My favorite sangkap-pinoy: Dole Packaged Foods

Pineapple's lush, tropical sweetness is the reason enough to enjoy it any way we can, but this fruit also contains vitamin C and manganese. This fruit's most promising nutritional assets though, may be bromelain, a natural enzyme found in both the fresh fruit and the stem.  Like melons, pineapples have no built-in reserves of starch that convert to sugar-- the starch is stored in the stem of the plant rather than in the fruit itself.  Just before the fruit ripens completely, the starch converts to sugar and enters the fruit. Once the fruit has been harvested, it wont get any sweeter, so growers ripen pineapples on the plant to a point where they are almost fully ripe, with a high sugar content and plenty of juice.

Dole sweet, ripened pineapples are carefully hand selected, rich in Vitamin C, and packed at the peak of freshness. It is of the finest quality, superior in taste that anyone may enjoy the goodness in all the dishes - be it salads, desserts or gourmet meals.

I've been with Dole Philippines, Inc. for almost 23 years and while working as secretary, I was able to collect and compile the monthly issues of Dole Asia magazine. I was glad there was a culinary section in the mag with some recipes.  I used to stack extra cans of some of the products for cooking use.  I tried some of the recipes at home during weekends with kids and we really enjoyed cooking.  We used to eat together what we have finished- may it be a dish for our meals or snacks.

Here are some of the main products which I tried best used in cooking:

• Pineapple Slices - best used for desserts, toppings on meats like ham, and premium desserts.
• Pineapple Chunks- perfect for dishes, salads, pastries and desserts.
• Pineapple Tidbits- best used on salads, pizza toppings, desserts like crema de fruta.
• Crushed Pineapple- ideal filling in pastries, cakes, pies, or a great ingredient for shakes, healthy drinks and smoothies.

With the thick, rich and flavorful DOLE tomato sauce, we can cook up and eat delicious meals while loading up on the essential vitamins for a healthier, happier lifestyle.

The sun-ripened tomatoes in DOLE Tomato Sauce is naturally rich in lycopene blended with the finest herbs and spices.  It is rich in Vitamin A and C and a good source of Vitamin K. While Lycopene protects the cell of our body from harmful free radicals, Vitamins A, C and K promotes good eyesight, builds resistancee to infection and healthy blood functions.