Asparagus is the perfect spring veggie and a great way to get essential vitamins and minerals! Among vegetables, it has the highest source of folate, or folic acid – just one 5.3 oz serving provides 60% of the recommended daily value. Folate helps repair damaged cells to help keep your body youthful and strong. Asparagus is also abundant in vitamins A, C, K, and numerous B vitamins. Give it a try in this Risotto recipe. It may look gourmet, but it’s a breeze to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups arborio rice
3-5 cups veggie broth or water with 2 boullion cubes
2 Tbs. red wine or sherry
salt & pepper (to taste)
8 sun-dried tomatoes, preferably without oil
1/2 pound asparagus
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (or other dried variety)
1 cup hot water
1 onion
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Soak mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes (be sure to submerge completely and cover).
2. When finished soaking, squeeze out excess water; coarsely chop the mushrooms, onion and asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
3. In a large pot, sauté onion in oil for two minutes; add garlic, diced sun-dried tomatoes and wine (or use 1/4 cup water). Cook for 5 minutes, until onion is soft.
4. Add rice, stir for about 1 minute, then add 1/2 cup broth.
5. When water boils, bring to medium heat and stir constantly; when water is absorbed, add the rest of the liquid and stir often.
6. After 10 mins, add asparagus and continue cooking/stirring until rice is tender (25-30 mins).
7. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

For this and other great veg recipes, visit www.FatFree.com!

Running low on interesting (yet easy-to-prepare) dinner ideas? Tasty Bite will help! Tasty Bite has a large selection of ready-made veggie meals in exciting varieties, such as Indian, Thai, and Mexican. Their all-natural entrées, meals, and soups offer both great taste and convenience and can be used for lunch, dinner, camping, or in the office.

Spice things up and try Tasty Bite’s Mexican Fiesta Pilaf. Cooked with onions, jalapeños, tomatoes and chilies, this spectacular dish will wow you with the true taste of Mexican cuisine. It's vegan, kosher, and gluten-free.

For nutritional information and more products, visit www.TastyBite.com!

A new study reveals that men who eat lots of vegetables have better prostate health. The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, followed more than 32,000 male health care workers between the ages of 46 and 70 since 1986. The men completed diet surveys that asked how often they ate 131 foods, including various fruits and vegetables. The men also reported their age, weight, ethnicity, physical activity, smoking, drinking, and medical history at the beginning of the study.

Results indicated that the men who consumed the most vegetables had better health and were less likely to have prostate surgery. Especially helpful were the antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein, and vitamin C.

To read the full article, click here!

Two years ago, 16-year-old Erica Bergstrom decided to just say no to Big Macs, pepperoni pizzas, and sub sandwiches piled high with meats and cheeses. Last December, she took it a step further and decided to become vegan, eliminating all animal products from her diet. "At first I was just thinking that I like animals and I didn't want to eat them," says Erica. “When I learned more about how animals are treated at farms and in factories, I really didn't like how that sounded, the animal cruelty that was going on. I didn't want to be part of it."

Erica is part of a growing number of teenagers going veg. According to a 2005 national poll by Vegetarian Resource Group, 2 to 3% of young people ages 8 to 18 are vegetarian. That's 1.4 million people. The number is even more dramatic among 13- to 15-year-old girls, with 11% who say they never eat meat.

Like many parents of vegetarians, Erica’s mother, Lynn, initially worried about her daughter getting enough protein. Her concerns quickly subsided when she noticed her daughter eating healthy sources of protein, such as nuts, soymilk, tofu, hummus, and textured vegetable protein. Lynn is now proud that her daughter is eating a nutritious diet and that she is learning to cook!

To find out more about Erica Bergstrom, click here!

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