Hearts of Palm are a delicious white vegetable that comes from exactly what you would think; the core of a palm tree. These palms grow in humid places like Costa Rica or the Amazon. They are usually pickled and sold in jars or cans internationally because they perish quickly when packaged fresh. The flavor and texture of canned hearts of palm are similar to that of canned artichokes, and the health benefits are amazing.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about hearts of Palm is that it contains 17 different types of amino acids. This includes the 9 essential amino acids that must come from your diet, as your body can not make these on its own. It is rare to find plants with this amino acid profile. Amino acids are an important building block for the body; one of their main purposes is to rebuild damaged tissues.
Potassium is also a powerful healthy component of hearts of palm. Heart health can be influenced by the amount of potassium in your body as it works to regulate high blood pressure by lowering the effects of sodium.
Hearts of palm also include other nutrients like calcium, Iron, zinc, riboflavin, and vitamin C to name a few. We love hearts of palm at Cuisine for Healing and use them in dishes to add a bit of extra flavor without adding in extra sodium. If you are using hearts of palm that are canned, be sure to check the nutrition label as different brands use different amounts of sodium.
Our delicious Greek Pasta uses hearts of palm; check out our recipe below that serves 4:
| 6 oz Spaghetti
4 cloves Garlic, minced 2 Cups Grape Tomatoes, Sliced 1 Cup Hearts of Palm, Chopped ¼ Cup Kalamata Olive 1 Cup Chick Peas, Cooked |
Sauce:
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil ¼ Cup Lemon Juice 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 2 tsp Italian Seasoning 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast |
Boil the spaghetti for 8 to 10 minutes depending on your brand of spaghetti. We use gluten-free Jovial brand spaghetti. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.
Prepare the veggies as listed above, add a couple of teaspoons of extra virgin oil olive to a pan and bring to a medium heat. Sautee the veggie for 3 to 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened, add the chick peas.
Mix the dressing ingredients separately in a blender or with a whisk. Add all parts to a large bowl and toss until dressing, spaghetti, and the veggie mixture are completely incorporated. Top with parsley if you like! Enjoy!
Resources:
https://www.scirp.org/html/10-2701278_48795.htm
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-heart-of-palm
