Brown Rice – Bridgeford’s Best Bites: Nutrition Tips

Brown rice is whole grain rice; unhulled and unmilled and can be any type of rice including glutinous, long and short grain. It has a mild, nutty flavor and is chewier and more nutritious than white rice, though the calorie and carbohydrate contents are similar. White rice had has the bran and germ removed; these …

Sweet Potato – Bridgeford’s Best Bites: Nutrition Tips

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) cultivar developed in Japan and has edible leaves and stems. It is only distantly related to the potato  and does not belong to the nightshade family. They are cultivated throughout tropical and warm temperate regions wherever there is sufficient water to support their growth. Sweet potato ranks as the world's …

Buckwheat – Bridgeford’s Best Bites: Nutrition Tips

Originated in Asia and grown since at least 1000 BC in China; widely adapted in the northern hemisphere with strong adaptability to adverse environments and a very short growing span. Most common buckwheat is Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (common or sweet buckwheat);  Fagopyrum tartaricum is available in some mountainous regions. Nutrition: Buckwheat contains many nutraceutical compounds …

Almonds – Bridgeford’s Best Bites: Nutrition Tips

Native to Mediterranean / Middle East and spread historically to north Africa and south Europe and more recently to California. Wild almonds are bitter and toxic while domestic almonds are not! Almond is a kernel or seed not a nut.  Almonds reduce serum cholesterol and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and may reduce the risk …

Cayenne Pepper – Bridgeford’s Best Bites: Nutrition Tips

It is named after the city of Cayenne in French Guiana. It is a capsicum related to bell peppers, jalapenos and paprika and is part of the nightshade family. Capsaicin is the main ingredient responsible for its heat, rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units. Traditionally used for muscular pain, headaches, improving circulation and gastrointestinal …

Pumpkin Seeds – Bridgeford’s Best Bites: Nutrition Tips

Known as Pepita in Spanish, especially when roasted are edible green seeds found inside a white hull that you find in the centre of your pumpkin. Squash (cucurbita) is thought to be the earliest domestic western plant, dating back 8-10,000 years preceding maize and beans by about 4,000 years. They were eaten by the Aztecs …

Cinnamon – Bridgeford’s Best Bites: Nutrition Tips

Cinnamon is one of the oldest known spices. It was used in ancient Egypt as a spice and a medicine and has several references in the Bible. The healing components are oils in the bark of the cinnamon tree, available dried in a quill or ground into a powder.  Ceylon cinnamon is considered the true …