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NUTRISPEAK by Vesanto Melina
The scrumptious aroma of potatoes baking in the oven on a winter
afternoon. Minestrone soup simmering, bringing an invitation from
onion, garlic and herbs. The vibrant reds, greens and purples of
a rainbow-hued salad. The explosion of flavour when you bite into
an avocado and tomato sandwich.
If the word “vegetables” doesn’t conjure in your
mind sensations of colour, fragrance, delicious flavour and bountiful
health, it’s time to update your attitude about these amazing
foods. When we have a savoury soup and salad for lunch, and build
our dinner around veggies, we consume a wealth of vitamins, minerals
and other nutritious compounds.
More than any other group of foods, vegetables have proven their
worth as cancer fighters and as our powerful protectors. This is
a great time to make the acquaintance of new members of this family
of plant foods and also to discover what powerful allies they can
be in supporting your health.
One of the best things that veggies have going for them is an abundance
of protective phytochemicals (plant chemicals). These substances
provide many of the colours that make the produce aisles so attractive
and vibrant. Veggies also give you more bang for your buck, in terms
of providing vitamins, minerals and protection against disease,
per calorie and per mouthful, compared with any other group of foods.
The recipe shown is from our newest book, The Raw Food Revolution
Diet*. This bean-free hummus has all the flavour of traditional
Middle Eastern hummus and is full of nutrients, including bone-strengthening
calcium. It’s tasty with raw veggies. To expand your horizons
about which veggies you can eat raw, here are a few ideas: asparagus
tips, broccoli florets, carrot sticks, cauliflower florets, celery
sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber discs, green onions, green pea
pods, jicama sticks, parsnip sticks, peppers (red, yellow and green),
snow peas, zucchini strips or circles.
The Raw Food Diet Revolution
A trend that is sweeping North America is the raw foods movement.
Some people are motivated by a concern about their bulging waistlines,
others by the abundance of protective antioxidants and phytochemicals
in plant foods. Many are inspired to increase their intake of uncooked
veggies and fruits without adhering to an entirely raw diet. Are
raw diets nutritionally adequate? What are the potential pitfalls?
Are they good for children? Can a raw or mainly raw diet form the
basis for a successful weight loss plan? I will be delivering a
seminar entitled The Raw Food Diet Revolution at The Wellness Show.
See information below.
Vesanto Melina delivers The Raw Food Diet Revolution seminar
at The Wellness Show, Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Ctr,
999 Canada Place, Sun. Feb. 8, 12:30pm. Drop by the Book Publishing
Company booth (620) and say hello.
www.thewellnessshow.com
www.nutrispeak.com
*Authors: Cherie Soria, Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina (The Book
Publishing Company, 2008.)
Attend a free presentation by Vesanto, “Rx for Healthy
Eating” in Langley’s Walnut Grove Library, Wed. Feb. 11
at 7 pm
Zucchini Hummus
Makes 1-2/3 cups (5 servings)
Serve hummus with raw veggies or as “Romaine Boats” on
the inner leaves of a head of Romaine lettuce, topped with diced
tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts.
1 small zucchini, peeled and chopped (1 cup/250 mL, firmly packed)
3 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. flaxseed oil or olive oil
1-4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin (optional)
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1/3 cup sesame seeds, soaked 4 hours and drained
Place in a blender the zucchini, lemon juice, oil, garlic, paprika,
salt, cumin (if using) and cayenne. Purée. Add tahini and
sesame seeds and purée until perfectly smooth and creamy.
Store in a glass jar or other covered container, refrigerated, for
up to four days.
Note: This recipe can be made in a food processor, although the
mixture will contain whole sesame seeds, rather than being smooth.
Alternatively, you can replace the seeds with 1/3 cup more tahini
plus a little water.
Vesanto Melina is a BC-registered dietitian and co-author of
the following nutrition classics: Becoming Vegan, the Food Allergy
Survival Guide and Raising Vegetarian Children.
www.nutrispeak.com
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