As the days start to get shorter – and the evenings busier – families are always on the lookout for quick and easy go-to meals that will please even the pickiest eaters. A few tricks and time-saving recipes instantly reinvent family favorites with healthy foods that will also create delicious contrasts at the dinner table.
Grapes contain powerful antioxidants and are a natural anti-inflammatory. They support heart health, reduce blood pressure and risk of stroke, and protect against heart disease. They also slow reduce the risk of cancer (and slow it down) and reduce the effects of allergy. Grapes also minimise constipation.
The average serving size for grapes is about one cup, or 32 grapes, which will typically contain 104 calories, 1.09 grams of protein, 0.24 grams of fat, 1.4 grams of fiber, 4.8 milligrams of vitamin C, 10 micrograms of vitamin A, 288 milligrams of potassium, 0.54 milligrams of iron and 3 micrograms of folate (Vitamin B9).
Grapes are available year round. Here are some easy tips to incorporate more grapes into your diet:
- A cocktail of fruit
- Slice grapes in half and add them to your chicken salad.
- Make your own fruit cocktail with fresh fruit and include grapes, pineapple, sliced peaches and strawberries. Drizzle a small amount of honey on top of the fruit mixture for an extra sweet treat.
- Freeze grapes and eat them as a snack or dessert on a hot day.
- Have a quick 100-calorie snack with 1 cup of fresh grapes.
Try also these recipes using grapes:
Here’s a nifty trick to easily halve grapes in these and other recipes:
- Place a handful of grapes on a dinner plate (the plate should have a raised bottom, not be completely flat).
- Gently place another dinner plate (bottom side down) on top of the grapes.
- Using a serrated knife, slice between the plates and voila! You have perfectly halved grapes.
