Put Stock In Garden’S Gifts

What a wonderful time of year it is to get outside and enjoy the simple pleasures of the Earth and outdoors. Nurturing a garden and watching your own vegetables grow add a sense of accomplishment to your day.

With the abundance of fresh vegetables this time of year, it’s the perfect time to eat more vegetables.

Many people think good nutrition is complicated or time consuming, but an easy way to think about eating more healthfully is by adding colorful vegetables to your meals.

Look at the food on your plate (or in your fast-food sack) over the next several days. Is the food mostly tan, brown and white? Are you missing the bright, vivid colors of vegetables? If so, then you are most likely missing out on a powerful arsenal of antioxidants and phytochemicals.

These are substances found in plant life: vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. They protect us from cancer, heart disease and premature aging. Different types of these disease fighters are found in different vegetables, which is why it is important to eat a variety.

At lunch, try upgrading canned soup by adding quick-cooking collard greens, peas or zucchini. To a sandwich or burrito add a stack of romaine lettuce, chard, spinach or tomatoes. Try sugar snap peas or jicama sticks with lime juice for a crunchy snack. Add broccoli, cauliflower or red pepper to a pasta or casserole dish. Instead of just lettuce and tomatoes in a salad, add purple cabbage, shredded carrots or beets.

Here’s a colorful dish using some of the earth’s bounty. Add a salad with a variety of vegetables and some whole grain bread for a complete meal.

Pasta With Basil, Tomatoes, Artichokes and Garbanzo Beans From “The 28-Day Antioxident Diet Program” by Steven Masley (Custom Printing Co., 1997)

9 ounces fresh pasta (4 cups cooked)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon Italian herbs

3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 (14-ounce) can water-packed quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 (15-ounce) can reduced sodium garbanzo beans, drained

1 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Heat olive oil and saute garlic, walnuts and herbs in oil for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, artichoke hearts and garbanzo beans and heat for 2 minutes. Add basil, cover and heat for 30 seconds then remove from heat. Spoon vegetable mixture over pasta. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 385 calories, 9 grams fat (22 percent fat calories), 65 grams carbohydrate, 18 grams protein, 68 milligrams cholesterol, 14 grams dietary fiber, 536 milligrams sodium.