Vitamin Rich Recipes

• Look for recipes that cook the foods either very little or not at all, and those that emphasise using whole and organic foods.
• Try to steam foods, or braise or lightly sautée them in healthy oils rather than boiling, which leeches the minerals and vitamins into the water. Alternatively, if you’d like to boil some vegetables, use the broth for a soup or sauce so you can retain the valuable nutrients.
• Baking and broiling are healthy as well, assuming there are not lots of heavy sauces or cheeses.
• Eat vegetables raw when possible. One exception is tomatoes; they are wonderful and healthy raw, but also contain a phytonutrient called lycopene which is only available in cooked tomatoes.
• Avoid heavily processed foods, which usually contain lots of sodium and simple sugars, among other things such as chemicals and preservatives.
• Use sprouts, sprouted seeds and sea vegetables for extra nutrients. The former are live foods and are extremely beneficial to health (when eaten raw).
• Use a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, and vary your intake, rather than eating the same few things each day or week.
• Pack healthy foods such as vegetables, garlic and onions, ginger and other herbs and spices (chili peppers are especially healthful) into your meals. Add hem to salads, stir-frys, casseroles, pasta and rice dishes and meats and fish.

Sample Vitamin Rich Recipes

HIGH ‘C’ SALSA (from Cooks.com)

This all-purpose salsa is a good source of vitamin C, as well as being low in sodium and a good source of plant fiber and complex carbohydrates.

4 to 6 green chilies, skinned, chopped or 3 to 5 (4 oz.) cans chopped chilies
1 med. red onion, chopped
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 lg. jalapeno chilies, chopped
4 ripe tomatoes
2 med. cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in non-metallic bowl and allow to sit for at least an hour before serving. The taste gets better the longer it “marinates”.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with chips as a dip, as salsa over foods, mix in with eggs and cheese for an omelet or mix in with cooked rice.

Heat Scale: 6 out of a possible 10 (hottest). Serving size: 1/2 cup.

Approximate Nutrients per Serving: Calories – 134, Carbohydrates – 16 grams, Fiber – 1.9 grams, Protein – 3 grams, Fat – 7 grams, Vitamin 3 – 191 milligrams, Sodium – 10 milligrams

BROCCOLI SESAME STIR-FRY (from alivemagazine.ca)

This dish is an all-time favourite for a calcium boost. Both the broccoli and sesame seeds contain substantial calcium, and this stir-fry is excellent as a side dish or a simple dinner. Using unrefined sesame oil adds genuine Asian flavour. Sesame is revered in Asia for its anti-aging properties. Combining the sesame oil with natural tamari soy sauce is always an excellent base for a stir-fry. Add garlic for immune boosting properties and feel free to experiment by adding ginger and shiitake mushrooms to this basic recipe. This recipe only takes 10 to 15 minutes from beginning to end, so think twice about ordering in Chinese when you could have your own fabulous dish ready in the time it takes to be delivered!

2 Tbsp (30 mL) tamari soy sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) natural brown sugar
3 Tbsp (45 mL) cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 cup (250 mL) water
1 Tbsp (15 mL) unrefined sesame oil
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
6 cups (1.5 L) broccoli pieces, florets and stems
Freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, sliced diagonally
3 Tbsp (45 mL) sesame seeds

In a small bowl, mix together the tamari soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and water. Mix well.

In a large wok, over medium high heat, add the sesame oil, and then the garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add broccoli pieces, stirring quickly to cover with oil and garlic. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes until the broccoli is bright green. Add a little (1 to 2 Tbsp) water if necessary. Add the tamari and cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and black pepper and serve. Garnish with green onion slices. Serves 6.

Help us get the word out! Please take a moment and share this article (click on the share/save icons above).