|
|
 |
The Mediterranean diet in springtime
|
| With the arrival of spring the vegetable garden flourishes and yields its best harvest. Peas, carrots and asparagus are the first spring vegetables and valuable ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, which they enhance with vitamins and minerals. In addition there are the summer vegetables which can be harvested as early as May. Here are a few useful tips to help you choose, combine and serve them. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AN ABUNDANCE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS |
|
|
The Mediterranean diet has vegetable produce as its principal energy source. Amongst these are cereals and all their derivatives, such as bread and pasta, the ever-present ingredients of the traditional Italian table. Pasta is actually a daily staple, the lynchpin of one of the main meals. In addition to cereals, there are pulses, garden vegetables, fruit, vegetable fats (olive oil is the first amongst these) and produce of animal origin. In this way the body is assured of the correct balance of proteins, sugars and fibre.
With the arrival of spring, the Mediterranean diet is enhanced with new flavours: from March, in fact, the vegetable garden yields many varieties of vegetables rich in mineral salts and vitamins. This is why in the warmer weather a plate of pasta dressed with tomato, olive oil and grated cheese can be accompanied by fresh vegetables to constitute a balanced meal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ALL THE VEGETABLES OF SPRING |
|
|
Considered to be the real herald of spring, asparagus cannot be omitted from the table in March. Once it has been boiled, the best way to serve it is accompanied by oil and lemon. It is a valuable source of vitamins C and B and is rich in minerals; furthermore, it is very suitable for anyone who is anaemic as it contains a reasonable amount of iron.
Also available from the beginning of spring are fresh peas; sweet and delicate in flavour, they are a nutritious food, rich in vegetable proteins and minerals. And carrots, which thanks to their abundance of nutritious substances are vital in any diet, those of small children in particular. In fact, they contain high quantities of carotene, a substance which changes into vitamin A and which is necessary for the development and strengthening of tissues. They are very easy to digest, but a word of caution: they are not suitable for diabetic diets due to their high sugar content. And finally, anyone who enjoys making colourful spring salads can have fun making decorations with radishes, a valuable source of iron and vitamin C.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MEDITERRANEAN TASTES OF SUMMER |
|
|
From the end of spring and all through summer, the choice of fresh vegetables to combine with pasta or to serve after a main dish is even more varied. The tomato is the summer vegetable par excellence which makes an ideal pasta sauce. Available in many varieties and cultivated throughout Italy, it contains little energy value but a generous quantity of vitamins A, B and C. Furthermore, during cooking it releases lycopene, a substance with high anti-oxidant properties effective against free radicals.
Another vegetable which cannot be left out of the Mediterranean diet is the sweet pepper, also available throughout Italy. This fleshy fruit, red, yellow or green, more or less elongated in shape, contains a fair amount of vitamin C. But the queen of the vegetable garden in summer is the courgette, which is also ideal with pasta because it has a high water content but is practically devoid of starch.
Finally, to replace the minerals lost during perspiration it is a good idea to include aubergines in the summer diet; they have little protein but are rich in minerals. A word of warning however, their high cellulose content makes them difficult to digest.
|
|
|
|
|
