My latest nutritious obsession is CHIVES!
I love their tiny, tubular shape, their bright green color and their delicately onion-y flavor. They pack a great little punch and I've been adding them to my meals lately for both their color and taste. At first I was just generously sprinkling them over my eggs each morning, but after about a week and with a new, larger-bunch purchase at the farmers market last weekend, they're working their way onto most of my meals.
What's so great about chives, anyway? Well, besides adding a great little punch of flavor with virtually no calories, according to nutritiondata.com, chives are “a good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.”
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| Wakey, wakey… eggs and bakey! |
- “Fight free radicals, inflammation and inflammatory conditions such as allergies
- Help neutralize bacteria and viruses
- Help protect against high blood pressure and sticky blood (platelet aggregation)
- Inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors
- Protect the vascular system and strengthen the tiny capillaries that carry oxygen and essential nutrients to all cells
- Help prevent cataracts
- Support capillary strength and treat chronic venous insufficiency”
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| Spaghetti squash with grilled chicken… made better with chives! |
(Perricone, 48)
Wow, isn't it awesome that we can get that kind of help for our bodies from such tasty foods?!
I find that the easiest ways to prepare chives are to either just line up the bunch and run a knife over a thick stack of them or to use kitchen scissors and just clip them over your food to garnish liberally.
- eggs (cooked any way)
- salad
- squash
- avocado
- fresh salsa
- mashed cauliflower
- lox/smoked salmon
- grilled or seared meats
- shrimp sautéed in butter
How about you? What do you like to throw chives over?
Sources: http://www.nutritiondata.com
Enjoy & be well!
Diane Sanfilippo
BS, Certified Nutrition Educator, C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach
San Francisco Nutritionist & Paleo Nutritionist serving the Bay Area and beyond via phone & Skype consultations.
Comments 1
I was just looking at an “egg house” recipe with tomatoes that called for chives, and I’ve never used them. Now after reading this article I’ll make them a staple in my grocery list every week!