Pears are in season! They are sweet, delicious and richly flavored pears offer the c
runchiness of apples yet are as juicy as peaches and nectarines.
Pears are packed with health benefiting nutrients such as dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins, which are necessary for optimum health.
Pears are a good source of dietary fiber and regular eating of this fruit may offer protection against colon cancer. Most of the fiber in them is non soluble polysaccharide (NSP), which functions as a good bulk laxative in the gut. Additionally, the gritty fiber content binds to cancer-causing toxins and chemicals in the colon, protecting its mucous membrane from contact with these compounds.
In addition, pear fruit is one of the very low calorie fruits, provides 58 calories per 100g. Just a few sections a day in the diet can bring significant reduction in weight and blood LDL cholesterol levels.
They contain good quantities of vitamin C. Fresh fruits provide about 7% of RDA per 100 g.
They are moderate sources of antioxidant flavonoids phyto-nutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin. These compounds, along with vitamin C and A, help the body protected from harmful free radicals.
The fruit is a good source of minerals such as copper, iron, potassium, manganese and magnesium as well as B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).
Although not well documented, pears are among the least allergenic of all fruits and are therefore recommended by health practitioners as a safe alternative in the preparation of food products for allergy sufferers.
Since several of the vitamins and minerals are concentrated in significant quantities just underneath the skin, pears should be eaten as a whole along with its skin to get maximum benefits.
Here is a delicious recipe for a low-fat Pear and Spinach Salad.
This is a nice fall salad that makes use of wonderfully fragrant ripe pears. The hardest thing about making this pear and spinach salad is not eating the pears ahead of time. Feel free to add some slivered red onion or a half cup of sliced mushrooms or a tablespoon of crumbled feta cheese to this delicious salad to contrast the sweetness of the pears, raisins or cranberries.
Ingredients:
•1 10 ounce package baby spinach
•3 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced
•1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
•1/4 cup chopped walnuts
•2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
•3 tbsp white wine vinegar
•1 tbsp lemon juice
•Pinch of Himalayan salt (optional)
Preparation:
Wash and dry spinach and place in large bowl with pear slices. Sprinkle raisins and walnuts on top. Whisk oil, vinegar, lemon and salt and drizzle over salad.
Serves 4-6
Per Serving: Calories 164, Calories from Fat 46, Total Fat 5.2g (sat 0.5g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 39mg, Carbohydrate 26.6g, Fiber 3.8g, Protein 2.8g
