Kitchen Stewardship

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Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to try a new Super Food from this list:

• Green Tea
• Pomegranate
• Artichoke
• Cranberry Juice

Impact Ratings:

Level of Commitment: Baby Steps

These are really outliers, kind of niche foods that make the Honorable Mention list because they have some good stuff in them, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to include any of these little gems in my daily diet.  Here’s a quick look at why they make the list and what to look for in the store:

Green Tea

A bit controversial because of the caffeine – some would say just stay away from it entirely – Green (and black) tea has some antioxidants and polyphenols that fight cancer and heart disease.  If you must drink your caffeine, better to go with tea than soda (for sure) or coffee, but even better to get your antioxidants from other foods on the list (blueberries, for example).  I only drink it at Chinese restaurants myself.

Pomegranate

This is the epitome of “try-something-new” for me, because pomegranates are so unique!  They are big red balls, about the size of a grapefruit, and you only eat the little seeds on the inside, which you have to extract by sinking the cut-open fruit in cold water.  Luckily, although it’s a bit of a process, the pomegranate seeds are quite tasty and a fun treat (but rather expensive as fruit goes).  You can get all sorts of pomegranate products nowadays; just be careful to get only 100% juice with little to no sugar and don’t be tricked into buying something with pomegranate flavoring.  Those wouldn’t have the health benefits, which include antioxidants like green tea, but in even more plentiful amounts.  Fight cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Read more at:

• Super Foods RX (also photo source)
• The Food Paper (Good info on how to purchase)
  
• Health Castle Top 5 Super Foods

Artichoke

Ok, maybe artichoke is the epitome.  I have tried artichoke once, googled how to cook it, made a great-sounding butter dip…and it was pretty gross.  It may be that I purchased a bum artichoke; I did not, after all, Google how to select an artichoke, although I’m sure you could find that info.  For me, artichokes are great to order at a restaurant, and I might buy a can here and there, but they’re quite pricey and hubby didn’t really like the chicken/lemon/artichoke dish I made with the one can I have purchased.  But don’t lose heart!  Maybe you’ll have better luck than me.  Artichokes are worth your time because they are, once again, packed with antioxidants.  They are also said to be a natural diuretic, digestive aid, and good for blood sugar control if you have diabetes.  Artichokes fight heart disease, too.  Read more benefits here. (photo source)

Cranberry Juice

Ever tasted 100% cranberry juice? Not the stuff in Old Orchard Cran-Raspberry or Cran-Apple Juice.  There’s not really much cranberry juice in there.  The real stuff is much more expensive and pretty zingy.  That’s what we’re talking about when we say Super Food though – don’t accept substitutes and “made with some cranberry juice” choices.  If you have issues with kidney stones or bladder infections, though, this is the drink for you.  Its hippuric acid acidifies the urine and prevents bacteria from adhering to the lining of the bladder, reducing urinary tract infections.

I’m just guessing that cranberries themselves have some good nutrients in them, so I always stock up on a few bags in early winter when they’re in stores and on sale.  I chop them up and add them to all sorts of baked goods, even banana bread.  My favorite is cran-bran muffins.  You can add them raw and they’re not too tart once they’re baked in, but they won’t be a substitute for dried cranberries, which are a totally different texture.

Be brave in your kitchens this week!  Leave a comment to tell us what new adventure or ingredient you’re trying (even if it’s not one of these).

I’m linking in to Try It Tuesday at Naturally Knocked Up.

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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Hungry for more? Related posts:

1. Monday Mission: Green Cleaners Resolutions
2. Monday Mission: Increase Your Omega-3 Fats
3. Recipe Connection: Green Smoothies with Kale
4. Monday Mission: Rethink Plastic Food Storage Containers
5. Monday Mission: Review Week