Friday 8 May 2015

Dried Veggies: The Wonderful Fruid

Dried vegetables, otherwise known as dehydrated vegetables are a vitamin and fiber packed food that is tasty, and healthy for the whole family to enjoy. In fact, dried vegetables are healthier than sautéed or even baked veggies because of the slow heating quality at much lower temperatures, which helps to preserve the nutrients and enzymes. It is perfect for an adult who is on the go or would like to spruce up their salad with a crispy addition. It is also a nutritional finger food snack for toddlers, or an excellent potty training reward. Dried vegetables or veggie chips can also be a great snack for kids and teenagers to refuel their mind with a healthy glucose source in between classes, without hitting the vending machines or bakery.

Once a food that you were only able to find if you dried your own at home, these veggies are now found conveniently in all in-house stores or websites in a variety of brands. Dried veggies are a great way to meet the daily recommended amounts of vegetable sources a day, your toddler’s cup of vegetables, school age child’s 2 cups, and 2.5 to 3.3 cups for mom or dad. These will also provide ample source of vitamins for the day, while providing a great alternative to chips or sugary snacks that are leading many kids, even small children down the path of obesity in this country.

What Kinds of Dried Veggies Should I Eat?

It is important to eat a variety of vegetables, including many colors on your plate every day, as a rule of thumb. Kale chips have been an increasingly popular dehydrated food option, as kale is a crunchy, scrumptious green that is jam packed with protein, fiber, and a whirlwind of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, folate, magnesium, Vitamins A,C,B6,K, and more. For the potato chip lover, you can dehydrate regular or sweet potatoes, as a much healthier alternative to the fried potato chip. Dried carrots, corn, peas, and green beans are another tasty option that many people enjoy.

What if I Want to Make My Own Dried Veggies?

Let’s not knock the traditional art of making your own dried vegetables. This is a perfectly acceptable and healthy way to feed the family. It is no less than a perfect way to also protect your child who may have harmful food allergies. Making your own dried vegetables is a quite simple and fun task. It is also a great way to ask the kids to help out besides working on daunting chores, and to educate them on an interesting way to make a crunchy chip! All you need for supplies to make your dried veggies, are the vegetables of your liking, and a dehydrator.

If you can’t get to the dehydrating process, be sure to store your vegetables in the refrigerator until you are able to do so. Steaming or boiling your potatoes and/or veggies are appropriate ways to prepare them for drying. Set your dehydrator at about 115-118 degrees for dehydration. You’ll want to slice your veggies about ¼ inch thick or smaller. Be sure to invest in dehydrator non-stick sheets, so that your vegetables won’t stick to the dehydrator. Rotate the platters every few hours, to guarantee complete dryness of all ingredients on the dehydrator.

Patients is key. Awaiting complete dryness of your vegetables is an imperative part of this project. If you store your “dehydrated” vegetables, and they are not completely dry, they will mold, causing your hard work to go to waste, and for you to miss out on your delicious snacks. To reach this goal, the process may take up to 8 hours or longer, depending on the food source. So be patient, please. People of all ages can attain upto date facts if you click here.

Raw Food Diet Magazine (2010-2015). How to dehydrate food-Not kill it. Raw Food Diet Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.raw-food-diet-magazine.com/how-to-dehydrate-food.html

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