When food is lovingly tended and hand-picked so that it is naturally bursting with flavour and beauty, a certain respect is inevitably given to it. In China, a few extra seconds are always devoted to presenting the food in such a way that just looking at it gets the digestive juices going. This ensures not only enhanced pleasure but also proper absorption and assimilation of the food. It doesn’t matter how simple the food is, it can always be presented in an appetising way, for instance by arranging ingredients of different colours and the plate and adding some aromatic herbs.
Vegetables:
Sweet potatoes and pumpkins, their orange flesh packed with anti-cancer beta-carotene, are often eaten with corn to provide flavour and texture. Tomatoes and peppers also full of beta-carotene and, are frequently used in Barma in elaborate displays of food uniquely arranged around colours and patterns. Tomatoes and peppers, also full of beta-carotene are frequently used around the world in varies degrees of meals. Red peppers are one of the richest sources of vitamin C there is, while tomatoes are the only reliable source of the potent anti-aging antioxidant lycopene.
Green leafy vegetables eaten by many people include the wild amaranth, an attractive and colourful plant that is similar to spinach. Amaranth contains twice as much calcium as milk, as well as the magnesium needed to get calcium into our bones. It is also high in potassium, phosphorous, folic acid, manganese, iron and the top three anti-oxidants, vitamins a, c and e. Its seeds which have a nutty, malty flavour are available in health shops in the West – these can be combined with brown rice or corn to make a complete protein meal. They make an ideal ingredient for a green smoothie which is the most nutritious type of smoothie you can consume, just add some of your favourite fruits along with other leafy vegetables and all your essentials are in one drink.