Hi friends! My name is Luisa and I’m a registered dietitian and the blogger behind Peaches to Pearls. To celebrate National Nutrition month, I get to share a deliciously nutritious recipe with you. This is a super easy recipe that I make for my whole family. They love it because it’s perfectly sweetened by the fruit and honey and I love it because it’s packed with protein and fiber. Speaking of fiber, that is the nutrient I want to focus on for today. Most people know what fiber is but do not know exactly what it does in our bodies. Let’s dive right in!
Fiber
By definition, fiber is a type of non-digestible carbohydrate found only in plant-based foods we eat. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consuming about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you consume daily. This translates to roughly 24 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams for men. Unfortunately, most people do not get remotely enough fiber in their daily diets.
Now let’s talk about why fiber is so important. Fiber plays many important roles in our bodies. A few include helping slow the release of sugar into our bloodstream, helping regulate cholesterol and helps to promote digestive health by attracting water into the intestines, which prevents constipation. Research also shows that increasing fiber can lead to potential weight loss.
Hopefully by now you are wondering HOW can I add more fiber to my daily diet? Well the answer is quite easy my friend, eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. For example, by adding one pear to your breakfast you are increasing your fiber intake by 6 grams. That is about 20% of your daily recommended value. When grocery shopping, focus on purchasing foods that have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. You will be surprised how quickly you can meet your daily goal by adding 1-2 fruits or vegetables to every meal.
Cinnamon Apple & Pear Yogurt Bowls
This recipe uses Superfresh D'Anjou pears, Autumn Glory apples, and Cosmic Crisp apples. Creating a delicious flavor combo!
Recipe Tips
As mentioned above, this is one of my family's favorite recipes. It can easily be served as a snack or made for breakfast. When preparing this recipe, I recommend leaving the skin on the pears and apples. The skin contains the majority of the fiber and flavorful oils. And since you are heating them up, the skin will soften up and be easy to eat.
Ingredients
- 1 D’Anjou Pear, diced
- 1 Cosmic Crisp Apple, diced
- 1 Autumn Glory Apple, diced
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 8 ounces low fat Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup Granola
- ½ tablespoon Cinnamon
- Honey,
Directions
- Wash and dice pears and apples. Leave skin on for more flavor and fiber.
- In a small skillet or pan, lightly brown butter. Add diced pears and apples. Cook for approximately 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and stir. Remove from heat.
- In small bowls, add 4 ounces of Greek yogurt then top with pears, apples and granola.
- Drizzle honey.
Bon appétit!
This guest blog post was written by Luisa Hammett of Peaches to Pearls for Superfresh Growers in honor of National Nutrition Month.
