TAKE A BITE OF
CELERY
Celery has become a fan favorite among many
people who try to lose weight or try to follow a healthy
lifestyle. Although it is somewhat bland in flavor, celery is
certainly a healthy choice. It has many different uses and
can satisfy your craving to crunch and can be eaten
with a healthy dip.
Two simple sticks of celery can fill a chunk of
recommended daily values, especially since it is such
an easy and convenient snack to prepare and eat. Two
sticks of celery can provide you with eight percent of
the daily value for Vitamin A and can give you 4 percent
of your daily Vitamin C requirement. Celery’s biggest
contribution is Vitamin K, and a two-stalk serving provides about
30 percent of your recommended daily value. Celery is also a source
of folate and provides 8 percent of the recommended daily value.
Nutrition notes
Two sticks of celery can provide you with calcium and potassium. It is
recommended that most people consume about 1,000 mg of calcium daily.
Although celery only provides 40 grams, or roughly 4 percent, it is an easy option
to consider when looking to increase your calcium intake.
Two stalks of celery provide about 208 mg of potassium. Double that serving size
to four sticks and your potassium intake will be the equivalent of a small banana.
It has been rumored that celery is a “negative-calorie” food. This rumor is fueled
by the fact that you burn more calories from the process of eating celery, than the
actual amount of calories that are in celery. However, the actual number is not
significant enough to be considered a weight loss miracle food. It is suggested,
though, that you can replace higher-calorie snacks with celery and thus save
calories on your path to weight loss.
Source: www.livestrong.com
The Fresh Pick Review is
an informative newsletter
designed to provide a variety
of interesting facts, figures
and health benefits as they
relate to our featured Fresh
Pick item of the month. We
hope you enjoy this newsletter
and if you have any feedback
on how to make our Fresh
Pick Review even better,
please email your suggestions
or comments to freshpick@
ideaworksfoodmarketing.com.
DidYou
Know
• A recipe uncovered in Pompeii called
for celery to be served as a dessert.
The celery was chopped, roasted and
served with honey and ground pepper.
• Celery is related to parsley, anise,
parsnip and carrots.
• In 30 A.D., Aulus Cornelius Celsus
wrote about the use of celery seeds to
ease pain.
• George Taylor, a Scotsman,
introduced celery to America
in 1856 when he brought it to
Kalamazoo, Mich.
• California is the nation’s top celery
producer.
Chef Remmi Smith is Sodexo’s
first ever “Student Ambassador for
Nutrition and Health” and is host of
a health based TV cooking show,
“Cook Time with RemmiTM.” In her
new role, Remmi will have the
opportunity to positively impact the
lives of students in Sodexo-served
school districts across the country
by speaking directly to the students
through specially produced videos,
nutrition education materials
and in-person appearances.
Remmi is also the Teen Mentor
for Thrive14, an educational site
for entrepreneurs, and has been
selected as a “Top 20 to Watch”
for the Foundation for Advancing
Alcohol Responsibility.
Bits & Bites About
CELERY
Let’s Get Cooking
95 percent of celery is made up of water. When
looking to snack during a hot day, think about munching
on some celery. Because it is mostly composed of water,
you will be able to actually hydrate while you eat.
TOMATO MOZZARELLA
SALAD
Ingredients:
• 1 avocado, sliced into large chunks
• 2 large tomatoes, large dice
• 1 cup celery, 1” slices
• 1 cup fresh mozzarella, large dice
• 1/2 cup basil, torn
• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste
It’s All History
Directions:
1. Place salad ingredients in medium bowl.
2. Mix oil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in small
bowl.
3. When ready to serve, mix the salad with the dressing using just
enough to coat the salad.
The origin of celery can be traced to the Mediterranean
basin. Its earliest purpose, according to documents from
before 850 B.C., was to fulfill medical needs. Celery is
considered to be high in oil in its natural environment, both
on the stalk and as a seed. During ancient times medical
practitioners used celery seeds to treat such conditions as
the flu, colds, poor digestion, arthritis, liver ailments and
water retention. Celery has been discovered in ancient
Egyptian tombs.
It was considered to be a holy plant during the classical
Greek period. Winners of the Nemean Games, a smaller
version of the Olympics held in the city of Nemea, would be
adorned with the holy plant of celery. The Romans found
celery to be more purposeful cooking-wise, but still believed
that under certain circumstances celery would bring bad
fortune.
By The Numbers
2/3
The percentage of CELERY grown
in the United States that is produced
in California.
2
The pOUNDS OF cELERY that are
grown in the united states each year.
BILLION
review