(NAPS)—Theonly thing better than snacking on a ripe pear is pairing this delicious fruit with other whole foods. You can add pears to any meal to make it more nutritious. Pears are an excellent source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C. Combined with other whole foods, they'll help you follow the USDA’s recommended MyPlate guidelines and get even closer to eating your daily requirement of fruits and vegetables. Jump-start your day by adding pears to your cereal or blending them into a mouthwatering yogurt smoothie. Whenpreparing lunch, you can make dishes more interesting by adding pears. They work well in midday meals, such as sandwiches, salads and soups. Make dinner a complete source of nutrients when you add pears to whole-grain pasta or rice; proteinrich foods such as lean beef, chicken and seafood; or produce from acorn squash to zucchini. Surprisingly versatile, pears can also make desserts naturally sweet. For a complete meal in one handy package, try this pear and chicken sandwich: Casablanca Pear and Chicken Sandwich % cup oliveoil Y% cup purchased pomegranate syrup 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice \Y% teaspoonsalt 4 teaspoon pepper 2 medium USABartlett or Anjou Pears, cored and halved 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (12 ounces) 4 7-inch round pocket breads 4 ouncessoft goat cheese Surprisingly versatile, pears can make desserts sing with natural sweetnessor put a fresh spin on savory dishes. 2 cups mixed greens Pomegranate seeds for garnish Combineoil, pomegranate syrup, pomegranate juice, salt and pepper. Reserve % cup for drizzling on sandwiches. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush cut side of pears with pomegranate vinaigrette. Grill cut side down until lightly grill-marked, about 5 minutes. Cool. Slice thin. Place chicken in a dish with remaining vinaigrette. Turn to coat. Remove from vinaigrette and grill on medium heat, 6-7 minutes, until lightly grillmarked. Turn. Brush with remaining vinaigrette in dish. Cook 6 minutes or until internal temperature is 170. Cool. Slice thin. Cut pocket breadsin half. Fill halves with sliced chicken, pears, cheese and greens. Drizzle with reserved vinai- grette and garnish with pomegranate seeds. Yield: Makes4 servings For more delicious, healthy recipes, visit www.usapears.org. “Like” USA Pears on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usapears and on Twitter at @USAPears.
