What is Watercress?

Is this watercress in full bloom? Photo: SXC

My mother likes trying new produce as much as I do. One night we had a 30-minute phone conversation about watercress. She read about it in Martha Stewart's Living magazine and has wanted to try it ever since.

In her small, rural Iowa town you can't find such fancy leafy greens.

I've never had watercress either, but have seen it at the local Hispanic grocery store a few times. I'm curious to learn how to eat it.

With a little research I've found watercress is grown in water, or semi-aquatically. It also boasts several nutritional benefits, according to Nutrition Data:

• 1 cup of raw, chopped watercress only has 4 calories
• Watercress is fat-free and cholesterol-free
• A 1-cup serving provides your daily vitamin K needs
• Watercress is also rich in vitamins A, C and E

Have you tried watercress? How do you eat it? What does it taste like?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Juicing Carrots: A Burst of Vitamin A



One cup of raw carrots (pre-juicing) gives you over six times
the recommended daily percentage of vitamin A.
Photo by Kander, Wikimedia Commons

What's a girl to do when carrots go on sale for 50 cents a bag? Juice 'em! To the naysayer, the thought of making juice from a vegetable may sound, well, icky. But crunchy carrots turn into a sweet, refreshing juice in a matter of seconds with an electric juicer.

And they give your body a vitamin packed pick-me-up.

Health Benefits of Carrots

One cup of raw carrots (pre-juicing) gives you over six times the recommended daily percentage of vitamin A. Carrots are also high in vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium and fiber. The antioxidants in carrots promote eye health, ward off cardiovascular disease and help prevent some cancers.

Mix it Up

My favorite way to drink carrot juice is with a splash of fresh juiced lemon or mixed with apple juice. I have tried mixing carrot juice with the juice of other vegetables -- including cucumbers, kale and celery -- but the result was too bland.

The World's Healthiest Foods website recommends mixing fresh juiced carrots with soy milk and bananas for a breakfast shake. Since I like soy milk, and this concoction sounds like it might have a sweet taste, I'll have to give it a try.

What are your favorite juicing mixes?

Resources and Suggested Further Reading:The World's Healthiest Foods, The George Mateljan Foundation: Carrots
SoyQuick: The Benefits of Juicing Fresh Carrots

Until next time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela
Whole Foods Living

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