The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (29 page)

Keep summer squash in the refrigerator in a plastic bag; it will keep for three or four days. This squash is so full of water that it does not freeze well, either raw or cooked.

You can use most summer squash raw, or steam it very lightly for a simple, low-calorie vegetable side dish. Sprinkle grated summer squash on top of salads and sandwiches. Enjoy an easy seasonal ratatouille by sautéing summer squash, onions, bell peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes and simmering the mixture in tomato sauce. Season to taste. Serve raw summer squash cut into strips or bite-sized pieces with your favorite dips.

Livit Recipe

Canola oil

¾ cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

6 tablespoons pasteurized liquid egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1¾ cups organic all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups shredded summer squash

½ cup chopped nuts

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Grease a 9” loaf pan with canola oil, using a paper towel to distribute the oil evenly and soak up any excess.

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, applesauce, egg, egg whites, and vanilla.

• In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, wheat pastry flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

• Add the flour mixture to the applesauce mixture and stir to combine. Gently stir in the squash and nuts. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

YIELD
12 slices

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
206 calories, 36.3 g carbohydrate, 6.9 g protein, 4.4 g fat, 2.6 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Swiss chard is a green that is closely related to beets. The same betacyanins and betaxanthins found in beets are found in chard. Swiss chard also contains antioxidant phenols and flavonols, which have been shown in the laboratory to inhibit the growth of some types of cancer cells.

Chard is an excellent source of vitamins C, E, and K, and the minerals potassium, magnesium, iron, and manganese. It also provides the B vitamins B
₆
, thiamine, niacin, and folic acid, and the minerals calcium, selenium, and zinc. It is a good source of carotenes and fiber. With 27.4 percent of the recommended daily value for potassium and 47 percent of the recommended daily value for magnesium in a one-cup serving, chard helps keep blood pressure down.

Swiss chard does contain measurable amounts of oxalates, so over-consumption can cause problems for those with kidney disease, gout, vulvar pain, rheumatoid arthritis, or other conditions that may require a low-oxalate diet.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of boiled, chopped Swiss chard provides 18 calories, 3.6 g carbohydrate, 1.7 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 1.8 g dietary fiber, 2762 IU vitamin A, 16 mg vitamin C, 8 mcg folic acid, 483 mg potassium, 158 mg sodium, 29 mg phosphorus, 51 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, and 76 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Look for Swiss chard in season at farmer's markets. This leafy green is delicious when young and tender, as well as later in the season, when the leaves are larger and the ribs are tougher. It should be a deep, dark green, without yellowing or browning, and the leaves should show no signs of wilting.

Store chard in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. It will keep for three to five days. Do not wash it until you are ready to use it.

Prepare the chard by washing it well to remove all the grit. If you have tender baby chard, you can cook it stems and all. If you have older, tougher chard, trim the leaves away from the stems and central ribs and cook the leaves separately from the stems and ribs. The stems and ribs taste slightly of beets.

You can stuff chard leaves the way you would cabbage leaves, with a filling of whole grain and seasoned ground turkey or tempeh. Try tossing pasta with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh garlic, and steamed Swiss chard, or add steamed chard to omelets and frittatas. You can use chard in place of spinach in many dishes.

Livit Recipe

6 ounces dry fettuccine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Swiss chard, washed, trimmed, and cut into ¼-inch strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ small onion, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
OR
plain nonfat yogurt

½ cup 1% milk

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

teaspoon salt

teaspoon black pepper

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

• In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Once the oil is hot, add the Swiss chard, garlic, and onion. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, and add the tomatoes, yogurt, milk, and Parmesan cheese. When the cheese has melted, add the cooked fettuccine. Add salt and pepper, and stir well. Serve warm.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
187 calories, 28.4 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 5 g fat, 3.4 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Tomatoes are one of nature's best sources of lycopene. Cooking tomatoes makes the lycopene more available, but that doesn't mean you need to avoid raw ones. One cup of raw tomato still provides plenty of lycopene, as well as lutein, vitamins A and C, carotenes, anthocyanins, and potassium.

