So it’s been a while since I have blogged, but I’m back in action. Todays post will serve you better next week, when you are sitting down to indulge in your St. Patty’s day feast.
What is in this delightful, drunken, holiday meal you may ask? On a day where everyone claims to have some sort of Irish heritage? Let me burst (or inflate) your McBubble…
Corned Beef: Corned beef is a salt-cured beef product. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large grained rock salt, also called “corns” of salt. A 2 ounce serving size of corned beef brisket provides 70 calories, 3 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 340 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of protein and 1 gram of total carbohydrate. This is fairly standard for most animal protein sources – but pretty high in sodium. If you have high blood pressure, it may be best to pass on.
Cabbage: The cabbage used in this dish is where all the good nutrients come from. Cabbage itself is high in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber. The fiber content of cabbage is 3g for every cup of cabbage. This may not seem like a lot, but it can add up. Cabbage is also good source of sinigrin. Sinigrin is one of the cabbage glucosinolates (the natural compound that gives cabbage its unique taste) that has received special attention in cancer prevention research. It is also very high in polyphenols – a strong anti-oxidant for overall cancer protection.
And last but not least…
Guinness: Guinness actually contains less calories, carbs and alcohol than most other non-light or low carb beers (Bud, Miller Genuine Draft, Heineken, Stella, Michelob, to name a few). Coming in at 126 cals per 12 oz, it is much lighter than many assume. Its dark color comes from its high levels of antioxidants, just like red wine.
Safe to say, if you keep things in moderation, enjoy 3-4 oz. of corned beef, copious amounts of cabbage, and a pint of Guinness (or two?) – You will be just fine!
Happy St. Patricks Day to All!