• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

National Raisin Week: Celebrating Nature’s Candy!

April 30, 2015 by Dishesbymichelle Leave a Comment

If ever there was a fruit that I didn’t mind eating in it’s humiliated form, it would have to be grapes.  Golden brown, sweet and chewy raisins are truly a unique thing.  And being that this week is National Raisin Week… I think it’s only fair that we place the spotlight on these wonderful little gems!

As we all know, raisins are the dried form of grapes, either green or black.   I say that these little fruits are gems because their health value is not to be compared with many other in its category – nature’s candy.

Health Benefits of Raisins

Vitamins: First of all raisins are filled to the brim with Vitamin A, which is excellent for your eyes.  It protects the eyes – especially in adults, it protects against age-related eye weakness – and it helps to keep them strong!  They also have Folate, Vitamin C & K which is great for blood circulation.

Fiber: Got a little one that’s constipated?  Give him or her a handful of sweet raisins; it’ll help relieve them in no time!  Regular intake of raisins will help in maintaining a healthy and regular gastrointestinal tract… In other words, you’ll poop easily.

Energy: Looking for a good source of natural energy?  Forget those crazy sugar filled drinks.  Your body easily absorbs the sugars from raisins and it will give a boost in no time – energy that will last too!

Healthy Bones: Raisins are especially beneficial for little ones as they are growing as they are full of calcium.  Calcium is wonderful for bones and teeth health.   Women who have early signs of osteoporosis or are postmenopausal should also consume them as the calcium and boron aid in prevention.

As if all of that alone wasn’t enough, these tiny wrinkly treats have Zinc, Copper, Fluoride, Potassium, Niacin, Riboflavin and Magnesium in them!  Hello! Antioxidants, healthy nervous systems – brain food!!! Cholesterol fighters,  prevention of water retention – SUPER RAISIN SNACKS!

Here are some of my families favorite raisin snacks:

Raisin Boxes

We all know her – she’s that sweet looking lady in the red bonnet holding a basket full of green grapes with a big yellow sun behind her.  The Sun-Maid lady.  Their little red boxes are instantly recognizable and I throw one of them in my kids’ lunch box at least a few times a week.  A single one covers at least one fruit serving for the day, and while I know that it’s recommended to get them to eat between 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies a day – yeah, you try that realistically!  This helps a bunch!

Raisin Bread

LOVE THIS in our house!  Absolutely the best for French toast any day!  It’s filled with raisins and cinnamon (my fave combo!) and the kids don’t even realize that they’re eating raisins because it’s super sweet!  Try letting them sit in the egg and milk mixture for a few minutes to really get it soft and then pan fry in a bit of butter, top with powdered sugar or syrup.  YUM!!!

Vanilla Yogurt Raisins  

We go on picnics or to the park quite often with the kids on the weekends and they just love it when I make Yogurt Raisin & Grape Kebobs.  I alternate a few of the Yogurt Raisins with green and red grapes.  You could do this with just about any fruit I suppose, but it adds a little bit more sweetness, the natural way and gives them extra vitamins!

Let’s not forget the all important CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISINS!  I can eat a handful of those just about any time!  They make an excellent topping for ice cream!  Chop them up and they are chocolatey, chewy and sweet!

So, the next time your kids come and ask you for a handful of M&M’s, hand them a box of raisins instead!

 

 

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Living Healthy

About Dishesbymichelle

As a Chef from the prestigious California Culinary Academy, the always-dynamic Chef Michelle Karam has always had a passion for great food and the generosity to share her recipes with others. As a busy mom, she understands that so many women are juggling careers, family & household, so she gladly reveals her secrets of the kitchen for fast, healthy meals that even the pickiest of eaters will love
Michelle Karam is the featured chef on ehow.com where she has completed over 60 featured segments that teach and show how to make delicious meals and desserts with a no stress attitude! She also is featured on Targets Holiday Solutions 2010 & Pier 1 Imports.In addition to her many on-camera appearances, Michelle has guest hosts a radio show for the Santa Barbara News Press, which discusses local restaurants, reviews and recipes.
To learn more about Michelle or see all of her shows and segments please go to www.dishesbymichelle.com

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Third Child

I Want a Third Child, Except, I Really Don’t

Something strange has been happening to me lately:  I keep … [Read More...] about I Want a Third Child, Except, I Really Don’t

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb

When Can a Baby Hear in the Womb ?

Repair Scratches in Glass Tabletops

How to Repair Scratches in Glass Tabletops

What Can I Use as an Egg Substitute When Baking Corn Bread

What Can I Use as an Egg Substitute When Baking Corn Bread?

basal temperature as sign of pregnancy

Basal Temperature As Sign of Pregnancy

Can You Get Pregnant Without Menstruating?

average breast size of a woman

The Average Breast Size of a Woman

Juice Vs. Concentrate

Juice Vs. Concentrate

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.