I am thrilled to introduce you to our guest blogger, Ashley, from Dovel Technologies. They have been walking (and running, and swimming, and biking, and – you get the point) with Walker Tracker since 2014. Quite the model for an encouraging and engaging Wellness program, their communications to participants are meaningful, applicable and continue to draw attention back to overall wellness. We have the chance to share one of their fun and inspiring emails (below) with our community. Along with the admin at Dovel, we encourage you to reach out to your participants and drive engagement!
Why Try New Tastes?
Many people get in a food rut. We eat the same thing every day because it’s fast, easy, and we like it! The problem is that a limited diet equals a limited number of vitamins and minerals. Trying new foods helps expand your nutritional variety and improve your overall diet. For those of you who are parents (or aunts, uncles, cousins, babysitters, and more), being adventurous by trying new foods sets a good example for kids. And who knows, you may discover a new favorite food!
Not sure what to try? The easiest way is to walk up and down the produce aisle at your local grocery store until you spot something you’ve never tried before, and then google how to prepare it. Here’s a list of 5 in-season fruits and vegetables to get you started:
―Jicama. A jimaca (otherwise known as a Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip) is a juicy, sweet, and nutty root vegetable with a distinct crunch. It is most commonly enjoyed raw, but you can cook jicama, too. Its white flesh stays crisp when cooked briefly. Make sure to peel off the thick, papery skin before eating using a chef’s knife (not a vegetable peeler). Jimaca is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.
―Spaghetti squash. A spaghetti squash is an oblong, pale yellow vegetable from the squash family that usually weighs between 2 and 3 pounds. Once cooked, the soft inside of the vegetable falls away from the skin in ribbons or strands like spaghetti. At only 42 calories per cup, it makes a great substitute for pasta!
―Quince. A quince is a hard, round or pear-shaped fruit that looks and tastes like a cross between an apple and pear. Quinces are inedible raw, but once cooked they develop a slightly grainy texture similar to a firm pear and a lovely rosy amber color. Just one quince contains nearly one-quarter of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C!
―Figs. Many people grew up eating Fig Newton cookies as a child, but have never seen the fruit in its natural form! A fig is a soft, pear-shaped fruit with sweet dark flesh and many small seeds. Figs can be eaten fresh or dried. Figs are high in fiber and a good source of several essential minerals, including magnesium, manganese, calcium, copper, and potassium.
―Persimmons. A persimmon is a sweet reddish-orange fruit that resembles a large tomato. These fruits can be eaten fresh, dried, raw, or cooked, which changes the flavor, but they are generally sweet and pulpy. Some people prefer to scoop out the insides of either type, but the skins are edible too. Make sure to let the persimmon ripen to a fully soft state before eating it. Persimmons are a great source of Vitamin C, iron, and calcium.
Ashley Raker
Dovel Technologies