Food & Nutrition

OATS AND BARLEY HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS

OATS AND BARLEY HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS   Barley is a main crop, and oats are a lesser crop that grows from a weed. The main difference is that they are two different grains. Barley has gluten, while oatmeal is a bit sweeter grain and does not have gluten. The differences and benefits of both nutrients are as follows: OATS Oats are a kind of whole grain that people often eat for breakfast. They have a lot of fiber and protein. BENEFITS: Helps in weight loss: The fiber in oats gives a feeling of fullness, which reduces the desire to eat more. Good for heart health: The beta-glucan in oats helps reduce cholesterol. Good for diabetes: Oats stabilize blood sugar. Provides energy: Eating oats for breakfast keeps energy up throughout the day. Improves the digestive system: The soluble fiber in oats improves the digestive system. BARLEY Which is an ancient grain, which is used in soups, breads, and various foods. BENEFITS: Controls blood sugar: Which improves insulin sensitivity. Heart health: Helps in lowering cholesterol. Improves digestion: Barley contains soluble and insoluble fibers that cleanse the intestines. Helps in weight loss: Which provides low calories and high fiber. OATS BREAKFAST RECIPES   OATMEAL One of the most nutritional breakfast option ever is oatmeal with fruits and nuts. INGREDIENTS: Oats: 1 cup Milk or water: 2 cups Honey or jaggery: As per taste Dried fruits (almonds, walnuts, raisins): As per requirement Cinnamon powder: 1 pinch (optional) RECIPE: Wash the oats and add them to a pan with milk or water. Cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the porridge thickens. Add honey or jaggery and mix. Put dried fruits and cinnamon on top and serve. OATS SMOOTHIE One of the healthy, delicious and easy to make breakfast can be oats smoothie. INGREDIENTS: Oats: 2 tablespoons Milk: 1 cup Banana: 1 piece Honey: 1 teaspoon Almonds or chia seeds: 1 teaspoon RECIPE: Soak the oats until soft. Add the oats, milk, banana, and honey to a blender and blend well. Pour into a glass and serve with almonds or chia seeds. BARLEY BREAKFAST RECIPE   BARLEY SOUP Best savory option for breakfast can be barley soup with seasonal vegetables and chicken broth. INGREDIENTS: Barley: 1/2 cup Vegetables (carrots, spinach, peas): as needed Chicken broth or water: 4 cups Salt and pepper: as needed RECIPE: Wash the barley and soak it in water for 15 minutes. Heat the broth in a pan and add the barley and cook for 20 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook until tender. Add salt and pepper, then serve. Both oats and barley are nutritious, and are great for breakfast for a healthy lifestyle!

OATS AND BARLEY HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS Read More »

