Tag: properties

Polenta: quantity, properties and calories – Italian Cuisine

How much to eat? How to combine it at the table? Here are the nutritionist's tips to avoid making mistakes

Soft and tasty. Polenta is a typical dish of the culinary tradition of the regions of Northern Italy. Consumed without exceeding in quantity, it is a valid alternative to pasta, bread and whole grain cereals. "If it is prepared with simple and not very elaborate ingredients it can be eaten without risking gaining weight", explains the nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino, which here suggests what properties it has and how much and how to eat it to make it an excellent ally for shape and health.

The property

"From a nutritional point of view, polenta is rich above all in complex carbohydrates, in particular in starches, but it has a high glycemic index so to guarantee slow-release energy from this food it is necessary to combine it with a protein source and above all with fats, preferably of vegetable origin , explains the expert. To increase its satiating effect, the ideal is to combine it with seasonal vegetables. For example, polenta and broccoli seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, ensures a formidable mix for health. "This dish provides antioxidants including sulforaphane, which thanks to its powerful protective action, defends cells from oxidative damage".

How much to consume: quantity and calories

Polenta has a caloric intake similar to that of bread, pasta and cereals. «One hundred grams can exceed 300 calories. The advice is to consume a portion of maximum 70 grams and avoid combining it within the same meal with foods that contain sugars. For example, eating a plate of polenta and bread (but also potatoes, rice, pasta, pizza) promotes weight gain. Furthermore, if this habit is perpetrated and one is predisposed, the risk of the onset of diseases such as diabetes increases ".

How to eat it

Polenta itself is a simple dish. It is prepared with water and corn or buckwheat flour. However, attention must be paid to the condiments. “Those that are too fat and high in cholesterol (sausage, stew) should be limited. On the other hand, the association with lean meat of chicken, turkey or rabbit is very good. Even the combination with fish (sea bream, hake fillets) is perfect, because thanks to the healthy fats and complete proteins it provides, it is able to increase the satiating capacity of the dish. It limits the body's absorption of sugars and the secretion of insulin and lowers the glycemic index ", explains nutritionist Nicoletta Bocchino. To improve the nutritional profile of polenta, the classic combination with mushrooms and legumes is also promoted. "Mushrooms are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and fibers of which polenta is poor. Legumes rich in lysine combined with polenta provide proteins complete with all essential amino acids. Combined without exaggerating with polenta and a portion of vegetables, it ensures a complete, energetic and nutritious meal .

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The nutritional values of peaches: properties and benefits – Italian Cuisine

Discover the nutritional values of peach, the sweet fruit of the summer. Properties and beneficial effects for everyday health and well-being

Peaches contain avery high amount of water: 90%, did you know? This sweet fruit, typical of the summer period, brings with it the aroma of the holidays and is rich in important beneficial properties for health. Peach contains vitamin A, B and C, mineral salts fundamentals such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

The nutritional values of peaches

Depending on the variety, peaches can present one smooth or velvety skin, white or yellow flesh, a more or less sweet taste. As regards nutritional values, it is calculated that the peach fruit provides 25 kcal per 100 g, of which: 6.1 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g proteins, 0.1 g lipids. 90% of it is made up of water, in addition to an important amount of fiber. Fishing is a low-calorie fruit: can be included in food regimes that include a slimming diet because thanks to the fiber content it stimulates the sense of satiety helping the body to fight against hunger attacks. The nutritional values are the same when it comes to fresh natural fruit, however pay attention to products such as peaches in syrup or dehydrated. There presence of sugar it can bring the energy value to 357 kcal per 100 g in the case of dehydrated peaches.

Peach, the fruit of summer. Scented and very sweet, it is excellent in fruit salad ... or for a DIY cold tea. — Peach, the fruit of the summer. Scented and very sweet, it is excellent in fruit salad … or for a DIY cold tea.

