Spicing Things Up This February!
Add a little kick to your diet as we zoom through the shortest month of the year. Peppers are the inspiration for Campus Dining’s creative menu. These feisty fruits come in all colors, heat levels, shapes and sizes.
Aside from the fact that snacking on chili peppers may leave you in tears and reaching for more water (which never hurts!) these spicy fruits are full of fiber, vitamins and potassium. Made of nearly 90 percent water and low in calories and fat; chili peppers add flavor and nutritious value to soups, meat, stir-fries, sandwiches, and practically anything else. True to the notion “ the smaller the hotter”, peppers generally increase in heat the smaller they are in size, so watch out for those little ones when choosing which to sample.
Fortunately, peppers don’t need to be limited to only spice-lovers. One mild chili pepper, the poblano, will be featured in the potato and poblano quesadilla, offered at Canyon Cafe this month. Poblano peppers are the base of the popular Mexican dish, chile relleno, where they are roasted, filled with cheese, and fried … talk about a loaded pepper!
Snack tip: soak up some vitamin C and add a healthy chip to your dip with bell peppers.
These festive fruits are great for your body with their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. This month, the “bell pepper salad” will be featured at various Campus Dining venues! Bell peppers are great for adding a crunch to salads and pasta, and are a perfect snack for your Super Bowl festivities.
A single red bell pepper contains twice as much vitamin C as one orange!
Research shows that while baking or boiling fruits and veggies can reduce their amount of vitamin C by 34 percent, microwaving can help retain up to 90 percent.
Some evidence points towards chili peppers being an aid in weight loss!