As my favorite British food writer Nigel Slater one quipped, “ I can often be found rummaging through the fridge to fill the endless gap between lunch and supper.”  On days I am home working,  looking in the refrigerator becomes a constant afternoon ritual. My newest delight and salvation has been marinated artichoke hearts in glass jars from Trader Joe’s ($2.69). They are filling, satisfying, and because they are a bit tart from the marinade, a section or two is often all I need to stave off hunger or the desire to munch.

I often combine a jar of marinated artichokes with a can of regular artichokes packed inwater to have a full quart container for the week–it cuts down on the oil (they are packed in sunflower and not olive oil) and gives you more artichoke per bite. Add them to salads or sauces to enhance both texture and flavor.

Artichokes are a great prebiotic superfood according to Johns Hopkins’ nutrition and gastroenterology expert, Gerald Mullen, M.D. (Gut Balance Revolution, p. 183). They provide food for your gut microbiome with their high content of inulin–a prebiotic fiber. In fact, they contain a special very long-chain inulin (VLCI) which studies are showing might have protective pathogen-reducing properties (Gut Balance Revolution, p.184). “Artichokes may also balance blood sugar and improve other metabolic parameters associated with weight gain and type 2 diabetes.” (p. 184)