we get from eating salty foods.
• An average 200g mango (weighed with skin and stone) has 310kJ. 100g of the flesh has 230kJ.

How They are Grown and Harvested
As I said, we’re a tropical fruit produced on a dense, evergreen tree which can grow to 18-20 metres. The leaves of our parent tree are narrow (35-40cm by 5-8cm), dark green, and leathery. Pink flowers are produced in groups and after fertilisation we mangoes mature and hang down on a very long stalks.

Our parent trees start bearing fruit between 3 and 4 years of age but, depending on the climate and soil, they can take up to 10 years. They prefer a tropical, warm climate and love deep well drained sandy to loamy soils.

We’re picked when ripe with care being taken to avoid the caustic sap produced when our stalk is cut. We’re harvested with the aid of a picking device, attached to a large pole, consisting of a pair of shears and a bag to cut and catch us.

Choosing Mangos 
Select those of us which are firm and bright with a distinct pleasant aroma. Colour should be characteristic of variety. Avoid any with black or soft spots.

How to Keep Mangos 
Ripen us at room temperature. Store ripe fruit in the vegetable crisper or in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use within 3 days.

Prime Growing Areas

History of Apples
We’ve been grown in India for more than 4000 years, but it’s thought that we may have originated in Malaysia and south-east Asia. Portuguese traders probably took us to Africa and Brazil. In the 18th century we were found growing in the West Indies and other parts of South America. We are now grown in most tropical and sub-tropical countries. Mangoes were introduced into Australia during the early years of European settlement via ships trading between north Queensland and south east Asia.

Fun Ways to Eat and Cook Mangoes
We have a very distinctive sweet taste and are great to eat. Serve with ice cream, in fruit salad, sauces, cakes, pies, puddings, crepes, mousse, sandwiches, salads, curries, seafood and chicken dishes. We’re also great on the barbecue and sauteed.

Cut only when ready to use to keep our aroma. To peel cut from the stem end first and skin will pull away easily if ripe.

An easy way to prepare us that also looks good is to slice each side of our large flat seed to obtain 2 fleshy cheeks. Score the flesh in cubes but not through the skin. Turn skin inside out so flesh is easy to remove. Cut any remaining flesh from around the stone.

Here are a few scrumptious mango recipes.

Nutty Mango And Prawn Salad
Peel and slice 2 mangoes. Shell and devein 750g prawns. Arrange prawns and mango on a bed of torn English spinach and snow pea sprouts. Mix 1/3 cup yoghurt, 1/3 cup chopped mango, 1/2 teaspoon sugar with 1 teaspoon tandoori seasoning and drizzle over salad.

Simple Mango Dessert
Peel and slice mangoes. Mix sour cream and glace ginger. Spoon over mango and sprinkle with chopped roasted macadamia nuts.

Barbecue Mango Chicken
Marinate 8 chicken thigh fillets and 2 sliced mangoes in 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce for 20 minutes. Barbecue and serve with salad. Simple but great. For extra bite add 1 finely chopped chilli to marinade.