Cherries: A heart healthy treat
Everybody looks forward to cherry season. Sweet and juicy, portable and popular, cherries are an all-around fun fruit.
Fresh sweet cherries provide a delightful combination of taste and health. A bowl full of cherries — or more specifically a cup full of cherries — offers a good source of vitamin C, important for maintaining cardiovascular health, and three grams of dietary fiber, helpful in weight control, cancer prevention and heart health.
Cherries also contribute quercetin, an important phytochemical that may help reduce the production of “bad” cholesterol, a known factor in heart disease.
Both sweet and sour cherries contribute anthocyanins, a group of phytochemicals that reduces inflammation in a manner similar to aspirin or ibuprofen. Inflammation is a known factor in many chronic diseases, including: cardiovascular disease, arthritis, lung disease and diabetes.
Sweet cherries along with other red-colored fruits and vegetables are members of the Color Way red group. We’ve divided fruits and vegetables into five color groups: blue/purple, green, white, yellow/orange and red. Our recommendation is for adults and teens to eat five cups of fruits and vegetables every day, spreading their choices among all the color groups.
By choosing a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, you reap the benefit of all the unique combinations of fiber, nutrients, and phytochemicals that each fruit and vegetable provides.
Colorful, Light Salad
Looking for a colorful and simply elegant salad? Try Rubies and Greens. A light citrus dressing drizzled over nutrient rich spinach, ruby-red cherries and English cucumbers makes a tasty and eye-catching combination for any night of the week.
RUBIES & GREENS
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1 bag baby spinach or mixed greens (5 oz.)
3 cups sweet cherries, pits removed
2 cups sliced English (hothouse) cucumber
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
Whisk together orange juice, oil, honey, salt and pepper; set aside. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Toss with dressing and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Nutritional Information per serving: calories: 136; total fat: 4.9g; saturated fat: 0.7g; percent calories from fat: 32 percent; percent calories from saturated fat: 5 percent; protein: 2g; carbohydrates: 24g; cholesterol: 0mg; dietary fiber: 3.4g; sodium: 232 mg.