Benefits of peaches

Contrary to popular belief, fishing is not among the prohibited foods for people with diabetes. On the contrary, theglycemic index fishing is low. Fishing helps to replenish liquids after training, that's why it is a healthy idea for a snack or in the diet of sportsmen. Rich in potassium, this fruit has diuretic properties: stimulates diuresis, fights water retention. It favors the elimination of excess water and toxins, helping the liver and kidney work. Counteracts the effects of hypertension e fights constipation. It has purifying and digestive properties. The flavonoids present in the peach pulp play aantioxidant action able to protect the skin from free radical damage, they stimulate the production of collagen and the production of sebum, the natural film that allows hair to be soft and healthy.

Where is fishing born? Origin and uses

Originally from China, the peach tree, belonging to the Rosaceae family, is a symbol of immortality. In Europe it spreads from the 1st century AD. through Alexander the Great, an era in which it spread throughout the Mediterranean basin. Due to the chemical treatments used in agriculture it is often preferable to peel the peach. To better appreciate this extraordinarily tasty fruit, it is ideal to buy from the local producers and local markets. Peach is perfect for breakfast or snack, natural or cut into pieces in the fruit salad. How about using this sweet fruit for preparing a DIY drink? You can add slices of peaches to an infusion of flowers, along with a few branches of fresh lavender: cool, filter and serve with lots of ice cubes and fresh mint.

Pumpkin flowers: delicious and rich in precious properties – Italian Cuisine

Excellent in batter, delicious in the oven, versatile with pasta: the courgette flowers they are a real delicacy in the kitchen and are popular with young and old.
Thanks to their delicate taste, they marry in fact with many dishes and have various useful features for our health.
We deepen them with Valentina Bolli, dietician, who explains in detail why they are healthy and suggests how to prepare them to best enjoy them with an eye to lightness.

Excellent source of hydration

Bolli warns "Primarily they contain a very high percentage ofwater about 94% "therefore represent a good source of hydration for our body and for this reason they are very suitable for summer season, in which our body most needs water and minerals.

Good iron content

As for minerals, compared to other vegetables, says the dietician "they boast a significant amount of iron, or 2 mg. per 100 g of flowers, which is a very important mineral for transporting oxygen in the blood and maintaining the proper functioning of the immune system. Obviously we are talking about a comparison with other vegetables, proteins of animal origin always remain the best in terms of richness and bioavailability ".
They also have a quantity of football (39 mg vs. 21 of zucchini) better than zucchini, which is very important for healthy teeth and bones.

Benefits for skin and eyesight

Pumpkin flowers also contain a significant amount of vitamin A, or 252 mg per 100 grams (unlike courgettes that do not have the same characteristic).
Vitamin A protects Skin and the cell membranes, but also preserves the view (like tomato). Thanks to the content of carotenoids, has a powerful antioxidant and anti-aging action.

They are low in calories

Finally, adds Bolli "The interesting aspect is that I am low calorie (12 calories per 100 g) and which, combined for example with other vegetables, such as courgettes, carbohydrates and proteins, represent a complete dish ".

Not just in batter

In addition to the well-known batter version, which is certainly the most delicious but also the most caloric, they lend themselves well in many other preparations in the kitchen.
"With the pasta for example, accompanied by the right amount of Parmesan Cheese (50 g per person) are a perfect dish from a nutritional point of view ". Or they can be cooked in the oven, in a thousand appetizing and captivating ways. Suggest stamps “They can be stuffed for example with ricotta, which is a low-fat cheese, with the filling of the same zucchini and enriched with aromatic herbs, or even with meat.
In this case they go, combined with carbohydrates, they represent a tasty and inviting second course.

If you can't resist frying

If, on the other hand, you allow yourself a sin of gluttony and you prefer the fried version, it is good to follow some makeup to make them lighter.
Suggest stamps "It is important, for example, to use a oil with a good smoke point, such as that of peanuts, changing it every time and dry the courgette flowers when they are cooked to remove excess oil ".
Alternatively, one can also be used lighter batter.
“You can take inspiration for example from Tempura, the famous Japanese fry and prepare one light batter, with rice flour, also suitable for celiac and sparkling water to add ice. In this way, however, they are greedy but a little lighter. "

Elisa Nata
June 2018
updated August 2019

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