The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (32 page)

• Sprinkle the cheese over the top, replace the cover, and let the dish stand for about 1 minute to allow the cheese to melt. Serve.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
284 calories, 37.7 g carbohydrate, 12.1 g protein, 11.5 g fat, 6.6 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Bulgur wheat is the groat form of wheat. It differs from cracked wheat in that it has been parboiled and dried. The most common types of bulgur have also had the bran removed, but whole grain bulgur is available, and this type has by far the best nutrition profile. Whole grain bulgur has a lower glycemic index than brown or white rice and buckwheat. It is not a gluten-free grain, however, since it is a form of wheat.

Bulgur is an excellent source of several B vitamins—thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B
₆
, and folate—that are essential to metabolism and that help convert homo-cysteine into less harmful chemicals; this helps lower blood pressure and protect the heart. It also provides the minerals iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium, and it is high in fiber. The protein in bulgur is not complete. Like other grains, it lacks sufficient lysine, and therefore it should be eaten with foods such as beans or seeds that can provide this essential amino acid.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One cup of cooked bulgur provides 151 calories, 33.8 g carbohydrate, 5.6 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 8.2 g dietary fiber, 33 mcg folic acid, 124 mg potassium, 9 mg sodium, 73 mg phosphorus, 18 mg calcium, 58 mg magnesium, 1.75 mg iron, 1.04 mg zinc, and 1.11 mg manganese.

Bringing It Home

Bulgur is found in the international food section of the supermarket or with other grains, though it is unlikely that whole grain bulgur will be found there. For whole grain bulgur, you will likely have to seek out a health food store. Store bulgur away from heat, light, and moisture. Cooked bulgur will keep about four days in the refrigerator.

Livit Recipe

½ cup bulgur wheat

1½ cups boiling water

½ lemon, juice only

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 sprigs parsley, minced

1 tomato, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced

½ cup cooked corn

Salt

• Put the bulgur in a medium bowl, then pour the water over the bulgur. Let the bulgur soak for about 30 minutes, then drain. Rinse the bulgur in cold water to cool it.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the parsley.

• In a salad serving bowl, combine the bulgur, tomato, pepper, cucumber, and corn. Add salt to taste. Add the oil dressing and toss gently until it is well distributed. Serve.

•
NOTE
To mince parsley, put it in a glass and, using kitchen scissors, snip it until it is finely minced.

YIELD
2 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
231.6 calories, 48.1 g carbohydrate, 7.8 g protein, 3.6 g fat, 10.6 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Corn is included as a vegetable in
Chapter 2
, yet corn's history as a grain is far longer. As a grain, corn is allowed to mature and is dried. People long ago learned to treat the corn with slaked lime (an alkali) to remove the outer hulls and soften the grains enough to make them more palatable. This treatment also improves the nutritional value of dried corn by converting the niacin into a form that the body can more easily absorb. Depending on the process used, such a treatment may also increase the amount of certain minerals in the corn.

In addition to the improved availability of niacin, corn tortillas offer some other B vitamins necessary to metabolism—thiamine, pantothenic acid, and folate.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One corn tortilla provides 70 calories, 14 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 1 g fat, 1.5 g dietary fiber, 2 mg calcium, and 0.36 mg iron.

Bringing It Home

Because of the oils found in whole grains, whole grain corn tortillas are found in the refrigerator section in most groceries. Blue corn tortillas have some additional anti-oxidants due to the blue color, and they are a fun variation. Check the “sell by” date on the package to make sure that the tortillas are fresh. Store them in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator, and they will keep up to about a week.

Livit Recipe

See Safe Handling of Poultry on page 211.

2 corn tortillas, sliced into ¼-inch strips

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups low-fat chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

3 or 4 scallions, minced

1 small bunch fresh cilantro, minced

1 fresh lime, cut into quarters

• Toast the strips of tortilla in a toaster oven until crisp. Set aside.

• Put the chicken in a medium skillet and add enough water to cover. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let the chicken poach over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the water and allow it to cool.

• In a medium saucepan, bring the broth, garlic, and cumin to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the scallions and cilantro.

• When the chicken has cooled, shred the meat with a fork and add it to the soup. Add the toasted tortilla strips, and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with a wedge of lime.

