A Peachy Way To Eat Healthy
They do not pucker our mouths as lemons do, satisfy our love of crunch like a crisp apple, or taste as good slathered in peanut butter as a banana. Yet, they can turn a splash of cream into ambrosia.
Peaches are one of nature’s most delightful treats, a sweet understated pleasure, much like a soft breeze on a sticky August day.
Though colored in pastels and brushed with fuzz, peaches are a nutritious powerhouse. They are low in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat, and each has only about 37 calories. They are heavy in fiber, vitamins, and bioactive compounds that protect our health.
Peachy Nutrition Benefits
- Each peach gives us three grams of digestion-friendly fiber.
- By providing us potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, iron and calcium, peaches support our bones, nervous system, and red blood cells.
- Peaches are loaded with ten vitamins: A, C, E, K, plus some B complex vitamins—thiamin, B6, riboflavin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid.
- Fruits with pits such as peaches and plums contain protective substances called phenolic compounds. They help prevent the development of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health problems that can precede diseases such as diabetes.
Late summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy fresh peaches. Here is a simple and intriguing peach recipe you may want to try.
Recipe: Balsamic Grilled Peaches
To serve 4 you will need:
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
- 4 large ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted
- 1 small head butter lettuce—washed, dried, separated
- 1 ounce fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into 1/2 inch chunks, room temp
- 2 1/2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
Preparation:
- Arrange the peach halves in a single layer on a sheet pan. Brush the cut side of each peach with 4 tablespoons of dressing.
- Broil or grill the peaches for 3-5 minutes or until they have softened and have a golden color.
- Divide the lettuce among four serving plates and place two grilled peach halves on each, top with some of the cheese.
- Drizzle each salad with the remaining dressing and garnish with sunflower seeds, serve right away.
Sources: Medical Daily; Yummly
Photo credit: skyseeker / flickr
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