Years ago, I attended a food conference where a featured speaker suggested using hypnotism to foster healthy eating habits.
(Imagine if this worked with all kids. The mantra -- "You will eat five helpings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day" -- could be embedded in developing brains for a lifetime of healthier consumption.)
At this particular talk, I served as guinea pig. This was before the antioxidant craze, but I said I wanted to eat more dark-yellow vegetables and fruit. The nutritionist-hypnotist came up with the simple suggestion "Eat orange."
I came away thinking, "That's it?" But in the years since, rarely a dinner goes by in our house that doesn't include something orange on the plate. And it's not carrots 365 nights a year.
I can't help myself; I have a constant craving for the color orange. Blame it on the power of suggestion.
During late fall, orange is easy to find in many tasty forms. From acorn squash to yams, orange and dark-yellow vegetables pack extra Vitamin A into meals. On the fruit side, thin slices of Fuyu persimmon add a bright, cheery note to salads.
Orange or dark-yellow vegetables and fruit really do promote health. They get their color from beta-carotene, which our bodies convert to Vitamin A. (Mom was right; carrots are good for you.) It's an antioxidant and helps our immune systems.
Among vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes and yams, winter squash and pumpkin are high in beta-carotene. So are several dark-green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, spinach and collards.
In the fruit basket, mangoes, apricots, peaches, nectarines, cantaloupe and persimmons are good beta-carotene sources, too.
Persimmons are plentiful now. Fuyu persimmons -- the ones that look like orange tomatoes -- can be eaten when crisp, like apples. (The pointy Haciya are much too astringent when crisp and need to fully ripen.)
Two of my favorite recipes for this time of year take full advantage of these beta-carotene-rich additions. These are easy and flexible to what's on hand and can be adapted throughout the season. They can be dressed up for company or be served plain and simple. Orange vegetables or fruit add color (and vitamins) to any dinner. It's feel-good food that's good for you, too.
No hypnotism necessary.
Winter fruit salad
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 Fuyu persimmon, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups mixed greens
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds or golden raisins
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts
Dressing:
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Dash salt and pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix together fruit, greens, spinach, pomegranate seeds and/or raisins and nuts.
Whisk together dressing ingredients. Add dressing to taste.
Per serving: 154 cal.; 3 g pro.; 11 g carb.; 12 g fat (2 sat., 8 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 0 mg chol.; 259 mg sod.; 2 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 67 percent calories from fat.
Roasted winter vegetables
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves 4 to 6
Roasted vegetables are easy, delicious and nutritious. Use a mix of your favorites. They can be cooked separately as a side dish or roasted alongside meat or chicken.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds of vegetables of your choice: sweet potatoes, yams, potatoes, beets, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, Brussels sprouts, baby fennel bulbs
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, rosemary or sage) or 2 teaspoons dry herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut vegetables into large chunks, about 1 1/2-inch square. (Small vegetables can be left whole or sliced in half.) Put olive oil in bottom of 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Add vegetables, onion and garlic. Toss to coat with oil. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper. Toss again.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, turning vegetables occasionally, until vegetables are fork tender.
Per serving, based on 4 servings, using 1 pound each of sweet potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts: 197 cal.; 5 g pro.; 36 g carb.; 5 g fat (1 sat., 3 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 0 mg chol.; 151 mg sod.; 8 g fiber; 16 g sugar; 21 percent calories from fat.
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Call Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075. To see more of The Sacramento Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sacbee.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, The Sacramento Bee, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.