ORANGE BIGGEST SOURCE OF VITAMIN C

ORANGE BIGGEST SOURCE OF VITAMIN C Oranges are tasty fruits packed with nutrients. They are known for being juicy and sweet, and many people enjoy them fresh or as juice. Sweet lovely orange trees started in China thousands of years ago. Today, they are grown in many places worldwide, including the United States, Mexico, and Spain. Oranges are full of important nutrients, including Vitamin C, fiber, folate, potassium, and antioxidants. This article covers almost all the information you need to know about oranges, including their nutritional value, health benefits, and more. TYPES OF ORANGES 1. NAVAL ORANGES Navel orange is one of the most popular varieties worldwide. It was named Navel because of the belly button-like mark on the bottom end. They grow typically in the winter months. These seedless oranges are ideal for culinary preparations. These have a very balanced acidic sweet taste and have bright skin very easy to remove making them a great choice for eating fresh as a snack or for juice. 2. Valencia Oranges Valencia oranges are famous for their unique sweet and tangy flavour. They grow from spring to winter. They are full of juice so specially used for juicing and for fresh salads, and are ideal for spicey and savory dishes in the form of orange sauce with beef stake or for tangy salsas. 3. Blood Oranges Blood oranges derived the name from their deep blood red colour which develops from the warm days and cool nights in the Mediterranea region where they are cultivated. There is a season from the winter through spring. These are beautifully colored inside like deep red, maroon, and purple and sometimes have burgundy streaks or even deep purple. These are freshly used in salad, stir-fried with chicken, or garnished in cocktails with a beautiful variety of colors and slightly tart and sweet taste. 4. Cara Cara Oranges Cara Cara oranges are a type of Navel orange, with pinkish-red colour because of their pigmentation, they are also sweet and seedless and are good sources of fiber. Fiber reduces the risk of diabetes and supports gut health. These oranges are used in salad, sauces, fresh juices, jams, and marmalade and in baking. 5. Mandarin Oranges Mandarin oranges originated in China. These are smaller and sweeter than normal oranges, that’s in season from November through April. They are usually eaten as snacks because they have soft peel which is easy to remove and are seedless. 6. Seville Oranges Seville oranges are from Southeast Asia, and Seville, Spain from where they earned their name throughout the world. These are recognized differently because of their bitter-sweet taste. They are often used to make marmalades, jams, sauces, and juices. Their zest and peel are also used in marmalade. These oranges are also used in fragrances, cosmetology, and medical applications. 7. Jaffa oranges Jaffa oranges are a specific type of sweet oranges originated in Jaffa, a port city in Israel. Known for their rich flavor and juiciness, they have distinctive thin skin and are typically seedless.Oranges are packed with vitamin C, often giving you more than 100% of your daily needs in just one. This vitamin helps keep your immune system strong and your skin healthy. And they’re super easy to eat, peel and enjoy. NUTRITIONAL VALUE A medium-sized 140grams orange has around 70 caloriesFiber 3gramsSugar 12gramsProtein 1gramFats 0Sodium 0Vitamin A 14 microgramsVitamin C 70milligramsCalcium 6% of your daily recommended amountPotassium 237milligramsCarbohydrates 15.4gramsEating food high in fiber, such as oranges, can lower the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and obesity. Fiber helps with digestion and keeps you feeling full longer, which helps manage weight. So, enjoying oranges is a delicious way to boost your fiber intake while reaping their health benefits. Oranges are rich in important nutrients, particularly vitamin C and folate. HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORANGES   1. HEART HEALTH Heart disease is the top cause of early death worldwide. Oranges are packed with nutrients like vitamin C, flavonoids, and carotenoids that can help support heart health and lower the risk of heart disease.Eating oranges and drinking squeezed orange routinely may assist with lessening coronary illness risk factors. Studies have demonstrated the way that squeezed orange can lower: Blood sugarLDL (bad) cholesterolC-reactive protein (CRP), which indicates inflammationAdding oranges to your diet is a tasty way to help keep your heart healthy! 2. AGAINST CHRONIC DISEASES Eating oranges and other citrus fruits can help lower the risk of health problems, like some cancers and diabetes.Concentrates on show that an eating routine high in citrus organic products might lessen the risk of:Lung cancerMouth cancerStomach cancerHead and neck cancerAlso, eating more fruits, including citrus, can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. So, enjoying oranges is a delicious way to support your health! 3. ANEMIA Eating food varieties high in L-ascorbic acid, similar to oranges, can assist with forestalling weakness, which happens when you need more iron. While oranges don’t have much iron, their vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from other foods. For instance, one study found that adding 120 grams of orange to meals with rice or lentils increased iron absorption by about 10.7%. You can take a stab at adding a little squeezed orange to lentil or bean dishes or placing orange fragments in spinach plates of mixed greens to help your body with getting more iron. 4. IMMUNE SYSTEM Eating fruits, which are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, can help keep your immune system strong. Oranges and other citrus organic products are particularly great wellsprings of L-ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is important for immune cells and helps get rid of old, damaged cells so your body can replace them with healthy ones. It also protects against damage that can weaken your immune health. Oranges have other helpful compounds, like hesperidin and naringenin, that reduce inflammation. Since long-term inflammation can harm your immune system, eating anti-inflammatory foods is a good idea. Plus, oranges provide fiber, which helps keep your gut healthy. 5. SKIN REJUVENATION Oranges are great for your

ORANGE BIGGEST SOURCE OF VITAMIN C Read More »

