Would You Choose to ‘Serve, Taste or Trash’ a Melon???

Let Mr. Divabetic help inspire you to overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables you think you don’t like, and even learn to love them with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

See if other people share the same sentiments you do about similar fruits and vegetables. You might be surprised by the results.  In the game, you’re given three choices of fruits and vegetables. You must decide which one you’d serve, which one you’d taste and which one you’d trash.

Would you TRASH a melon? Honeydew is part of the muskmelon family, along with cantaloupe and person melon. This family is also known as netted melon; their skin looks like its covered with a thick, rough netting. Honeydew is very aromatic, but if they’re picked too early they won’t become as sweet and flavorful.

Melon is thought to have originated in Persia and was also prized years later by ancient Egyptians. Today honeydew is grown in Mexico, California, Arizona, and parts of the southwest and is most abundant from late summer through early fall.

One cup of diced honeydew has 61 calories, 15 grams of carbs and 5% of your daily recommended dose of fiber and 51% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C.   This melon also haspotassium, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin K.

Choose honeydew melons that are firm-but-not-hard and have a nice floral smell. Compare melons and select those that are heavier for its size—the heavier it is, the juicier it will be. Knock on a melon and listen for a deep, thick sound which will tell you if it’s ripe. Store whole melon at room temperature for 2 to 4 days. Once sliced, wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

If you choose to serve melon why not turn it into smoothies, juice, granita, sorbet or soup? Pair sweet honeydew with more savory food like prosciutto or chicken or add it to a veggie salad (honeydew-cucumber salad anyone?).

Mr. Divabetic is the happy host of Diva TalkRadio, a free online and mobile podcast channel, where tens of thousands of fans, followers and listeners turn to laugh a little and learn a lot.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic   http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org

It’s Not Right But It’s Okay – Dining at KFC

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic wants to help you to make smart choices like a diva when dining out at your favorite restaurant. On August’s Diabetes Roundtable, a free monthly podcast presented by Divabetic, Mr. Divabetic and Constance Brown – Riggs  MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, reviewed the menu at KFC in the popular show segment, Dining Out With A Dietitian with a little help from the legendary, Whitney Houston.

Humming a few bars of Whitney’s hit, “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay,” Mr. Divabetic asked Constancewhich would he should choose – Original Recipe or Extra Crunchy? Or maybe Crispy Strips. And ‘How Will I Know” which menu item has more calories and more fat?  And which one is the healthier choice and the winner?

Here’s Constance’s response: Weighing in at 360 calories, 21g fat, and 11g carbohydrates KFC’s ORIGINAL chicken breast comes in first place.

In second place are the CRISPY STRIPS at 390 calories, 21g fat, and 17g carbohydrates.  People may be deceived by the strips, thinking they are a better choice, as they seem to be a smaller portion with three pieces.  In actuality, they are the exact weight in grams as the original breast. The chicken breast gives the illusion of being larger, and a more satisfying meal then its counterpart.

In last place, and the worst choice, would be the KFC EXTRA CRUNCH chicken breast.  Although just a slightly larger serving size, it has a whopping 510 calories, 33g fat and 16 carbohydrates.

So the verdict is out, and the gold goes to KFC ORIGINAL! But not so fast! The absolute best choice – although not part of this contest – is the grilled KFC. But on the rare occasion, when you just can’t resist, its best to stick to the oldie but goodie!

Hopefully, this dining out advice will help you feel like a ‘Million Dollar Bill’! Remember, don’t get down, get DIVA!

Information provided by Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, is the national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and author of The African American Guide to Living Well With Diabetes and Madeline Basler, Dietetic Intern, Queens College, New York.

Let Mr. Divabetic help to inspire you overcome aversions to fruits and vegetables you think you don’t like, and even learn to love them with his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.  

Mr. Divabetic is the happy host of Diva TalkRadio, a free online and mobile podcast channel, where tens of thousands of fans, followers and listeners turn to laugh a little and learn a lot.

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Roundtable Inspired by Whitney Houston hosted by Mr. Divabetic   http://ning.it/NcR3ug

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red tomato carpet at  Fashion’s Night Out in New York, NY, Central Farm Market in Washington, DC,  Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach event in Philadelphia, PA, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conferences & Health Fairs in San Diego, CA and Austin, TX in  2012. Watch more of Mr Divabetic‘s  videos, enjoy over 75 free diabetes podcasts and get expert advice on diabetes and diabetes self-care at: www.divabetic.org