Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
Traditional feta cheese is made of 100% sheep’s milk, or a combination of sheep and goat milk (only 30% goat milk is allowed in traditional feta). Tucker Family Farm’s traditional feta cheese is smooth and creamy in texture with a slightly salty and richly creamy flavor. Sheep milk is an attractive nutritional and health-promoting food source due to its high mineral and high protein content compared to milk from other lactating species such as cow and goat. Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and magnesium are reported to be present in sheep milk at much higher levels compared to cow and goat milk. Sheep’s milk contains approximately 36% more calcium than cow’s milk! Feta cheese is a highly bioavailable source of bone building nutrition as the calcium is packaged with many other necessary minerals important for the bone remodeling process. Feta cheese also contains probiotics which provide an immunity boost as well as helps you to maintain a healthy gut and avoid digestive issues.
Mint is a balm for the entire digestive tract, regulating the stomach, liver, gallbladder, and intestines. It is effective against stomach gas or spasms, vomiting, intestinal parasites, excessive acidity, and colic. Mint contains volatile oil, the most prolific one being menthol. Menthol is a time-honored aid to digestion and also a mild antispasmodic useful for relieving menstrual cramps and nausea. Menthol is commonly used during upper respiratory infections, as well as a soothing rub for sore muscles. Menthol has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties. Mint contains a flavonoid (plant chemicals/phytochemical) called rutin, which has powerful antioxidant properties and helps your body produce collagen and use vitamin C. Rutin has also shown to aid in blood circulation, prevent blood clots, and to ease arthritis pain (due to being anti-inflammatory and containing antioxidants).
Spanish Chicken Stew
Compared to chicken breast meat, chicken thigh meat contains more B vitamins and minerals such as potassium, selenium, and zinc. The vitamin B3 found in chicken can assist with energy production as well as digestive, skin, and nervous system health. Vitamin B6, helps the body manufacture neurotransmitters, the body’s chemical messengers involved in countless functions of the nervous system as well as controlling bodily functions. The selenium found in chicken helps to maintain proper thyroid function and protects our cell membranes from free radical damage.
Spinach is an incredibly nutrient-dense spring vegetable. It is an outstanding source of vitamin K and contains high amounts of folate, manganese, iron, copper, vitamins C and E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and a collection of B vitamins. Spinach is also high in the phytochemical chlorophyll. Phytochemicals are an amazing gift from plants. While not considered essential, they are absolutely vital for optimal health and disease prevention. Phytochemicals are responsible for giving many fruits and vegetables their rich colors and unique scents. Chlorophyll is involved in trapping light for photosynthesis and is the pigment that gives plants their green color. Chlorophyll is capable of binding to carcinogens and inhibiting their absorption in the intestines, leading to lower levels reaching to body tissues and causing harm. In fact, chlorophyll can bind to some of the most widespread food-bone carcinogens including heterocyclic amines (HAs), which can form when cooking meat at high temperatures (think grilling/charring). Consider adding a spinach salad as a side dish this summer when you’re using your grill!
Adding a handful of spinach to any meal goes a long way to boosting the nutrient density. Note: Spinach is one of twelve vegetables on the “Dirty Dozen” list and is important to buy organic. Support our local farmers by purchasing this spring green fresh from the farm as True Food Missoula did for this soup! As an added bonus, you’ll reap the benefits of a higher amount of vitamin C as vitamin C is degraded overtime, especially when traveling far distances to arrive on your plate.
Vegan Cream of Mushroom & Roasted Celery Root Soup
Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a close relative of celery, cultivated for its root rather than for its stalks. It is a bulbous vegetable about the size of a grapefruit that has a mild, earthy, slightly sweet, celery-like flavor. Celeriac is a great lower-carbohydrate alternative or substitute for potatoes as it can be roasted, mashed, and retains a similar texture to potatoes. Celeriac is a great source of vitamin K, fiber, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Vitamin K is central to maintaining bone health, cardiovascular system health, and is critical for making important proteins that are involved in blood clotting and metabolism.
Shiitake mushrooms are large, umbrella-shaped mushrooms that are brown to black in color. They received their name from the shii tree on which they grow, although they also grow on oak and hornbeam. Shiitakes are a truly rare superfood in that they contain seven of the nine essential amino acids, essential enzymes (amylase and cellulase, both of which aid in digestion), vitamins (D, B3, and B12) and are a good source of vital minerals magnesium and potassium. Two of shiitake’s health promoting benefits are its support of the immune and cardiovascular system. Shiitakes support the immune system as they are anti-inflammatory and antiviral. Shiitakes contain a polysaccharide (long-chain carbohydrates) called lentinan which has been shown to stimulate and activate the white blood cells that fight off infections. Lentinan has shown to be a powerful force in combatting the effects of liver disease, making it an effective support for detoxification. Shiitakes support the cardiovascular system by preventing substances from binding to the lining of the blood vessels and supporting the improvement of blood circulation.
Please note: This information is intended for education and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources:
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Watson, R. R., Collier, R. J., & Preedy, V. R. (2017). Minerals in Sheep Milk. In Chia, J., Borrow, K., … Bekhit A., Nutrients in dairy and their implications for health and disease (pp. 345-362). Academic Press.