All About Eggplant

 “The happiest omen for a New Year is first Mount Fuji, then the falcon, and lastly eggplant.” — Japanese proverb (Author unknown)

If you are trying to reduce your meat consumption, eggplant is a good choice. Of course, you can also use it as a tasty side dish to Whitehurst Heritage Farm meats!

• Eggplants are berries. Really! 
• The name for eggplant in Italy during the Renaissance translates as “crazy apple.”
• An eggplant is 92% water.
• Eggplants come in colors ranging from dark purple to red to pink, and also slightly yellow and white; the white variety is where the fruit gets the name eggplant. 
• Eggplant can be used as a substitute for meat in vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Nutrition Info

Eggplants are a good source of:

• Potassium
• Manganese
• Vitamin K 

Benefits

• Supports bone health 
• May improve digestion
• May improve brain function
• May help with diabetes management

Cautions

Eggplant is a nightshade, so if you are allergic to nightshades, don’t eat eggplant. If you have joint pain that worsens upon consuming eggplant, you’ll want to avoid eating it.

Suggested Recipes

Eggplant Parmesan - vegetarian

Crispy Eggplant, Tomato, and Provolone Stacks with Basil - vegetarian

Spicy Pork and Eggplant Stir-fry - gluten-free

Eggplant, Zucchini, and Squash Kabobs - vegan, gluten-free

Cheesy Eggplant Casserole with Ground Turkey - gluten-free

For the Kids and Kids-at-Heart

Download this activity sheet to do some eggplant math! 

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Credits and thanks in addition to recipes and information linked above: Justfunfacts.com, Indianapublicmedia.org Organicfacts.com, Pixabay.com, Verywellfit.com Webmd.com

Inclusion of a link does not imply WHF endorsement of all content at that link.