a blog for women… I'm just sayin'

Did you know that today is National Eat Your Veggies day? According to Practically Edible dot com, the holiday came about on the front lawn of the White House. National Eat Your vegetables day falls in the middle of National Fruit and Vegetable Month, officially named by Hillary Clinton on June 23, 1994. The goal of this holiday is to eat a vegetable with every meal as well as consuming vegetables as a snack during the day.

My youngest son is a vegetable lover and has been since his toddler years. One very humorous veggie incident I will never forget came about when he was about two years old. After making the morning coffee, I proceeded to prepare the daily lunches. Upon opening, the vegetable draw I found one of the big beautiful green peppers had a toddler sized mouth impression missing from the side. The vision of that tiny mouth print made me laugh aloud. Of course, I addressed the issue. The quite innocent and comical response from my then two year old was, “Mommy I only wanted was one bite!?” I am blessed to have children that truly enjoy vegetables.

In honor of Eat Your Vegetables Day, I have some fun and interesting Veggie Links for you, check ‘em out!

Eat your Vegetables Word Search

Yummy Spring Salads

Grilled Eggplant Marinara Parmesan

Fruits and Vegetables Matter

Breakfast Migas

Need a quick fix for dinner? How about a free quick dinner for two, the table setting, and twenty five dollars to spend at Target?

Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken has all of the ingredients needed to prepare a great-tasting, complete Chinese meal for 2 in only 14 minutes! Wanchai Ferry Orange Chicken comes with fluffy, tender Jasmine rice and a tangy orange glaze that adds the perfect touch of spicy heat. The breaded chicken didn’t get soggy and the vegetables were quite delicious. Yep it sure was quick and easy to prepare, and we really enjoyed it!

Oh and guess what, Wanchai Ferry frozen entrées are available in four other delicious varieties including Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken. Worried about the MSG? All of the entrées have no added MSG!

Wait, there’s more; print a $1.50 off coupon available online! Not enough to entice you to try Wanchai Ferry frozen entrées? Well, there is one more thing…

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Healthy cooking that tastes great

There’s fruit, and then there’s superfruit. What’s the difference? A superfruit has unique phytochemicals not found in other fruits – and that translates to unique health benefits.
As more and more information emerges about the power of superfruits – from açai to goji berries – an American favorite that’s been here all along is stepping into the spotlight: California Dried Plums.
Dried plums are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. And they’re loaded with surprises. Today’s dried plums are sweet, moist and tasty. Compared with other fruits, they’re surprisingly affordable, conveniently portable and always available.
California Dried Plums are the easy way to enjoy superfruit nutrition every day in cooking, baking, salads or as a quick snack anytime. Find delicious recipes at www.californiadriedplums.org.

Dried plums. What’s in ‘em for you?
-Improved digestion: A single serving (four to five dried plums) has three grams of fiber, to help you maintain good digestive health.
-Tasty nutrition: Dried plums are a nutrition powerhouse that includes B vitamins, potassium, magnesium and boron.
-Antioxidants: Dried plums have phenolics that promote good health.
-Blood sugar control: Dried plums can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
-Cholesterol management: Fiber and other compounds in dried plums can help maintain healthy cholesterol.
-Beauty: A study among elderly people suggests dried plums may help reduce skin wrinkles.
-A perfect fit for healthful diets: Dried plums promote satiety and have only 100 calories per serving.

“Dried plums are bite-size nuggets of superfruit goodness … and they’re super-affordable and easy to fit into your busy life.”
- David Grotto, RD, LDN, author, “101 Foods That Could Save Your Life”

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David H. Murdock is Chairman and owner of Dole Food Company, Inc., the world’s largest producer and marketer of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, packaged and frozen foods.

Is it possible to live to 125 or maybe 150? It’s certainly a possibility, as discussed on Oprah Winfrey’s recent show on longevity. She visited me at my farm to learn how, at 86, I am enjoying the robust health, energy, and mental creativity of someone many decades younger. My secret: large quantities of fruit and vegetables, plus an hour of daily exercise.

No pills, not even aspirin, and certainly no supplements ever enter my mouth — everything I need comes from my fish-vegetarian diet, which incorporates 30-40 different kinds of fruit and vegetables every week. Even though I am Chairman and Owner of Dole Food Company, I do most of my own grocery shopping, and even took Oprah on an impromptu trip to Costco, in a day that included bike riding, exercise in the gym, and juicing vegetables in the kitchen. Oprah marveled at how much I eat, and yet never gain a pound. In fact, I expend a lot of energy in my 50-60 minutes of cardio and strength training every day. Plus there’s the fact that fruit and vegetables tend to be lower in calories, but higher in filling fiber and other nutrients that help you feel satisfied.

By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity. Obesity accelerates aging even faster than smoking, according to scientific research.

We created the North Carolina Research Campus to study the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. It is the only campus in the world encompassing eight universities all working together for the benefit of health and longevity. These include Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State University, UNC Charlotte, North Carolina Central University, NC A&T State University, UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State University. We’ve gathered a comprehensive array of famous scientists and scientific equipment under one roof, including a two-story, 950 megahertz, 8-ton superconducting magnet. It is the largest and most powerful magnet in the world and will help us look at both plant and human cells at the most minute level. We are constantly doing research on all fruit and vegetables, including the ones listed below, which are the mainstay of my diet.

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