January Harvest of the Month – Pomegranate
Would you like a bit of good luck to start off the new year? Then check out 2018’s first Harvest of the Month: Pomegranates.
In Turkey, this fruit is thought to bring blessings because of its red color, which symbolizes life and the human heart; while the seeds are thought to represent prosperity. So for those reasons, along with their nutritional benefits, this is the perfect fruit to start off our year. Be sure to try our delicious menu items featuring pomegranates that will be served throughout our CHI cafeterias this month.
Try These Delicious Recipes (link to PDFs)
Special Pomegranate Glazed Carrots
Portable Pomegranate Smoothie
Grilled Salmon with Pomegranate Glaze
How to Buy, Store and Prepare
How to Buy and Store: When buying pomegranates, look for ones that are round and plump. Store whole fruit in the refrigerator, while seeds should be refrigerated in airtight containers.
How to Prepare: To get to the edible seeds (called arils), cut off the top and then cut through the exposed white sections of the fruit (but not through the seeds). Then, pull it apart into sections and remove the seeds, which you can eat or use in a recipe. For juice, put the seeds in a blender, pulse it and enjoy it in a smoothie. Or, the strained juice can be used as a marinade or added to salad dressings, dips and sauces.
Making it Kid-Friendly
While pomegranates may not be a common fruit that children try, once they do, it may become one of their favorites. Once my daughter tasted pomegranates she started asking me to buy them at the grocery each week! Since the seeds are sweet, tart and fun to eat, they can be added to kid-friendly foods, such as yogurt parfaits, granola bars, smoothies and homemade popsicles.
Pomegranates offer so many health benefits that it is difficult to list them all. They help enhance immunity, offer protection from cancer and decrease the risk of cardiac disease. They provide about three times the antioxidant activity of green tea and red wine, and they possess anti-inflammatory properties which can slow down cancer cell reproduction. The juice may inhibit cancer cell growth, which may help men fight prostate cancer. For heart health, pomegranates can lower triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol.
Fun Facts
Check out these fun facts about pomegranates provided by Kathy Price, RD, Regional Vice President of CHI Food and Nutrition Services:
- The word pomegranate means “apple with many seeds.”
- The fruit is considered a “super food” due to its high content of polyphenol, a potent antioxidant.
- The pomegranate is native to the Middle East and comes from a tree that can live up to 200 years.
- Pomegranate concentrate is used to make grenadine, a sweet syrup often used in non-alcoholic drinks and some Middle Eastern dishes.
Your health is about more than routine trips to your doctor – it’s about the small everyday choices you make. Those small choices can add up and make a big difference on your overall health. For more information on how to redeem your wellness rewards, visit onespiritblog.com/wellness