I'm Janine Faber, RD, LD, registered dietitian on the Meijer Healthy Living team. I assist Shari and Cheryl with the Monthly Feature and Monthly Strategy and am working with community programs and local events in Ohio and Kentucky. Each Friday on this page I answer the most commonly asked questions about healthy living. Due to the volume of email received, I'm sorry that I can't personally answer your email, but rest assured I read every one so I can answer the questions most of you are asking most often.

Use the form here to ask me a question.

--Janine

Question: Are dried cherries healthy?

Answer: Dried cherries add a delicious flavor to salads or trail mix or are perfect just eating them by themselves! They are high in potassium and Vitamin C and low in fat and sodium. Just ¼ cup counts as a fruit serving, which can help you get your 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. These fruits also contain fiber.

Did you know that Michigan produces 70 to 75 percent of the tart cherries grown in the United States? That makes Michigan the nation's number one cherry producing state. Other states that grow tart cherries include Utah, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington.

Try these great recipes using dried cherries:

Turkey Cherry Salad

3 C. cooked, diced turkey (or 3 cups chicken – you can get 3 cups of chicken from 1 rotisserie chicken)

1 C. chopped celery

½ C. dried Michigan cherries

½ C. chopped onion

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

½ C. light mayonnaise

1 T. lemon juice

¼ t. salt

Mix turkey, celery, dried cherries, onion, and eggs together. Mix salad dressing, lemon juice and salt until smooth. Gently stir salad dressing into turkey mixture. Chill thoroughly, and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves. Source: Michigan Department of Agriculture

Herb Roasted Pork Loin with Dried Cherry Sauce

Serves 6

1½ lb Pork Tenderloin

1 T Meijer olive oil

½ t Meijer salt

½ t Meijer black pepper

½ t dried thyme

Sauce:

1 c Meijer chicken broth

¾ c Meijer apple juice

¼ c reduced sodium soy sauce

1 T Meijer cornstarch

½ c sliced onions (optional)

½ c Meijer Shoreline Dried Cherries

1. Place pork loin on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Roast in a 350º F oven for 40-50 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155-160º F. Pork may also be grilled.

2. While pork loin is baking, add chicken broth, apple juice, ¼ c soy and cornstarch to a sauce pan. Mixed to remove any cornstarch clumps. Add sliced onions to mixture.

3. Place pan over medium heat and bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Add ½ c dried cherries and reduce to a simmer until desired consistency is reached.

4. Ladle sauce over sliced pork.

For more nutrition information and healthy recipes, visit www.meijerhealthyliving.com.

Question: What does it mean if a recipe says to “braise”?

Answer: Cooking is a great way to eat healthy as you can add or reduce the amount of some ingredients in the recipe. For example, you can reduce the salt you add in certain recipes if you have high blood pressure and are watching your salt intake. You can also add chopped veggies to soups, sauces and salads to add more nutrients. In addition, you can make recipes your own by adding your own spices and seasonings to make the food match your taste buds.

There may be some terms that recipes use that we are unfamiliar with such as “braise”. I have provided the definition of “braise” along with some other terms that are not as common. Happy cooking!

• Braise: simmer over low heat in liquid in a covered pot

• Broil: cook with direct heat, usually under a heating element in the oven

• Poach: cook gently in liquid, just below boiling

• Sauté: cook quickly in a small amount of fat, stirring so the food browns evenly

• Stir-fry: cook small pieces of meat and/or vegetables in a small amount of oil over very high heat, stirring as you cook