It is the lycopene, however, that has made tomatoes a SuperFood. It may be the best substance for quenching oxygen free radicals, and it helps protect the skin from the aging effects of ultraviolet light. Lycopene has been researched for its potential in combating several types of cancers, including prostate, breast, pancreatic, and intestinal cancers. Interestingly, however, in some studies lycopene alone did not convey the same protection as eating a diet rich in tomatoes. So there are certainly more health-protecting treasures inside this versatile food.

A study in 2007 found that broccoli and tomatoes together were better at fighting prostate cancer than either vegetable was alone. Although the study was done
on rats, the tomato-broccoli combination was effective enough to have strong implications for humans as well.

The fiber and antioxidants in tomatoes have been shown to lower cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels. In at least one study, a high dietary intake of tomato products significantly reduced both low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels, while making the cholesterol less vulnerable to oxidation.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One raw red tomato provides 26 calories, 5.7 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 1.4 g dietary fiber, 766 IU vitamin A, 23 mg vitamin C, 18 mcg folic acid, 273 mg potassium, 11 mg sodium, 30 mg phosphorus, 6 mg calcium, and 14 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes. Choose tomatoes that have the deepest color, with a smooth skin that has no cracks or holes. Tomatoes that are ripe and ready to eat have a distinct tomato smell. If you can't smell them, they won't have much flavor, either.

To get the benefit of everything that tomatoes have to offer, seek out heirloom varieties as well as the familiar red ones. Yellow, orange, and even purple tomatoes all bring different phytochemicals to the table. With many of the heirloom varieties, the tomato may be multi-colored without being unripe.

Lycopene is fat soluble, so it is more bioavailable if you eat your tomatoes with a little fat, such as olive oil or cheese. If you're trying to eat broccoli with your tomatoes, try an omelet filled with broccoli and tomatoes cooked in olive oil. Add a side dish of lightly steamed broccoli florets and shredded mozzarella to a bowl of tomato soup at lunchtime. Or make it a pasta dish, with chunky tomato sauce, steamed broccoli, and mozzarella on whole wheat pasta.

Livit Recipe

1 can (28 ounces) peeled Italian plum tomatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely minced

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1¼ teaspoons dried oregano

Salt

Pepper

1 bunch fresh basil, trimmed, with leaves cut into tiny ribbons

• In the container of a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes.

• In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and add garlic. Sauté the garlic, stirring, for 15 seconds; do not let it brown. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Stir in fresh basil. Serve over whole wheat or quinoa pasta.

•
VARIATIONS
For a balanced meal, add protein to the sauce: Stir in some ricotta cheese or blend silken soft tofu with a little water to add to the sauce. Try mixing steamed broccoli into the sauce to get the tomato-broccoli one-two punch!

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
102 calories, 19 g carbohydrate, 4.3 g protein, 2.8 g fat, 4.5 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Turnips—both the root and the greens—are cruciferous vegetables. Although the root has a long history as a staple food, the tops are much richer in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The green leaves are a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate, copper, and calcium. They are high in lutein and beta-carotene, which help protect eyesight and preserve the linings of blood vessels.

Turnip greens are packed with antioxidants, and the B
₆
and folate help reduce levels of homocysteine in the blood, protecting the walls of blood vessels and helping prevent atherosclerosis.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of boiled, chopped turnip greens provides 14 calories, 3.1 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 2.5 g dietary fiber, 3959 IU vitamin A, 20 mg vitamin C, 85 mcg folic acid, 146 mg potassium, 21 mg sodium, 21 mg phosphorus, 99 mg calcium, and 16 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Turnip greens are not necessarily sold separately from the turnips themselves. If you're buying turnips for the greens, make sure the leaves are crisp and a deep green color. Remove the leaves from the roots and store them separately. In a plastic bag in the refrigerator, turnip greens will keep for about four days. Although they are more delicately flavored than collards, turnip greens can be used in many of the same recipes. The turnip root is similar to a rutabaga and can be substituted for it in most recipes.

Livit Recipe

4 turnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
OR
chicken broth

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper sauce

1 pound turnip greens, washed and trimmed, with leaves sliced down the middle, then cut crosswise into strips

• In a medium saucepan, bring about four cups of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, drop the turnips into the water and boil them for 5 to 8 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft. Add the broth, salt, and pepper sauce, and stir to combine. Add the turnip greens and turnips, and stir to combine. Cover the pot, and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, until the greens are just tender.

•
NOTE
This dish is traditionally served with vinegar on the side.