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the health jeanne

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Celebrating the Vegetable, Celery

Perhaps celebrating celery may be a little excessive. It’s a reminder that we should remember this nutritious vegetable. Celery is a low-calorie vegetable. It is nutritious and anti-oxidant-rich.

Two medium celery stalks (one serving) has just 18 calories. Choose large, firm stalks that are pale to deeper green, with leafy ends. This vegetable contains a list of other vitamins, too. Celery contains an excellent source of antioxidants and beneficial enzymes, in addition to vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, potassium, and vitamin B6.

Based on 2,000 calories/day, celery provides 40 percent of Vitamin K and 10 percent of Vitamin A, supporting eye health.

It also contains dietary fiber (1.6 grams per cup), which helps curb cravings because it absorbs water in the digestive tract, making you feel fuller longer.

Organic celery is best, to reduce exposure to contaminants like pesticides. Be sure to wash thoroughly, whether grown organically or non-organically.

To keep celery for a week, store unwashed stalks in airtight plastic bag. They’ll keep fresh until ready to use. Also, the leaves can be stored in dampened plastic bag for future seasoning or dried.

Yours truly uses celery to season soup, salads, stuffing, casseroles, and main dishes. Also, the leaves are a clever way to garnish a dish.

Celery is a nutritious snack. Try topping it with peanut butter or reduced-fat cream cheese, or dipping the stalks in a variety of sauces, including hummus, cheese sauce, salad dressing, vegetable dip, and yogurt.

Next time you’re looking for a healthy snacking vegetable, go for the celery, with its low calories and various nutrients; also, it’s available year-round  It’s a winner all the way!

the health jeanne

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by Jeanne Angleberger

The Value of Eating More Vegetables

Every new year gives us the opportunity to begin a healthy lifestyle. It is an individual choice.  What can I do to improve my health?

Let’s start the new year researching the value of eating vegetables. We know vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet; they supply us with vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring compounds.

There are many benefits when increasing your daily intake of vegetables: they are low-calorie (only about 25 calories per cup, raw); they are low in sugar; and they provide a rich source of antioxidants.

Research recommends we aim to consume two to three cups daily. Studies show that people who eat more vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases, as well as a reduced risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.

Variety is the key. It’s better to include several types of vegetables since each one contains a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Making colorful vegetables (red, yellow, green, orange, purple) a regular part of your diet ensures a good variety.

You can also up your vegetable quota simply by adding them to prepared food. Soup recipes are a great way to get more in your diet. Pizza, casseroles, burgers, meat loaf, and scrambled eggs are more nutritious when adding your favorite vegetable.

Think outside the box! Start searching the vegetable category. You’ll be surprised how many vegetables await your discovery.