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Brand Name: Dona Maria
Sliced Prickly Dona Maria Nopalitos Pear cactus shoots, cooked. Nopales. Cactus Pads.
For more Dona Maria Mexican food products visit: Dona Maria products
Hispanics believe that nopales (the flower of cactus plants) helps diabetes. This belief is actually true for the nopales have very few calories and a high fiber content. Meals containing nopales tend to be filling and discourage the excess consumption of calories.
Nopales provide dietary aid for diabetes sufferers, and their high fiber content is beneficial to nearly any diet. Natural produce nutritionists tout nopal en polvo (powdered prickly pear pads) and Opuntia (Opuntia is the scientific name for prickly pears) capsules as dietary supplements useful in promoting weight loss. Numerous other nutritional and health benefits have been linked to this fleshy vegetable also called nopalitos.
NOPALITOS OR NOPALES
Nopalitos - Cactus, or Nopal, is a typical sight in the Mexican landscape. It is not strange that it should find its way into the local cuisine. The use of Nopalitos has its origins in the Roman Catholic observance of serving meatless dishes during Lent; now they are a part of everyday cooking.
The paddle, or tender pads, of the plant (called prickly pear in the U.S.) are eaten as a green vegetable in Mexico. The best young shoots are packed fresh, pickled or preserved.
Sliced for convenience, their use lends itself to a variety of dishes, such as traditional nopalitos salad or soup. Combined with seafood, omelets, quiches, and casseroles, nopalitos adds a delicious and authentic flair.
It is believed that one of nopalitos (nopal cactus) properties is a natural diabetes and cholesterol medication, and its also used in the treatment of obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, skin ailments, and viral infections. For more information see Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine:
Treatments for Diabetes, Cholesterol, and the Immune System by Ran Knishinsky.
NOPALITOS AND LIME SALAD
2 (15-ounce) jars DONA MARIA® nopalitos, drained and rinsed
1½ cups tomato wedges
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 cup julienned jicama
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh cilantro
Combine nopalitos, tomato wedges, avocado and jicama in a medium serving dish. Combine oil, lime juice, sugar, cumin and salt. Pour over nopalito mixture and mix well. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Chill and serve. Serves 6.
Doña María Nopalitos
Nopalitos Dona Maria, rebanadas de nopales en agua con sal.
LOS NOPALES AYUDAN A CONTROLAR LA DIABETES
El consumo de nopales o nopalitos ayuda a las personas que padecen diabetes. El nopal incrementa los niveles y la sensibilidad a la insulina logrando con esto estabilizar y regular el nivel de azúcar en la sangre. Se ha comprobado científicamente el poder hipoglucemiante del nopal, es decir, como un efectivo tratamiento para la prevención de la diabetes. El nopal disminuye las concentraciones de glucosa en sangre. La ingestión de nopal antes de cada alimento, provoca la disminución del peso corporal y reduce las concentraciones de glucosa, colesterol y triglicéridos en sangre. Esto se da solamente en personas que son resistentes a la insulina, o sea en pacientes con diabetes tipo II, pero para las personas que tienen diabetes tipo I (que no producen insulina), el consumo de nopal no sustituye las inyecciones de ésta.
Receta con Nopales
Carne a la Tampiqueña con Nopales y Mole Dona Maria (2 porciones)
1/4 vaso de Mole Doña María de 8.25 0z.
2 tazas de caldo de pollo preparado
1/2 frasco de nopalitos Dona Maria de 15 oz.
2 tampiqueñas de 200 g
sal y pimienta recién molida
- Fría el Mole Doña María y diluya con el caldo de pollo y reserve.
- Cueza sobre una sartén con el aceite los nopales y las tampiquenas sazonadas con sal y pimienta.
- Coloque en el plato una cucharada de mole, los nopales y la carne por encima.
- Acompañe si lo desea con arroz y rebanadas de aguacate.
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