Friday, March 15, 2013

What goes into our family's tummy


Ever since I have been cooking lately, I thought it will be nice to know what exactly are we feeding into our tummy.

At the same time I am trying to introduce more greens into my daughter's diet and thank god, she is taking it nicely and I am so proud of her.

Here's a peek into what goes into our diet.

Tomato
Tomatoes are one of the low-calorie vegetables containing just 18 calories per 100 g. Tomatoes are a rich source of several nutrients. They are well known for their high vitamin C content, but also contain significant amount of vitamin A, B vitamins including niacin and riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorous and calcium. Tomatoes are also a good source of chromium, folate and fiber.

They are also very low in any fat contents and have zero cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, they are excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Because of their all-round qualities, dieticians and nutritionists often recommend them to be included in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.

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Carrot
Carrots are loaded with beta carotene, which is why they appear orange. Carrots are very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Carrots are also a good source of thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, folate and manganese, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium. The only downside to carrots is that a large portion of the calories in carrots come from sugars.

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Cucumber
Since cucumbers have around 95% of water content they are a great way to increase your fiber and water intake. There is a high content of vitamins A, B6 and C present in the flesh of the cucumber. In addition to that these vegetables are known to have a high concentration of minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and silica.

Sweet Corn



Chilli
Chilies contain health benefiting an alkaloid compound in them, capsaicin, which gives strong spicy pungent character. Fresh chili peppers, red and green, are rich source of vitamin-C. Vitamin C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant. It is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body protect from scurvy; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.

They are also good in other antioxidants like vitamin A, and flavonoids like ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin, and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidant substances in capsicum help to protect the body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress, diseases conditions.

Chilies contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

Chilies are also good in B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish.

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Garlic
Strong flavored, garlic cloves contain many noteworthy phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that have proven health benefits. Its bulbs contain organic thio-sulfinite compounds such as diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide and allyl propyl disulfide that can form allicin by enzymatic reaction, which is activated by disruption of bulb (like crushing, cutting, etc.).

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Onion
Onions are very low in calories (just 40 calories per 100 g) and fats; however, rich in soluble dietary fiber.
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Fish
Some types of fish are very low in fat, the fattier fish types contain healthy essential fatty acids (omega-3) that are actually very good for the body. Fish is a high protein, low-fat food, a good source of iron