“The luck o’ the Irish!” you hear. But are you really so lucky with the food? Let’s see!

Potatoes

“Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew!” Purple, yellow, red, sweet, russet. So many different kinds of potatoes, and so many different ways to eat ’em!

Benefits:

Potatoes contain a large variety of nutrients including potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, vitamin C and B vitamins. They are gluten free (hooray!), full of fiber and can help with blood sugar. Purple potatoes are good for helping to regulate blood pressure. Sweet potatoes can enhance immunity, vision health and weight loss.

Cons:

As with everything, use in moderation. Don’t go overboard. Potatoes are often deep fried, doused in oil and salt which can deplete their nutritional value. Instead, opt for baked, or you can make your own homemade fries.

Cabbage

Red cabbage is different from green cabbage… in more than just color.

Benefits:

Red cabbage contains a more powerful nutritional profile than green cabbage. It helps boost the immune system, can fight inflammation and, when fermented into a great probiotic such as kimchi (both red or green), it helps promote a healthy gut. It also contains even more Vitamin C than oranges!

Green cabbage does contain about twice as much Vitamin K as red cabbage.

Cons:

Again, too much of a good thing could turn into too much of a bad thing.

Corned Beef

Benefits: 

If it is made properly, corned beef can be a good source of protein, zinc and iron.

Cons: 

You can run into problems with a lot of the store bought cuts of corned beef meat, as you can usually find it full of artificial additives, chemicals and lots of sodium (but not the kind you want in your diet).

However, you could opt for a healthier corned beef recipe to make your Irish feast complete!

Happy cooking and…

HAPPY SAINT PADDY’S DAY!!!!!