30Day Raw Vegan Fruit Project Day 12

It’s Day 12 of Vibrant Vegan’s 30 Days, 30 Fruits for You Project! We want you to live a vibrant life. We want to you be the best you possible! We’re certain you’ll look and feel better when you eat more low fat, raw and vegan meals, and this Project is just one way we can help. Here you go–it’s Cherry time!

-Cherries have been around for a long long long long time! Cherry pits were found in several Stone Age caves in Europe. It’s believed by some archaeologists and historians that Romans carried cherries throughout Europe and England along the routes of conquest.

-Cherries have one of the highest anti-oxidant levels of all fruits!

-Cherries are a good source of beta carotene–they have 19 times more beta carotene than blueberries and strawberries!

-Eat cherries and get a fantastic dose of Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.

-Cherries have been linked to these awesome health benefits:*helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout
*reduces some risk factors of heart disease and diabetes
*helping to lower a person’s risk of certain cancers
*because of their melatonin, cherries can help restore your natural sleep patterns, help you keep your all-important memory, and help lessen effects of jet lag
*possibly help you age with more “youthful exuberance” (maybe slow the aging process)
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-1 cup contains about 85 calories

-In the United States, over 1000 different varieties of cherry trees are grown, and most of them blossom over three weeks in late May and early June. Only about 10 of those varieties show-up in our grocery stores and farmer’s markets.

-Just one mature cherry tree produces 7,000 cherries!

-Michigan grows the most cherries in the world, and Traverse City, Michigan, is the Cherry Capital of the World.

-Washington state grows more sweet cherries than any other state. In 2000 Washington growers produced about 95,000 tons of cherries. (USDA 2004)

-Cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and almonds are all relatives!

-Cherries are fairly perishable, so keep them in your fridge if you’re not planning to eat them right away; they’ll stay yummy in the fridge for up to 2 days.

So there’s your “pre-meal” bit of information and quirky cherry facts to chew-on–now it’s time for the meal…your LOW FAT RAW, VEGAN RECIPE featuring CHERRIES!

CHERRT AND ROMAINE SALAD

This is a huge salad, bursting with flavor and nutrients! It’s sweet, it’s tart, fruity, and a bit spicy! This dish contains right around 300 calories.

Ingredients

1 head Romaine lettuce, or equivalent of mixed greens–rinsed and chopped
2 cups cherries, pits removed and sliced or chopped
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
7-8 fresh mint leaves, minced
freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix the cherries, mint, and balsamic vinegar. Let that sit while you prepare your Romaine lettuce. Put the lettuce in a big bowl, then pour the cherry-mint-balsamic mixture over the top. Grind some pepper over the top. Toss, then munch munch away!

Eat Cherries. Eat more fruit! Fill your plate with raw fruit–everyday!

Be Vegan, Be Vibrant!

Duration : 0:4:8

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