A taste for pears dates back to ancient times. The Greek poet, Homer referred to pears as a “gift of the gods.” The Romans agreed, and used their agricultural ingenuity to develop more than fifty varieties of this fruit. Today, pears are grown throughout the world and are a popular food in many cultures.
Pears are candy-like sweet, but like all fruits are surprisingly very healthy. Pears are a good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and natural dietary fiber. One pear will give you 16% of your recommended daily allowance of fiber of which 41% is pectin. Pectin is a type of soluble fiber that helps to lower blood cholesterol levels and regulate the body’s use of sugars.
A pear has 21 net grams of carbs. The carbohydrates in a pear are low on the glycemic index and have a low glycemic load. This basically means that the carbs in pears are slow to convert to sugar and enter the bloodstream. Therefore, pears are a good choice for getting healthy carbs.
Fresh pears are also a natural, quick source of energy due largely to high amounts of two monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and carbohydrates. Consider having a pear before your workout.
Pears ripen off the tree, so most pears in markets are not quite ready for eating. To select a ripe pear, apply gentle pressure near the base of the stem. If it yields slightly, it’s ripe.
Unripe – countertop in closed paper bag. Ripe – refrigerate.
A festive drink for the Holiday season. One the whole family will love. An adult version may include a shot of brandy to warm the bones after a big day playing in the snow.
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender. Blend at high speed for 15 seconds.
©Fresh Baby 2024
©Fresh Baby 2024