Rhubarb: Not just for pies
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With spring around the corner, a variety of fruits and vegetables are going to be in season. One of those vegetables is rhubarb. Rhubarb is available starting in March, peaking between April and June. The stalk of rhubarb may be red or green, but the color has no impact on the flavor.
Most commonly, this vegetable is used in pies and sweet desserts to bring out the flavor. Lucky for us, there are other ways to enjoy this tart spring vegetable in other prepared meals. When cooked, rhubarb turns to a jam-like sauce that can be added on top of yogurt or ice cream for a sweet dessert. It can complement meat, fish, pork or chicken as a chutney or sauce. Fresh or frozen rhubarb can be added into pastry foods such as pancakes, waffles, cake batters, muffins or breads. And for those that like to make jams or jellies, this can be added to strawberry jams/jellies or stand alone.
It is important to incorporate different fruits and vegetables into our diet to get a wide variety of nutrients. The battle sometimes is not knowing how to cook/prepare a particular food item. Rhubarb has many beneficial nutrients which include:
- Vitamin C: boost immune function and aids in iron absorption
- Vitamin K: helps regulate blood clotting formation
- Calcium: important for bone and teeth health as well with muscle functions
- Potassium: supports healthy heart rhythm and electrolyte balance
- Fiber helps to keep us regular and feeling full
A half cup of raw diced rhubarb contains 13 calories, 1 gram of fiber, 52mg of Calcium, 175mg Potassium, 8 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 22 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin K.
To select fresh rhubarb from the store or farmers market, look for crisp stalks with no blemishes. Remove all leaves and then cover with plastic wrap and can be stored in fridge for up to one week. Rhubarb can be stored longer if frozen.
Although store-bought rhubarb usually has the leaves removed, rhubarb leaves are extremely poisonous and should not be eaten according to the University of Illinois Extension. Also, do not eat rhubarb that has turned mushy due to extreme frost; the toxin, oxalic acid, may seep from the leaves into the stems. Rhubarb should not be fed to animals.
Rhubarb-Mango Smoothie
Developed by Karmon Meyer published in Food & Nutrition Magazine
Serves 2
Serving Size 1 ¼ cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (can use low-fat milk)
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 cup sliced rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (or regular Greek yogurt)
1 date, pit removed, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Chia seeds
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
Add low-fat milk to blender. Then, add in mango, rhubarb, Greek yogurt, date, chia seeds and ginger. Blend until smooth and serve.
