If you want to add some flavor to your next meal or snack, buy some chili peppers and peppers at the supermarket or at the farmers market. Late summer and fall are when they are at their best, which means they are full of sweet or spicy flavor.
Chili peppers are also low in calories and provide a good amount of nutrients, says Dr. Dana Hunnes, a senior nutritionist at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles. They provide heart-healthy potassium and fiber, plus vitamins A and C to support the immune system . Yellow, orange and red peppers provide carotenoids, plant pigments that can protect against certain eye diseases and cancer.
Raise the temperature
Hot peppers can offer an additional health advantage. They get their spicy flavor from capsaicin, a compound that can fight inflammation and stimulate blood flow. According to a study by 1016 published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , people who ate hot peppers more than four times a week were about a third less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who rarely They ate them once or never.
They may also play a small role in weight loss . Research has linked capsaicin to lower body weight and less belly fat. “It increases metabolism and calorie burning, but the high doesn’t last long,” says Hunnes. “You are not going down 10 pounds eating only chili peppers. ”
But hot peppers can change the way you eat, and that can help you lose weight. It’s hard to eat a lot of spicy food, so you could end up consuming less, Hunnes says. Plus, that burning sensation can suppress your appetite. scientists at Purdue University found that people felt less hungry during the rest of the day when they sprinkled cayenne pepper on their meals than when they did not. they did.
Some people worry that eating hot peppers could cause digestive problems . Eating hot chili peppers will not harm the digestive system. In fact, research shows that the capsaicin they contain can reduce stomach acids and prevent ulcers. But for some people, hot peppers can irritate the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to temporary discomfort, such as heartburn or diarrhea, Hunnes says. If you are prone to heartburn, but want to try to add that extra flavor to your diet, start small and monitor if hot chili peppers cause symptoms.
Choose your chili peppers or peppers
Each chili and pepper has a unique flavor and heat. The latter is measured based on the Scoville hotness scale, which ranges from 0 units for a sweet pepper to 270, 000 for a spicy habanero pepper.
Sweet peppers: Yellow, orange and red bell peppers are harvested later than green ones, so they are usually sweeter . You can add bell peppers or other raw or sautéed sweet peppers, such as güero peppers, to salads , stir-fries, and sandwiches. Or make a roasted pepper pesto: Place eight peppers on a baking sheet and roast them to 350 ° F for one hour or until smooth. Remove the skin and puree the peppers, olive oil, four cloves of garlic, ⅔ cup of almonds and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Hot peppers: If you like mild spice, opt for shishito (50 to 200 Scoville Itch Units), Anaheim (from 500 to 2, 500), or poblano peppers (from 1, 000 to 2, 000). If you want something a little stronger, you can choose the jalapenos (out of 2, 500 to 8, 000) and chile serrano (from 09, 000 to 25, 08). For something extra strong, choose Thai or Thai (from 068, 08 to 100, 000) or habanero (more than 100, 000).
Wear plastic or rubber gloves when handling hot peppers, Hunnes advises. Next, wash your hands, cutting board and other utensils. Having capsaicin on your hands and then touching other parts of your body can cause pain and irritation. If you eat something too spicy, have a glass of milk or another dairy product. This will ease the burning, possibly because a protein from dairy binds to capsaicin.
An easy way to incorporate chili peppers into a meal is to place them in oil and then grill or grill them. the iron during 12 or 20 minutes. Flip them frequently as bubbles appear on the skin and the skin softens. Clean charred bits or remove the skin. Serve them on top of fish or chicken or mix them in a sauce or stir-fry. (Try the recipe for Salmon with Tomato Sauce and Roasted Peppers, later.) Or fill the halved, seeded peppers with vegetables or tuna and cheese, then bake them.
Salmon with tomato sauce and roasted peppers
8 whole tomatoes
2 whole poblano peppers
2 Whole jalapeño peppers
1 small red onion , peeled and quartered
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lime or lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ pound steak d e salmon
Black pepper to taste
Preparation
1 . Preheat the broiler. Place the tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic in a skillet. Drizzle them with a tablespoon of olive oil. Attach them from 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until tomatoes are tender and peppers and onion are slightly blackened. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. Cut the base off the tomatoes and discard them, then peel off the skins. Cut the peppers in half (don’t forget to wear plastic gloves to protect your hands from burns), then remove the seeds, membranes, and skin (if it peels easily; otherwise, leave it behind). Remove the skin from the garlic. Place the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and cumin in a food processor. Pulse the processor a few times to chop; don’t mash it. Transfer to a bowl and add the cilantro and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
3. Brush the salmon with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper. Asa some 10 to 12 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Cut the salmon into six pieces and serve with the tomato sauce and peppers.
Makes 6 servings
Nutritional information per serving: 270 calories, 20 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugars (0 g added), 21 g of protein, 260 mg sodium.
Editor’s note: This article was also published in the October issue of 2021 from Consumer Reports On Health .
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2021, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a just, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2021, Consumer Reports, Inc.