Dried Plums (Prunes)

Dried Plums (prunes) - Perfect for Eating Healthy Nutritious Food Eating healthy nutritious food doesn't have to be inconvenient. Nature has made "fast food" easy for us all. Here's one option:(** nutritional info and write-up on the prune offered by http://www.whfoods.org/ **)PRUNESSweet with a deep taste and a sticky chewy texture, prunes are not only fun to eat but they are also highly nutritious. As with other dried fruits, they are available year round.Prunes are actually the dried version of European plums and recently had its name officially changed to dried plum.Prunes are a good source of potassium, providing 9.0% of the daily value for this mineral in a quarter-cup. Potassium is an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since a quarter cup of prunes contains a whopping 316.6 mg of potassium and only 1.7 mg of sodium, those diced dried prunes on top of your breakfast cereal may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).Prunes are widely known as a good source of dietary fiber, a reputation that was confirmed in our ranking system in which prunes were found to supply 12.1% of the daily value for fiber in just a quarter-cup.Prunes' soluble fiber helps normalize blood sugar levels by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach and by delaying the absorption of glucose (the form in which sugar is transported in the blood) following a meal. Soluble fiber also increases insulin sensitivity and can therefore play a helpful role in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. And, prunes' soluble fiber promotes a sense of satisfied fullness after a meal by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach, so prunes can also help prevent overeating and weight gain.Dried plums come in different flavors now...like "Cherry, Lemon, or Orange Essence". This makes them yummier to kids than the traditional prune.Give a prune a chance! And if you or your children are struggling to get your 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (as are most of us), THE FEAST from Uri International provides the nutritional equivalent of 4 servings of fruits and veggies in one 4 oz drink. This whole food juice powder contains 30 different fruits and berries, and 30 different greens and veggies and has a natural mixed berry flavor.

Source: nutricious