KEEP CALM AND GO BANANAS

KEEP CALM AND GO BANANAS Bananas are a delicious and nutritious fruit, and they enjoy worldwide popularity. They belong to the Musaceae family of plants. Bananas rank as the fifth most cultivated fruit in world trade across nearly 130 countries, primarily in the tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia. Bananas are a healthy source of potassium, fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and several antioxidants and phytonutrients. There are many different sizes and types of bananas, typically ranging in colour from green to yellow; sometimes yellow turns black, although some varieties are red. TYPES OF BANANA There are over 1,000 varieties of bananas grown in 135 countries worldwide. We can categorise bananas into two groups: cooking bananas and dessert bananas. 1. CAVENDISH BANANA The Cavendish bananas are easily available in American grocery stores. It has a mild sweet taste and a smooth, creamy feel. It ripens in stages from green to yellow, often developing brown spots. Cavendish bananas, grown widely in Central America, are vital to the economy.   2. PISANG RAJA The name comes from Malaysia and India. In Malai language, banana is called Pisang, and in Indian language, Raja means king. Its English name is Latundan banana. These bananas are very popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Pakistan. They are in yellow and orange colors. They taste like honey-flavoured flan, with a hint of citrus. These are smaller than cavandish bananas but very delicious and have a creamy, smooth texture. 3. LADYFINGER BANANA Lady Finger bananas are widely available in grocery stores in Australia, Taiwan, and Indonesia. People call them baby bananas or ladyfingers because they are about three inches long. These are smaller and sweeter than Cavendish bananas. They are naturally sweet and have a great taste with a hint of honey and a creamy feel. 4. RED BANANA Red bananas are very common in Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. They are also known as Red Dacca bananas. Researchers most often find them in the region of Southeast Asia. They have reddish-purple skin and light pink flesh. People have used them for religious festivals because of their unique red color. They taste super delicious. They are soft and sweet, and slightly tastes like strawberry or pear. They are high in vitamin C and B6, to increase blood cells, make antibodies, and boost your immunity system. 5. BLUE JAVA BANANA Farmers grow Blue Java bananas in warm, sunny, and humid regions like Fiji. The Philippines, and South Asia. They are often called ice cream bananas and have a sweet vanilla flavour and a creamy texture. They have a unique blue peel and white flesh. You can eat them fresh and cook. These bananas are quite hardy. They can grow in colder weather and can resist cold and humid weather. They can grow in low temperatures as low as -7 degrees Celsius. 6. MANZANO BANANA Manzano bananas are sweeter than Cavendish bananas and taste like a mix of apple and strawberry. It is cultivated in South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Manzano bananas have yellow skin that turns dark yellow and further black when they are fully ripe, and they are short and thick in size. 7. GOLDFINGER BANANA The Goldfinger banana was first developed in Honduras. Scientists made it more resistant to pests. You can cook it while it is green, and you can eat it raw when it is completely ripe. The Cavendish banana resembles it. Scientists want to replace the more disease-prone variety with it. 8. BARANGAN BANANA Barangan bananas are from Mylasia. They are famous for their delicious taste. They are a sweet type of banana with a mild flavour with a touch of orange. They are yellow with small dots on their skin and are seedless. Barangan banana enriched with vitamin B, vitamin C, fibre, iron, and other nutrients. The majority enjoy them as a dessert in many tropical regions. NUTRITION FACTS A medium-sized banana (100 grams) has these nutrition facts: calories 89, carbs 23 g, fibre 2.6 g, sugar 12 g, protein 1.1 g, fat 0.3 g, potassium 358 mg, vitamin C 8.7 mg, and vitamin B6 0.4 mg. CARBOHYDRATES Bananas are an excellent source of carbohydrates. One hundred grams of medium bananas have about 24 grams of carbs. Unripe bananas have these carbs, while ripe bananas have more sugars. When bananas are green, they can have as much as 80% starch. As they ripen, this starch turns into sugars, and when they reach complete ripeness, the starch is less than 1%. The main sugars in ripe bananas are sucrose, fructose, and glucose. They contain 16% sugar in fresh form. Bananas also have a low glycaemic index (GI) of 42–58, which varies depending on how ripe they are. The GI demonstrates how rapidly carbohydrates from food can raise your blood sugar. The high amounts of resistant starch and fibre in bananas help keep their GI low. FIBRE Unripe bananas contain a lot of resistant starch, which your body does not digest. Instead, it goes into your large intestine, where bacteria turn it into butyrate, a fatty acid that can help your gut health. Bananas also have other types of fibre, like pectin. Some pectin is water-soluble, and as bananas ripen, the amount of this pectin increases, making them softer. Both pectin and resistant starch help keep your blood sugar from rising too quickly after you eat. VITAMINS AND MINERALS  Banana are a great source of several vitamins and minerals, especially potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. Potassium: Bananas are rich in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure, regulate the heartbeat, and help our nerves function and contract muscles. Potassium moves nutrients into the cell and moves the waste elements out of the cell. A diet rich in potassium subsides the harmful effects of sodium on blood pressure. • Vitamin B6: They are also high in vitamin B6. A medium-sized banana can have up to 34% of the daily need for one person. • Vitamin C: Bananas are a good source of vitamin

KEEP CALM AND GO BANANAS Read More »

