Fresh Strawberries Hit Sweet Spot at Café Services Business Dining Management Locations

Few experiences say “June” like sinking your teeth into a juicy, sweet strawberry—whether it’s a pick-your-own or part of a delicious meal at a Café Services business dining management location.

Steve Cotoni, regional supervisor at the company’s Maryland business dining management office, says the popular berry is all over the menu this month, when they’re in season and featured every Monday in a variety of mouth-watering dishes.

Strawberries Add Color and Taste to Salsa, Glazes and Dressings

At Koch Business Solutions at Invista, Café Services chef/manager, Tom Delvecchio is serving spice-rubbed pan-seared salmon with strawberry avocado salsa and strawberry-glazed roast pork tenderloin.

Other berry-laden specialties include roast turkey and Brie Panini with strawberry chutney. And grilled chicken served with a salad of field greens and fresh strawberries, dressed in fresh strawberry vinaigrette.

The salmon, pork and chicken entrees are nutrient-rich FitPicks™ offerings, moderate in saturated fat, calories and sodium, and developed under the guidance of Café Services registered dietitians. So diners can indulge guilt-free in the Café Services June dessert special, strawberry shortcake.

Strawberries not only taste delicious, they also pack a healthy punch as a nutrient-rich super food. Teeming with vitamins, strawberries offer a wide range of benefits to enhance your health and even your looks.

Hungry? Read on!

9 Reasons to Eat More Strawberries

1. Build your immunity. Because humans don’t produce vitamin C naturally, it’s essential to get your daily requirement from other sources. One, half-cup serving of strawberries satisfies 50% of your daily requirement. To get your full 100%, just double your pleasure.
2. Improve eye health. Antioxidants in strawberries may help prevent cataracts, the clouding over of the eye that can lead to blindness in old age. Vitamin C also protects eyes from the sun’s UV rays and helps strengthen the cornea and retina.
3. Defend against cancer. In addition to immunity-boosting vitamin C, strawberries offer other anti-cancer properties and antioxidants like ellagic acid, which has been shown to suppress cancer cell growth.
4. Ward off wrinkles. Vitamin C is vital to producing collagen, which improves skin’s elasticity and resilience. Because you lose collagen with age, eating foods rich in vitamin C may contribute to healthier, younger-looking skin.
5. Boost heart health. Ellagic acids and flavonoids in strawberries can lead to a healthier heart by acting as an anti-inflammatory and countering the effects of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or bad cholesterol. Studies on cholesterol-lowering diets also show that strawberries reduce oxidative damage and the blood lipids that lead to heart disease and diabetes.
6. Prevent arthritis. Antioxidants and phytochemicals in strawberries may help reduce inflammation of the joints to prevent arthritis and heart disease.
7. Keep blood pressure in check. Strawberries contain potassium, another heart-healthy nutrient that helps regulate blood pressure and may even lower it by acting as a buffer against sodium. When you consider that strawberries also impact the reduction of LDL and joint inflammation, it may be one of the heart-healthiest fruits you can eat.
8. Increase fiber. One serving of strawberries contains about 2 grams of fiber, which is necessary for healthy digestion and can help fight type 2 diabetes.
9. Maintain a healthy weight—your best defense against heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Strawberries are naturally low calorie, fat-free and low in sodium and sugar. Indulge in a 1.5-cup serving of strawberries for a sweet treat that has fewer than 100 calories. With its natural sugars, it’s a lot healthier than a prepackaged 100-calorie snack.

Source: Cox, A. Best Health Magazine (©2015 Reader’s Digest Magazines [Canada] Ltd.) 10 Health Benefits of Strawberries. Retrieved from http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/arthritis-and-pain/10-health-benefits-of-strawberries#YQBrp7caq45Bzvmz.97/

I’ve been born and bred corporate dining and corporate catering from the very beginning of my career in the Silicon Valley and now, since 2001 in the Boston Metro Area. While working my way up through the ranks, all the experience has led up to my current position as the Corporate Executive Chef for Café Services, based out of Manchester, NH. I have the privilege to be able to utilize creativity, research and technology to dream up our company’s new culinary programs and custom menus for corporate cafeteria clients and bring them to life. Café Services supplies the resources to ensure success of our ever-evolving companywide culinary initiatives and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. Seeing the success of new programs in the field is my motivation. It’s a win win.