Newsletter 33: Fruit

 

Fruit is one of the most healthy and natural foods in existence.   Fruit contains a large number of naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and plant phytochemicals that help benefit health.

It has been recommended that we should be eating at least 8 pieces of fruit every day in order to gain the full health benefits of eating fruit.

 

HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING FRUIT:

potential for weight control 

reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases 

reduced risk of developing cancers

lower blood pressure

potential to lower cholesterol

reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes

potential to slow down age process

 

 

 

AUTUMN FRUITS:

Apples:                               

Apple with their skin are a top source of dietary fiber, vitamin C and are the second most popular fruit after bananas. Apple skin also contains many phytochemicals, such as quercetin, under research for potential health effects.

Bananas:             

Bananas provide an excellent source of vitamin B6 and a good source of potassium, fiber and vitamin C – nutrients that help promote heart health.

Grapes:                               

Grapes are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese and vitamin K.

Pears:  

This bell shaped fruit has several varieties that range from green to gold to red skinned. Its flesh is both juicy and sweet.

Melons:              

No melon supplies more beta-carotene, an antioxidant, than cantaloupe.

Oranges:

One medium orange provides more than a day’s worth of vitamin C and is an excellent source of fiber.

 

 

HOW TO GET MORE FRUIT DURING THE DAY:

At breakfast
Slice fruit over your cereal or just grab a banana before you leave the house.

For elevenses
Take apples, clementines, pears or satsumas to work to snack on.

For lunch
And have some fruit or a fresh, unsweetened 100% fruit juice for dessert.

In a restaurant
Ask for fresh fruit and yogurt for dessert – make sure the meal is low fat and healthy so as not to undo any good work you would have done during the day!

 

 

RECIPE – BANANA APPLE CAKE

Ingredients

100g sultanas

75ml bourbon or dark rum

175g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

125g unsalted butter, melted

150g sugar

2 large eggs, freerange

300g bananas mashed

200g apples, peeled, cored and chopped into cubes

60g chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

23 x 13 x 7cm loaf tin, buttered and floured or with a paper insert

 

Method

Put the sultanas and rum or bourbon in a smallish saucepan and bring to the boil.  Remove from the heat, cover and leave for an hour if you can, or until the sultanas have absorbed most of the liquid, then drain.  Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3 and get started on the rest. Put the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a medium-sized bowl and, using your hands or a wooden spoon, combine well.  In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas and apples. Then, with your wooden spoon, stir in the walnuts, drained sultanas and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, stirring well after each bit. Scrape into the loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1-11/4 hours. When it’s ready, an inserted toothpick or fine skewer should come out cleanish. Leave in the tin on a rack to cool, and eat thickly or thinly sliced, as you prefer.

 

 

RICETTA – KEJK TAL-BANANA U T-TUFFIEH

Ingredjenti

100g passolina

75ml rum

175g tqiq plain

2 kuccarini baking powder

1/2 kuccarina bicarbonate of soda

1/2 kuccarina salt

125g butir, mahlul

150g zokkor

2 bajdiet, freerange

300g banana mghaffga

200g tuffieh, mighajr qoxra, mqatta dadi

60g gewz imqatta bicciet

kuccarina vannilla

23 x 13 x 7cm tin tal-hobz midluk sew

 

Method

Poggi il-passolina go tagen zghir mar-rum u hallih jiftah jghali.  Nehhi minn fuq in-nar u hallih fil-genb ghal siegha jekk tista.  Nehhi ir-rum zejjed li jkun baqa.  Sahhan il-forn ghal 170ºC/gas mark 3. Poggi id-dqiq, baking powderm bicarb u l-melh go bieqja.  Go bieqja kbira hallat il- butir u z-zokkor.  Imbghad ifta il-bajd wahda wahda u fl-ahhar il-banana u t-tuffieh.  Ifta id-dqiq u hawwad sew.  Itfa got-tin u sajjar ghal-sija / sija u kwart.   Hallih got-tin biex jiksah qabel ma taqsam u sservi.