Notes from Eating on the Wild Side

There is so much nutritional and culinary treasure in this tome.  Below are my greatest take-aways from reading Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson.

Lettuce

• Choose deeply colored lettuce
• For freshness store in a zip top bag with 10 - 20 pin pricks
• Raddichio (di Chioggia and especially di Treviso) are antioxidant superstars

Alliums

• For maximum allicin remember to "Press then Rest" your garlic cloves - that is press then let the garlic sit for ten minutes before cooking
• Save onion skins for broth - a high concentration of bionutrients are located in the skins
• Scallions have 140 times more phytonutrients than white onions

Potatoes

• Top taters when it comes to phytonutrients are Purple Peruvian (#1 by a long shot), French Fingerling and large purple
• When you peel a potato you lose half of the total antioxidants
• To reduce the sugar in potatoes, cook then refrigerate for 24 hours
• Potatoes with colorful skin AND flesh are the most nutritious

Other Root Veggies

• whole cooked carrots are the more nutritious than cutting then cooking
• Red beet juice reduces the energy needed to walk and run and can boost athletic performance
• Beet leave are more nutrient dense than the root

Tomatoes

• small tomatoes have more sugar and lycopene
• Cooked and processed tomatoes have a more easily absorbed and higher concentration of lycopene
• Skin and seed are the most nutritious parts of the fruit and contain glutamate (aka umami)

Crucifers

• Broccoli hierarchy of nutrition: super fresh (less than three days old), raw over cooked, whole head over florets, steamed for 5 minutes or less over boiled or microwaved
• Kale is most nutritious when eaten raw

Legumes

• 70% of the antioxidants are lost to the bean cooking liquid - consume the cooking liquid or simmer dried legumes then let them sit in the pot liquor for another hour to reabsorb some of the nutrients
• Pressure cooked beans have the most antioxidant activity
• Varieties with the highest antioxidant activity are lentils, black beans, dark red kidney beans and pinto beans
• Canned beans are higher in nutrients than home cooked beans

Apples

• Eat the skins or you're loosing 50% of the nutrients!  
• For a more nutritious apple crisp, peel the apples but then process in the food pro processor processor and incorporate into the crisp topping
• Selected Top Nutrient honors go to: Braeburn, Cortland, Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Red Delicous 

Berries

• cooked blueberries are better than raw
• Eat blue- and blackberries several times a week for the most health benefit
• Eat frozen berries frozen or thaw in the microwave for max nutrient retention
• Increase the antioxidants in strawberries by storing on the counter for two days

Stone Fruit

• White-fleshed peaches and nectarines are richer in phytonutrients than yellow-fleshed
• Tart Montmorency and Balaton cherries reduce inflammation
• Prunes are one of the most nutritious foods you can buy

Grapes

• Go for red, purple and black grapes if you're after anthocyanins (especially Muscadine and Concord)
• Store grapes in a micro-perforated bag in the fridge

Citrus

• Eat the membranes for added nutrients.  Slice oranges to make the membrane less noticeable
• Deeply colored flesh equals more phytonutrients

Tropical Fruit

• Mangoes and Guavas are the most nutritious tropical fruits

Melon

• Choose seedless watermelon with deeply colored red flesh for more nutrients.  Store at room temp for a few days to increase nutrient value.
• Scrub the outside of melons well before cutting to remove bacteria

Eating on the Wild Side was a great read and remains a great reference for me.  I highly recommend it for those of us seeking insight into the sustenance behind the plants we enjoy eating.