Do you ever wonder if it’s ok to eat the rind of a Meyer lemon, or the stalks of an artichoke? The answer is YES (as long as they are washed well).
We Westerners go a little “main stream” on our veggies and fruits, but here are some interesting facts if you are willing to color outside the produce lines and try very nutritious foods:
Try:
The outer leaves of lettuces: (like butter lettuce, romain, iceberg) even if they are a smidge “wilty”. These are the greenest of the lettuce, which typically indicates more nutrients! The more inward you go on these lettuces, the whiter the leaf gets, leaving them less nutrient dense.
Broccoli leaves: They tastes like cabbage and are great in soups
Broccoli stems: So often we throw these away…they just need to be cooked a little longer, but the stem is the most nutritious part of the broccoli and hold the most amount of fiber! I love to dice them up stir fry them.
Tops of turnip greens: These will need to be cooked a little longer, but are worth it. They taste like spicy watercress.
Beet greens: You can stir fry these, steam them and/or throw them in your vita-mix. They taste a little sweet and hold less sugar than the actual beet, but are loaded with anti oxidants
Orange and lemon peels: Haven’t you seen tiny rinds in fancy espresso drinks? These peels are flavorful and hold a large amount of vitamin C. The Meyer lemon rinds are especially yummy.
Watermelon rind: The rind (or the green/white part ) is fabulous for immunity. It’s also loaded with Vitamin B6 and vitamin C.
Kiwi skins: These look pretty scary, but are actually quite sweet. Yes, I’ve actually eaten them! They hold vitamin C, A, and a boat load of anti-oxidants.
And my personal favorite: Artichoke stems. Similar to the broccoli stems, these need to be steamed first but they have the highest amount of anti cancer properties than any other vegetable, are loaded with fiber and really tasty!
Try one of these, I’d love to know if you have others you’ve cooked with which are a little “out of the box”!
To Yours in Health~
Tammy Parkinson CNC CPT CLC
Body Firm Personal Training and Nutritional Consulting
www.mybodyfirm.com
