March 8th 2011
Sugar is the most important food additive. It is present in a variety of packaged foods, from yogurts and cereals to salad dressings and drinks. To understand how much sugar you are eating, read the labels and use as little as possible of those products where sugar is one of the first ingredients in the list. Look also for sugar in different forms, with names such as dextrose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, fruit-juice concentrate, malt syrup, molasses, corn syrup and evaporated cane juice. Remember that 100 grams of sugar gives you 400 calories.
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March 2nd 2011
The citrus fruit season is in full swing. We all know that they are an excellent source of vitamin C. However, given that vitamin C quickly turns sour on coming into contact with air, it is better to squeeze your orange, grapefruit, or lemon then consume the juice right away. Even better still, eat the fruit, as the fibres are also good for us.
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February 25th 2011
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on November 29, 2008.
Pears are almost as widely used as apples, because they blend in so wonderfully with salted as well as sweet dishes. This fruit can be eaten raw, cooked, dried and in candied form. It is used for making compotes, jams, jellies, sauces, juices, vinegar and even brandy. The pear lends consistency and a slightly sweet taste to soups.
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January 22nd 2011
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on January 22, 2011.
Although the banana tree is one of the oldest known plants, its fruit was apparently not eaten by our hunter-gatherer ancestors because it was not very fleshy and was full of many non-edible seeds. Evidence of the first banana cultivations for human consumption (dating around 7000 years ago) has been found in Malaysia and in Papua New-Guinea.
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January 10th 2011
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on January 13, 2007.
The citrus fruit season is in full swing. We all know that they are an excellent source of vitamin C. In this regard, orange is the champion fruit. However, given that vitamin C quickly turns sour on coming into contact with air, it is better to consume only freshly squeezed orange juice or better still, to eat the fruit, as the fibres are also good for us.
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December 11th 2010
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on December 11, 2010.
The papaya tree, like the banana tree and coconut tree, is not actually a tree in the botanical sense of the word. It’s more of a giant plant with a soft and hollow trunk that grows rapidly to a height of 8-10 m and survives for about 25 years. The fruit grows directly on the trunk and weighs around 1 kg when fully ripe. However, the weight can go up to 5 kg, depending on the varieties.
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December 6th 2010
Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on November 4, 2006.
Native to Iran, the pomegranate was probably one of the first fruits to be domesticated, along with figs, olives and grapes. Thanks to its thick skin that results in a longer shelf life and to its juice that quenches thirst during long desert crossings, the pomegranate was considered to be a basic food for nomads and travellers from the earliest periods of history.
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