APPLE AS A SUPER FRUIT

  APPLE AS A SUPER FRUIT An apple is a crunchy, colorful pome fruit from plant family Rosaceae. It might consider a super fruit because of its nutrition values and health benefits. They rightly said “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” while its not a magical thing to cure but eating apples is good for your health. There are 7,000 varieties of apple in the world. Some of them are most popular. And every one of each has its own different taste, texture, color and shape. Apples have sweet and sour flavors. From sweet varieties like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Gala and Fuji to tang green like Granny Smith apples, Jazz apples or Honey Crisp apples, there is an apple for everyone. Culinary uses of apples: You can eat apples raw or cooked. They can be used as a part of salad or to make smoothies or milk shake. It is also a healthy choice while eating with a bowl of oats in breakfast. When it comes to cooking, you can make apple butter, jam, jelly or applesauce which can be spreadable on bread, baggles or on croissants. Apples can be used to make juices or drinks like cider or wine. Their sweet and tart flavor tastes very delicious in soups with the addition of vegetables. Apples can be used in baking in the form of pies, tarts, rolls, in apples bread or in apple cakes. Types of apple: There are almost 7,000 types of apples worldwide, here are few of popular apple varieties down below: 1. Red Delicious Apples Red delicious apples are from Peru, Iowa and first cultivated in 1875. The noticeable thing is they do not grow with seeds, they can only grow by grafting or budding. This is a large-sized, heart-shapes apple, with shiny bright red color that offers a grainy texture and candy-sweet flavor. They do not bake well because of their excessive water content, but being juicy makes them a great choice for eating fresh. 2. Gala Apples Gala apples are from New-Zealand. It is a hybrid variety. They are slightly oblong in shape, red over yellow color, blushed orange and slightly stripped. They can be a great choice for snacking, cooking and juicing but not ideal for baking because of their too much sweetness. We can slice them into wedges and enjoy eating them with a hint of cinnamon or by sprinkling sea salt for a yummy snack. 3. Golden Delicious Apples Golden delicious apples are from many warm regions of Europe, Italy and USA. In Asia these apples found in Kashmir India and Pakistan and also in Iran. They were first cultivated in Clay County, Virginia, USA in the early 1900’s. They have smooth, sweet and mild white flesh with a soft texture. Their shiny golden skin makes them easy to spot. They have a sweet delicious flavor that is great to eat them fresh or to use their slices in salads, skewered for cheese fondue, or baked into apple strudel. 4. McIntosh Apples McIntosh apples were first grown on a plot belonging to John McIntosh in Ontario, Canada, during the early 1800s, that’s why they usually called the national apple of Canada. They are sweet in flavor and soft in texture, that’s why they are not considered very good for baking pies or for tart pastries but excellent for applesauce used in desserts or for making jam or for juicing. 5. Granny Smith Apples Granny Smith apples are from Australia and first cultivated there in 1800s. They are now producing in Asia, Europe, Australia, New-Zealand, and the United States. And are widely found in grocery stores and farmer’s market. These apples are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that controls inflammation, boosts immunity and increases collagen production. These are small to medium in size around 5 to 7 inches in diameter, round or oval in shape, with thick and chewy peel, white and dense inside, and juicy with black seeds in the center. They are crisp and crunchy, so they can be ideal for baking and cooking, even for frying. They can be eaten as a snack too, other than cooking. 6. Jazz Apples Jazz apples are from various regions worldwide particularly Australia, china, New-Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United states are the big producers of this apple variety. They have a very refreshing and balanced sweet and sour flavor similar to pears. These apples are ideal for making savory meat dishes, or for making applesauce with beef or chicken steaks, they can be stirred with vegetables and meat, and also used in casseroles or in shepherd’s pie. 7. Honey-Crisp Apples It is a hybrid variety and cross of Honey Gold apples and Macoun apples. These apples produced in the university of Minnesota in USA. These apple patents gave the institution over 10 million dollars in royalties. Initially there were limited licensed growers, but later the patent expired, and growers were open to growing them worldwide, especially in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Honey-crisp apple are round to oblate in shape, are famous for their crispy and juicy texture, and as the name shows it has a very delicious sweet taste with a hint of honey. 8. Empire Apples Empire apples were cultivated in New York, in the late 20th century. This is a hybrid variety of apples which is a cross od McIntosh apples and Red Delicious apples. They are a delicious choice for eating raw or cooked. They are crisp in texture and have a sweet-tart flavor, ideally good for making pies, salads, fruits desserts, overnight oats, juices and smoothies. They are delicious rather healthy snacks in the form of sliced apple chips or apple wedges. 9. Pink Lady Apples Pink Lady apples are from Australia and some warmer regions like South-Africa or Southern Europe and Asia. They have a very unique and beautiful color of pink to red with white dots on its surface. They have sweet and sour flavor and

APPLE AS A SUPER FRUIT Read More »

Scroll to Top