Food in Season
WLR's Tracy Dobson highlights this month's low calorie food in season and gives some healthy recipes.
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Food in Season: November
By WLR's Tracy Dobson
Eating local foods when they are in season is not only good for your carbon footprint, they also taste better. Because they haven’t travelled half-way round the world they are fresher and more succulent. This is important as when you are on a weight loss diet vegetables will form a large number of your calorie-low foods. Try these seasonal diet vegetables!
Parsnips
Parsnips are widely available from around September time right through to March but because the frost brings out the sweetness the tastier parsnip will be those grown in mid winter. They can be used in a wide range of dishes from casseroles to salads and cooked in much the same way as the potato. My personal favourite is to simply roast in the oven to bring out even more of the natural sweetness. This starchy vegetable contains around 61calories per 100g and provides a good helping of fibre, vitamin c and potassium.
Preparation:
The smaller parsnips don’t need to be peeled, give them a quick scrub under the tap and cook as they are. Older parsnips just need a quick wash, trim the ends and peel!
Storage:
Kept in the fridge in a perforated, unsealed plastic bag they can last for 2 or 3 weeks.
Parsnip Recipes:
Parsnip Hash Browns
Parsnip Mash
Spicy Parsnip Salad
Nutrition data per 100g
Calories (kcal) 61.6
Carbohydrate (g) 11.6 (Sugars (g) 5.3)
Protein (g) 1.7
Fat (g) 1.0 (Saturates (g) 0.2)
Fibre (g) 4.3
Sodium (g) 0.0
Alcohol (g) 0.0
Fruit & Veg 1.2
Pumpkin
The pumpkin season is quite short so make the most of this super calorie-low food. At this time of year there are plenty to be had especially for those of us who’ve had to scoop out the flesh to make lanterns for halloween! Pumpkin has a mild sweet taste, which makes it ideal in both sweet and savoury dishes. The tastier pumpkins do tend to be the smaller ones and remember that ripeness is linked to how heavy they are so they should not feel light. At 26 calories per 100g the colour alone shows that it is full of betacarotene which is an important antioxidant in helping protect against heart disease. The body also converts this into Vitamin A, which will not only help give us healthy skin, but is important for a healthy immune system It also contains Vitamin C, Fibre and high levels of potassium. From a nutritional point the best part is what most people discard – the seeds. Pumpkin seeds are high in Iron, Zinc, Magnesium and Protein and contain Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
Preparation:
Peel and remove the seeds and any fibrous stringy bits before cutting into chunks. For larger pumpkins you may find it easier to cut into quarters before peeling. Alternatively you can remove the insides to carve the pumpkin by slicing off the top and using a large spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds.
Storage:
If stored correctly pumpkins can be kept for weeks. Store in a cool dark place and change their position to stop any rot. Cut pumpkin can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for around a week. Alternatively cook and keep in the freezer. They are a starchy vegetable so will freeze well without affecting the flavour.
Pumpkin Recipes:
Pumpkin Soup
Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Biscuits
Nutrition data per 100g Raw Edible Portion
