The prune…not just an oversized raisin.

June 16th, 2008 by VeganSapien | Posted in fave recipes(links), other |

When I think of prunes I think fondly of my grandfather and not so fondly of his continual intestinal distress…these thoughts do very little to whet my appetite. However, all of that has changed this week with the discovery of a vegan chocolate cake called “Devil Made Me Do It”. With a name like that, I knew I had to try it. Surprisingly, at the top of the list of ingredients was a whole cup of prunes! I was shocked, how could such a fabulous sounding cake consist of prunes? I mean, I have nothing against dried fruits. I love me some raisins. They can be glamorously tossed into salads or mixed into cookies. But prunes? Aren’t they most commonly force fed to geriatrics in hopes of achieving a quality “movement”.

 

 

View recipe for Devil Made Me Do It cake.

 

Needless to say, I was intrigued. I dutifully went out and bought some prunes for the cake. During the process of whipping things together, the prune packaging caught my eye. Right there in front of my face was a chart explaining how healthy those little guys are! Prunes have over 4 times the amount of antioxidants as strawberries and over 6 times as much as oranges. Gasp! This information was exciting. I started wondering what else there was to know about the misunderstood prune.

 

I found this chart that illustrates the many health benefits of prunes.

 

In short, prunes are full of Phenols. Phenols are antioxidants proven to prevent free radical damage. Prunes also contain Beta-Carotene and lots of dietary fiber. They also help give you a “full” feeling and would make a nutritious portable snack.

 

If you find yourself dreading the thought of prunes, don’t despair. There are new varieties with special natural flavors added. My fave are the “orange essence” kind. I dare say they are quite yummy!