By: Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD, LDN
Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD, LDN, offers this advice for how prunes can fit into the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines based on the four major principles to help Americans achieve a healthy dietary pattern:
1. Follow a healthy dietary-pattern at every life stage
California Prunes are rich in gut-protecting, heart-helping, bone-building materials to provide support at every stage of your life. Not only do prunes provide bone-building boron and manganese, but they’re also rich in Vitamin K – another nutrient fundamental for bone mineralization.
With bone development peaking around age 30, it is important to enrich your supporting structure throughout your youth, teens, adulthood, and beyond.
Incorporate California Prunes into your diet at every age:
- Did you know peak bone mass is acquired as a kid and teen? Help clients and kids keep pace with the high levels of activity that help bones grow with this easy snack: PB & California Prune Pinwheels
- Keep the gut, bones, and tastebuds happy with a Purple Power Smoothie.
- Do busy clients complain there aren’t enough hours in the day for a healthy meal? Share these Turkey Prune Lettuce Wraps for a quick, satisfying option.
- An indulgent, guilt-free snack, because everyone deserves it: California Prune & Almond Truffles
2. Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations.
California Prunes provide the sweet, chewy, and pleasant mouthfeel that helps increase the enjoyment of food, and the fiber in them can increase the feeling of fullness. Prunes also help with satiety, so you feel fuller for longer between eating occasions, protecting your health and budget.
Enjoy the wonders of California Prunes:
- Try California Prunes straight out of the bag for a delicious treat
- Toss em’ in! Chop and add California Prunes to salads, trail mix, or a smoothie for a touch of sweetness and chewiness
- Swap your oils and butter for pureed California Prunes and add to hummus, mole sauce, muffins, or any baked good to up the produce and nutrition content of your recipes.
3. Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages and stay within calorie limits.
For under 100 calories, a serving of this pantry staple powerhouse has:
- 3 g fiber (11% Daily Value)
- 280 mg potassium (6% Daily Value)
- 23 mcg of vitamin K (20% of the Daily Value)
- No added sugar, cholesterol, sodium, or fat
- Vitamins and minerals, potassium, copper, and boron, which may have bone protective qualities
“Always available, affordable, with great taste, haste, and zero waste – have California Prunes on your shelf to take care of your health!” – Leslie Bonci
4. Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages.
For those with health and weight goals, California Prunes are the perfect swap to reduce added sugars and saturated fat in your meals and snacks.
Reduce, Replace, Reward!
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Leslie Bonci
Leslie J. Bonci , MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, is the owner of Active Eating Advice – be fit, fed, fearless – a nutrition consulting company. She is also the co-founder of Performance365 – a sports nutrition consulting company. Her clients include National Dairy Council, California Prune Board, Douglas Lab, General Mills, Potatoes USA, The National Peanut Board, Produce for Better Health, Sodexo, The Mushroom Council, and the Wonderful Brands. Leslie is a member of the L.E.A.D network for Bayer, formerly Monsanto.