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Vitalpina Hotel Valserhof
Rio di Pusteria - Val Pusteria
From the Vegetable Garden
by Vitalpina Hotels Südtirol - 28.04.2010
Category: Gastronomy
All vegetables from the kitchen garden – whether root or leaf vegetables, whether traditional or newer varieties, whether green, yellow or red – provide you with an important variety of nutrients, colours, scents, tastes and flavours, and thus enhance your daily menu.
Gifts from Mother Earth
A high amount of healthy ingredients and low fat content make vegetables an ideal food for keeping in shape. This is true for children and adults alike. Vegetables contain an abundance of vitamins, such as vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid. In addition, they also contain mineral nutrients such as potassium, phosphorous and magnesium, dietary fibre and secondary plant compounds. Since most vegetable varieties have relatively high moisture content, their energy content is fairly low.
Mind the Colours
Pay attention to the colour of the vegetable: the red of the pepper, the lush green of broccoli and the fire-orange colour of the carrot! All these vegetable colours live up to their established reputation. The most important plant pigments are carotenoids and flavonoids, both of them act as antioxidants (providing protection from undesired reactions caused by oxygen and free radical scavengers). The colour range of the carotenoid lies in the yellow-red sphere, most notably represented by beta-carotene in the carrots, pumpkins and apricots. On the other hand, flavonoids are situated in the red-purple spectrum, being most commonly visible in red cabbage, onions, apples and blue grapes. Flavonoids are among the strongest antioxidants to appear in nature. They therefore can help to prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Hints and Tips for Cooking Vegetables
Vitamins are extremely delicate organic compounds: the primary causes of their being damaged or destroyed are exposure to light, oxygen from the air, heat and water. Therefore, to preserve the vitamin content of vegetables, gentle preparation (washing, cleaning, peeling, cutting, etc.) and gentle means of cooking (steaming, stewing, soaking) are called for, as well as appropriate storage (which should be dark, cool and dry).
Some nutrients are extremely sensitive to heat, while others can be released more easily when the vegetable is cooked. Therefore it is recommended to prepare vegetables in a mixed manner. The best way of eating vegetables is to alternate between fresh salads or raw vegetables as a snack in between meals, and on the other hand, steamed, grilled and stuffed vegetables as main courses.
Eating Vegetables at Lunch and Dinner
In order to eat a handful of vegetables or fruits five times a day as recommended, it is necessary to practice this as a menu by eating vegetables at both lunch and dinner every day. In fact, the two main meals of the day should not only consist of satiable ingredients such as potatoes, rice, noodles and corn, but should always be complemented by a portion of vegetables or salad. It is however not necessary to weigh the portions. They can be easily weighed by simply taking a handful: big hands mean big portions, and small hands – smaller portions.
For those who do not Like Vegetables
Those who do not like vegetables for whatever reason can be easily tricked by mixing vegetables into main dishes in different ways, for example, pureed or “hidden” in soups and sauces. A welcome alternative to potentially boring vegetable dishes is to eat these as a snack, as palatable vegetable sticks with a spicy dip sauce. We have seen some vegetable grouches becoming vegetable enthusiasts in this way. As vegetarians say: “Dip, Dip, Hooray!”
from Verena Breitenberger, Bozen
A high amount of healthy ingredients and low fat content make vegetables an ideal food for keeping in shape. This is true for children and adults alike. Vegetables contain an abundance of vitamins, such as vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid. In addition, they also contain mineral nutrients such as potassium, phosphorous and magnesium, dietary fibre and secondary plant compounds. Since most vegetable varieties have relatively high moisture content, their energy content is fairly low.
Mind the Colours
Pay attention to the colour of the vegetable: the red of the pepper, the lush green of broccoli and the fire-orange colour of the carrot! All these vegetable colours live up to their established reputation. The most important plant pigments are carotenoids and flavonoids, both of them act as antioxidants (providing protection from undesired reactions caused by oxygen and free radical scavengers). The colour range of the carotenoid lies in the yellow-red sphere, most notably represented by beta-carotene in the carrots, pumpkins and apricots. On the other hand, flavonoids are situated in the red-purple spectrum, being most commonly visible in red cabbage, onions, apples and blue grapes. Flavonoids are among the strongest antioxidants to appear in nature. They therefore can help to prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Hints and Tips for Cooking Vegetables
Vitamins are extremely delicate organic compounds: the primary causes of their being damaged or destroyed are exposure to light, oxygen from the air, heat and water. Therefore, to preserve the vitamin content of vegetables, gentle preparation (washing, cleaning, peeling, cutting, etc.) and gentle means of cooking (steaming, stewing, soaking) are called for, as well as appropriate storage (which should be dark, cool and dry).
Some nutrients are extremely sensitive to heat, while others can be released more easily when the vegetable is cooked. Therefore it is recommended to prepare vegetables in a mixed manner. The best way of eating vegetables is to alternate between fresh salads or raw vegetables as a snack in between meals, and on the other hand, steamed, grilled and stuffed vegetables as main courses.
Eating Vegetables at Lunch and Dinner
In order to eat a handful of vegetables or fruits five times a day as recommended, it is necessary to practice this as a menu by eating vegetables at both lunch and dinner every day. In fact, the two main meals of the day should not only consist of satiable ingredients such as potatoes, rice, noodles and corn, but should always be complemented by a portion of vegetables or salad. It is however not necessary to weigh the portions. They can be easily weighed by simply taking a handful: big hands mean big portions, and small hands – smaller portions.
For those who do not Like Vegetables
Those who do not like vegetables for whatever reason can be easily tricked by mixing vegetables into main dishes in different ways, for example, pureed or “hidden” in soups and sauces. A welcome alternative to potentially boring vegetable dishes is to eat these as a snack, as palatable vegetable sticks with a spicy dip sauce. We have seen some vegetable grouches becoming vegetable enthusiasts in this way. As vegetarians say: “Dip, Dip, Hooray!”
from Verena Breitenberger, Bozen
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