•
NOTE
To mince fresh cilantro, put it into a glass and, using kitchen scissors, snip the cilantro until it is finely minced.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
130 calories, 6 g carbohydrate, 18 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 1 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Millet is not really one single plant, but rather a group of plants that produce small grains. The kind normally sold as food in the United States is proso, or common millet. Other millets sometimes used for food include foxtail millet, pearl millet, and finger millet. Millets are gluten-free grains. Although they are not very closely related to wheat, they have a similar protein content, about 11 percent by weight. Like many other grains, millets are a good source of B vitamins, including niacin, B
₆
, and folic acid, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and zinc.

In recent studies, a protein extract from a Korean foxtail millet appeared to effectively increase the amount of adiponectin, a protein hormone that modulates
a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism. Mice that were fed a millet extract had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and lower levels of blood glucose than those that were not. While this research is very preliminary, and the millet extract was highly concentrated, it raises the possibility that millet may have a role to play in fighting insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of cooked millet provides 143 calories, 28.4 g carbohydrate, 4.2 g protein, 1.2 g fat, 1.5 g dietary fiber, 1.6 mg niacin, 23 mcg folic acid, 74.5 mg potassium, 2.5 mg sodium, 120 mg phosphorus, 3.5 mg calcium, 0.75 mg iron, 53 mg magnesium, and 1.09 mg zinc.

Bringing It Home

Whole grain millet should be stored away from light, heat, and moisture. It will keep for up to a year. Millet flour goes rancid very quickly, however, so if you are going to bake with millet, consider grinding the flour immediately before use. If you cook millet in a relatively small amount of liquid, it will come out light and dry; if you use a lot of water, it comes out thick and mushy, more like mashed potatoes. Many traditional recipes begin with toasting the millet to add to its flavor.

Livit Recipe

½ cup millet, rinsed and drained

1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
OR
water

½ small butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 green apple, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ teaspoon dried sage

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, as garnish

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the millet. Toast it until it just begins to change color, stirring constantly so that it doesn't burn. Add the broth, squash, apple, sage, and soy sauce. Allow the broth to come to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover, and allow the millet to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the millet is soft and the liquid is mostly absorbed. If the millet is soft enough but there is still liquid in the pan, cook it, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes over medium heat.

• Transfer to bowls. Drizzle with honey and garnish with pumpkin seeds. Serve.

•
NOTE
To rinse and drain the millet, use a sieve and allow it to stand long enough to drain completely.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
199.4 calories, 43.4 g carbohydrate, 4.3 g protein, 1.9 g fat, 3.7 g dietary fiber

Benefits

One great thing about the increased concern with healthy eating is that there are products available to make it easier. One of the best things you can do for your health is simply to eat a greater variety of foods, including grains. If you don't have time to cook multiple grains for every meal, there are prepared products that include several grains in every bite. Look for them in health food stores as well as the supermarket.

Multi-grain products are a way to try out unfamiliar grains, get the benefits of several grains at once, add a variety of tastes to your day, and give you more satisfaction per chew, since they are so high in fiber.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of cooked multi-grain pilaf provides 170 calories, 30 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 3 g fat, 6 g dietary fiber, 2 mg calcium, and 1.4 mg iron.

Bringing It Home

Choose higher-fiber multi-grain products—5 or more grams of dietary fiber per serving—to help you feel satisfied longer. If you prefer one of the lower-fiber blends, you can add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed to increase the fiber.

Livit Recipe

2 cups buckwheat

½ cup whole peanuts

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 small cloves garlic, diced

1 small red onion, diced

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon coriander

cup raisins

1 small carrot, scrubbed and sliced into matchsticks

½ cup diced red cabbage

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons water

½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 sprigs fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

½ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

1 teaspoon sugar or evaporated cane juice crystals

• Cook the buckwheat according to the directions on the package and set aside.

• Dry toast the peanuts in a small skillet until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onion, and sauté until they are limp.

Add the cumin, coriander, raisins, carrots, cabbage, salt, and water. Stir well. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the sautéed mixture with the cooked buckwheat, toasted peanuts, bell pepper, and cilantro. Mix well.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, chili flakes, and sugar.

Add this dressing to the pilaf, and toss gently so that all ingredients are evenly distributed.

YIELD
8 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
180 calories, 25 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 7 g fat, 4 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Add variety to your day's grain intake just by opening up a box of multi-grain crackers or having a slice of multi-grain bread. Make sure the crackers and breads that you choose are whole grain, high in fiber, and low in fat. For extra nutritional punch, choose one that includes seeds!

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Fourteen multi-grain crackers provide 150 calories, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 6 g fat, 3 g dietary fiber, 2 mg calcium, and 1.4 mg iron.