SUNCHOKES
Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem artichokes because they have a similar taste to an artichoke. Renamed to sunchoke in the 1960s.
Benefits include:
- A prebiotic fiber that serves as a source of food for the beneficial microbes that reside in our gut. Known to cause gas because of the amount of inulin present, and when eating recommended to avoid “overdoing it.”
How To Enjoy:
It tastes sweet and has a crunchy texture, which makes it a delicious addition when raw to salads. Peel and roast them or puree sunchokes just like potatoes.
RAPINI
Rapini are also known as Broccoli rabe, which despite its name, isn’t just another kind of broccoli.
Benefits include:
- Glucosinolates are a type of phytochemical, which has special cancer protective properties. They have been shown in preclinical studies to turn on the tumor suppressor gene.
How To Enjoy:
Deep green color and pleasantly bitter, rapini can be sautéed, boiled, steamed grilled, and even roasted. Best to consume within 2-3 days of buying because it is highly perishable and becomes more pungent and bitter with time.
SPROUTS
Sprouts are almost any seed can be sprouted, but most available at farmers markets or grocery stores are either bean or alfalfa sprouts.
Benefits include:
- A concentrated source of vitamin C and folate and also contain iron and manganese. Vitamin C supports our immune system while folate is an important B vitamin that ensures cells replicate properly.
How To Enjoy:
Sprouts retain the characteristic flavors of their parent plant, for example pea sprouts are sweet and mild, while radish sprouts are a tad spicy. They are great to top salads and sandwiches with.
Sprouts are a high-risk food for food borne illness, and anyone with immunocompromise is advised to avoid eating raw sprouts.
CHICORIES AND ENDIVES
Chicories and Endives are a group of bitter greens that include radicchio, chicory, escarole, curly endive, and others. They are all bitter, leafy vegetables available in cold weather.
Benefits include:
- Packed with many vitamins and minerals. Most have vitamins A, C and K, as well as minerals calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc.
- Chicory contains lactucopicrin, which reportedly acts like a sedative and analgesic.
How To Enjoy:
Typically enjoyed raw in salads, but also delicious when braised, grilled, steamed, or sautéed. They pair well with assertive flavors like garlic, lemon juice, and chiles.
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CITRUS FRUITS
Citrus fruits are in season during the winter months, which welcomes bright and golden flavor at the perfect time. Sumo citrus is a hybrid of a mandarin orange and is deliciously sweet. It is only available for a short season this time of year.
Benefits include:
- Vitamin C is an essential nutrient to support our immune system.
- Terpenes are present in the peel of citrus may help decrease the growth of cancer cells
How To Enjoy:
Stay fresh for up to 3 weeks in the fridge, making them a great choice to keep on hand.
Try orange or orange zest in your savory meals, like a spinach salad or zested into a grain dish.
LEGUMES
Legumes: You probably noticed that beans and lentils are classified as a member of both the vegetable and protein families. They are excellent sources of plant protein, and also fiber and many of the nutrients found in vegetables. Consider the choices of legumes as being the best of both worlds for nutrition!
Benefits include:
- Resistant starch is fermented by microbes living in our gut, which helps support their growth.
- Saponins are compounds that inhibit oxidative stress, inflammation, and growth of cancer cells while promoting their self-destruction.
How To Enjoy:
Reduce sodium by rinsing and draining canned beans and lentils; or opt for canned choices without added salt. Beans can be easily added to stews, soups, casseroles, combined with whole grains or in salads.
To reduce gas-producing substances, soak longer, then discard the soaking water and use fresh water for cooking.
FLAXSEEDS
Flaxseeds are also known as linseeds and is a flowering plant with many diverse uses for thousands of years. It was first used as a thread and made into linen cloth before the growth of the cotton industry.
Benefits include:
- Fiber to support gut health, control blood sugars, lower estrogen, and sustain fullness levels.
- A plant source of omega 3 fats, which are important in regulating and lowering inflammation in the body.
- Lignans help to stimulate enzymes that detoxify carcinogens.
How To Enjoy:
It’s easy to sprinkle flaxseeds into things you already eat, like a smoothie, oats, on top of a salad or in soup. Make sure to opt for ground flaxseeds to get the lignans that we otherwise can’t obtain from the whole seed.
AVOCADOS
Avocados are botanically a fruit, the avocado contains an impressive amount of nutrients including fiber and vitamins C, E, and K.
Benefits include:
- More than ½ of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated fat, which can help lower the “bad” cholesterol in your blood.
- Contain phytosterols, which are naturally occurring substances that help to block the absorption of cholesterol.
How To Enjoy:
More versatile than you might realize! Avocado shine on their own on top of toast or in a salad but provide flavor and nutrition in a smoothie or made into ice cream.
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SWISS CHARD
Swiss Chard: Did you know that swiss chard is technically a type of beet that does not produce an edible root? This green leafy veggie is native to the Mediterranean, it was a popular food even before the days of the Roman Empire.
Benefits include:
- Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamins A and K and a good source of vitamin C and magnesium.
- Also contains the antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids are potent antioxidants but also phytochemicals that support our immune system.
How to enjoy while connecting with others:
Try pickled Swiss Chard with deviled eggs at Mahjong!
WALNUTS
Walnuts: Walnuts have a formidable shell that resembles a human head, so ancient Greeks referred to them as karyon (meaning head). Crack open that tough exterior and you’ll find a bumpy textured meat that bears a marked resemblance to the brain.
Benefits include:
- Emerging research shows potential for walnuts to contribute to a cancer-preventive diet through several compounds possibly working together.
- Ellagitannins, melatonin and gamma-tocopherol may each work through different paths to reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and gene expression that can lead to cancer.
How to enjoy while connecting with others:
DIY trail mix with air popped popcorn, high fiber cereal, and freeze-dried fruit for a portable snack while hiking .
AVOCADOS
Avocados: Avocado is technically a berry because of its large seed in the middle. You can tell an avocado is ripe if it is slightly squishy when gently squeezed. If you squeeze an avocado and it is hard, it is not ready to eat.
Benefits include:
- A package of nutrients are found inside avocados. They provide a good source of fiber which helps support gut health, regulate blood sugars and our appetite, and linked with lowering the risk for colorectal cancer.
How to enjoy while connecting with others:
Serve smashed avocado and green peas on toast at your next Canasta gathering.
MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms: There are over 14,000 known species of mushrooms, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. From the familiar white button mushroom to the exotic shiitake and portobello varieties, there’s a mushroom to suit every taste.
Benefits include:
- Mushrooms are a great source of nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin D, and minerals such as selenium and copper.
- Selenium works like an antioxidant and some studies suggest that selenium in food may have a protective effect against certain types of cancer, such as prostate, breast, and colon cancer.
How to enjoy while connecting with others:
Enjoy mushrooms roasted on a flatbread during our Stand-Up Comedy Night
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