#Eatwell challenge: Ginger
Each week we challenge you to add something new to your diet by taking up the #Eatwell challenge.
Ginger packs a triple punch: it’s warming, loaded with goodness (studies suggest it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties) and adds serious flavour. It also has a pretty good shelf life – fresh ginger will keep for a few weeks in the fridge and can be frozen whole or grated.
Tip: use an ice tray to freeze cubes of grated ginger for easy use in cooking later.
Another tip: “peel” ginger with a thin-edged teaspoon to avoid cutting away too much of that precious flesh.
We challenge you to upload pics of yourself enjoying or cooking with ginger to Twitter or Instagram. Don’t forget to tag @Woolworths_SA and add the hashtag #Eatwell. And remember, Discovery Vitality members get up to 25% cash back on over 1 000 HealthyFood items at Woolworths.
Ready to add some spice to your life? Try these 5 ways to eat more ginger.
- Add fresh ginger to boiling water with a squeeze of lemon and honey. (Sipping on ginger tea can also help easy tummy ache and nausea.)
- Add it to soup and curries – it’ll add flavour and warm you up.
- Grate it into smoothies (here’s where that ice tray tip comes in handy) or juice whole pieces of fresh ginger with apples, oranges, carrots or pineapple.
- Add roughly chopped ginger to a tray of roasting vegetables. (It works well with butternut, sweet potato and carrot.)
- Make your own ginger beer. Heat 200g white sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved without coming to a boil. Add 2–3 teaspoon ground ginger, 75g grated fresh ginger, ¼ teaspoon tartaric acid and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5–10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and is slightly golden. Mix the syrup with 7 ½ cups water and transfer to a 2 litre plastic bottle. Add flesh of two diced pineapples. Keep in a warm place for two days, opening every 12 hours to allow the gas to escape. Strain, chill and add juice of ½ lemon.