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Chef Wendell: Vitamins in a pill or on plate?

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — By eating closer to earth you can prevent many mental and physical diseases caused from vitamin deficiencies.  We’re a little undernourished. Today’s popular processed food fare offers little or no significant health-creating vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Do you eat your vitamins or take supplemental vitamins pills, tinctures or herbs?1st Segment: Are you eating your vitamins? Or do you take vitamins? Blanch/roast asparagus and carrots, cook lentils. Nutritional profile.

2nd Segment: Assemble the taco. Nutritional profile. Visit and support your community Farmer’s Market where locally grown produce, straight from the garden, brims with a rainbow of wholesome nourishment.

  • Disease rates soar due to vitamin deficiency and diet choices.
  • Today’s fruits and veggies contain less nutrition than they did 50 years ago.
  • Picked early-Immature shipped 2000 miles.
  • A landmark study from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was published in December 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. They studied USDA nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits, finding “reliable declines” in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C over the past half century.
  • The National Academy of Sciences: our vegetables don’t have as many vitamins as they’re supposed to.
  • Mono-crop farming depletes the soil.  No more Fallow fields.
  • Much of today’s produce are picked before maturity so the vitamin profile has not yet been established. Plus we do not eat many fruits and veggies. Therefore we are vitamin deprived.

Vitamins:

  • It’s not possible to get all the vitamins you need simply from food.
  • More than half of all Americans take at least one or more vitamin.
  • Common supplements: vitamins, minerals, enzymes, herbal products / botanicals
  • The Celestial Apothecary’s are opening soon
  • Support your community farmer’s market.

Cumin Roasted Asparagus, carrot, avocado and lentil Tacos:

Lentils:Protein and fiber

Tacos:

corn or whole wheat soft tacos

large avocados,

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Half or quarter the carrots (depending on how wide they are), then cut them into 1-inch long pieces. Trim the asparagus and keep whole.
  • Place them in a large mixing bowl with 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. cumin, the coriander, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and the harissa, if using. Toss well to combine. Transfer the carrots to a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.
  • Roast for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until al dente. (Cooked on the outside, but still a little firm in the middle)
  • Meanwhile, heat the remaining tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Add red onion. Sauté 3 minutes, or until the onion is soft and clear. Add drained lentils, the remaining ½ tsp. cumin, chili powder, lime juice, and salt. Stir to combine everything and heat the lentils up (about 1-2 minutes). Turn off the heat.
  • Toast tortillas gently over an open oven burner (about 1 minute per side). Alternately, you can wrap them in foil and place them in a 350F degree oven for about 5 minutes prior to taco assembly. Please be careful!
  • To assemble, place ¼ cup lentil mixture, a handful of roasted carrots and asparagus, a few avocado slices and shredded red cabbage in each.
  • Top with an extra squeeze of lime juice, if desired.
  • Fresh, chopped cilantro garnish