Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Fruit Loose & Veggie Boost

Continued from Page 13 high dietary fiber content.
Recently, a new benefit of
When it comes to veggies including okra in your diet
the island certainly offers is being considered. Okra
a home-grown selection. has been suggested to
They taste delicious and help manage blood sugar
have their specific talents in cases of type 1, type 2,
to boost your immune sys- and gestational diabetes.
tem. Start the day with a Season: year- round.
‘batida’ (smoothie) en-
riched with a local veggie Bonchi’ Cunucu
touch or select your restau- A long, small bean, boiled
rant that offers local vege- for a side dish or snack.
table dishes to get the real Long beans have a chewy,
pure taste of it. crunchy texture–more so
than snap beans–and a fla-
Konkomberchiquito vor reminiscent of the dry
This is a sort of local squash, navy bean or asparagus.
but looks like a cucumber Besides stir-fry, soups and
with prickly skin. The taste salads, the long bean is a
however is bitterer than the good choice for stewing,
cucumber and the vegeta- braising (to remain chewy
ble is smaller in size but big- and firm), sautéing, shal-
ger in width. Inside is a soft, low frying, and deep fry-
fleshy pulp and seeds, just ing. With cooking, the long
like the cucumber. Konk- bean’s bean flavor intensi-
omber chiquito is grown in fies. Long beans are low in
the island and used in sal- calories, about 45 calories
ads and ‘stoba’ (stew) or per cup, and rich in vitamin
on its own in vinegar. The A and also contain vitamin
veggie contains multiple B C and potassium. Season:
vitamins, including vitamin year-round.
B1, vitamin B5, and vitamin
B7 (biotin). B vitamins are Pompuna
known to help ease feel- In the endless summer of
ings of anxiety and buffer Caribbean living we only
some of the damaging ef- have to concern ourselves
fects of stress. Additionally with a wet season and a
this veggie is rich in two of dry season. Still we do in-
the most basic elements dulge heavily in the plea-
needed for healthy diges- sures of pumpkin and enjoy
tion: water and fiber. Sea- Caribbean pumpkin reci-
son: year- round. pes year round. A popular
dish in Aruban restaurants
Jambo is Sopa Di Pompuna, don’t
Family of Okra, also known miss it. This dish is made of
as ‘lady’s fingers’: a green pumpkin soup, and pars-
flowering plant. Okra be- ley. Pumpkins are rich in
longs to the same plant flavonoid polyphenolic
family as hibiscus and cot- antioxidants such as xan-
ton. A classic favorite dish thin, lutein and carotenes
in Aruba is Sopi di Jambo. and also contain vitamins.
It has long been favored as Pumpkin seeds are a good
a food for the health-con- source of omega-3 fatty
scious. It contains potas- acids, vitamins, minerals
sium, vitamin B, vitamin C, and proteins. Pumpkins
folic acid, and calcium. It’s are used to make desserts,
low in calories and has a breads and soups.q