5-A-DAY CAN SAVE YOU $ July 16, 2003 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Mosquitos, sunburn, and scorching hot days are elements of summer I do not care for at all. Summer would really be a nice season without them. However, I'll put up with the bad to get the good . . . garden fresh vegetables. They're what summertime is all about. I stuff myself and my freezer with them.

But for some reason I can't figure out, there are people who do not like vegetables. Fresh, frozen, or canned -- green food on their plate sends them into orbit. I suspect that they have not actually tried veggies; they just think they don't like them.

Be their dislike real or imagined, these nonvegetable folks definitely need to change their ways. Health experts recommend we eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Now I suspect that these anti-veggie folks have heard the 5-A-Day rule before. Maybe a little more motivation is in order. How about money? Research reported at a recent American Heart Association forum looked at eating behaviors in midlife and found that a high intake of fruits and vegetables translates to lower health-care costs later.

In 1957-58, researchers with Northwestern University evaluated over 1,000 men, aged 40-45, who were free of heart disease at baseline examination. Twenty-five years later, researchers studied Medicare expenditures to estimate average annual health-care costs for surviving participants who were Medicare-eligible (65 plus years).

Participants were divided into three groups according to their fruit and vegetable intake in 1959 -- low, middle, and high. The men in the high-consumption group had the lowest total annual Medicare charges ($11,416). They also had the lowest charges related to coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. The men in the low-consumption group had the highest annual medical charges ($14,655). These associations were not influenced by other factors such as age, smoking, and obesity.

In plain English, these findings suggest that a high intake of fruits and vegetables have a beneficial effect not only on future health but also on health-care costs in later years. Eat your fruits and vegetables now or pay later. And summer is the perfect time to start!

A little postscript -- if you've got teens that don't eat fruits and veggies, have them check out the nutrition section for teens I've added to our Extension web page. There's info on fueling the body for sports, looking your best, losing weight, plus some fun activities. Our web address is www.ces.ncsu.edu/robeson/ and the teen section is linked from the Family and Consumer Science page.

This is my favorite way to cook green beans. The first time I served this version to my mother, she said she was not going to eat "raw" beans. Now ask her what she thinks.

Rinse fresh green beans and remove strings and stem ends if necessary. Drop beans into boiling water and boil about 8 minutes till beans are just tender crisp -- not dead and limp. For best color, do not cover beans during cooking. Drain beans. Season with a touch of margarine and lemon juice. (Sometimes I pretend I'm a television chef and don't actually measure ingredients. But that's not often; I'm a detail person.)

I use instant chicken bouillon powder to add flavor when cooking field peas, butter beans, and new potatoes. This allows me to reduce the amount of fat I use for seasoning. For fat I use canola oil -- not fat back or ham hocks. Liquid vegetable oils are recommended over solid animal fats, because they are less saturated. I can't tell you how much oil or bouillon to add -- it's something I do by instinct. As everyone's taste buds are different, you would probably need to experiment with amounts anyway.

Unfortunately, bouillon adds sodium -- lots of it. If you have a problem with high blood pressure or other conditions in which sodium must be limited, this cooking method is not for you.

Remember when quiche was all the rage? I would even serve a selection of different quiches for a ladies lunch. But as many Americans became concerned about saturated fat and cholesterol, quiches full of meat, eggs, and cream went out of fashion. Welcome quiche back with this version. It was a hit at our recent Heart-Healthy Cooking Class. I plan to try the filling -- minus the crust -- as a casserole.

Place large, nonstick skillet over medium heat; add onions with just a little margarine or butter and salt and pepper to taste. Cook onions about 10 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally, till onions are caramelized and lightly browned. Let onions cool slightly.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 4-inch circle; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 11-inch circle. Fit dough into 9-inch pie plate that has been coated with cooking spray and flute edges.

Combine spinach, sour cream, and shallot in small bowl. Combine evaporated milk, salt, pepper, egg whites, and egg in medium bowl; stir well with whisk. Stir 1/3 cup of milk mixture into spinach mixture. Spoon spinach mixture into prepared crust. Top spinach with caramelized onions, then with bacon and cheese. Pour remaining milk mixture over cheese. Place pie on baking sheet and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or till set. Let quiche stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yields 6 servings at 261 calories.

There are many versions of fruit pizza. The toasted coconut in this version is a wonderful addition. Coconut extract is used for more coconut flavor without the fat.

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut cookie dough into 8 slices. Press slices firmly into a 12-inch round pizza pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool crust completely on a wire rack.

Combine sugar, orange rind, coconut extract, and cream cheese in bowl; beat at medium speed till well blended. Spread cream cheese mixture over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch margin around the edges. Arrange mango, banana, pineapple, and kiwi on top of cream cheese mixture. Combine preserves and orange juice in small microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds or till jam is melted. Drizzle over fruit. Sprinkle toasted coconut over top. Chill 1 hour.

Yields 12 servings at 283 calories.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 7/18/03