Parsley, cilantro add more flavor than nutrition to dishes

Q. Which adds more nutritional value to a salad: fresh parsley or cilantro?A. A quarter cup of chopped parsley is a good source of both beta-carotene (the plant form of vitamin A) and vitamin C, which are both found in much smaller amounts in cilantro. Parsley also provides small amounts of folate, potassium and iron that help total daily consumption add up more quickly than amounts in cilantro.Cilantro contains about twice the amount of antioxidant phytochemicals (natural plant compounds) as parsley. Both are great choices to add a fresh taste to salads, salsas, soup (warm or chilled soup for hot weather enjoyment), pasta and more. Use them both and know you're getting great flavor and nutrition.Q. Is cottage cheese a good source of calcium? A. Cottage cheese is usually not as concentrated in calcium as milk, yogurt and other cheeses that are produced differently.Cottage cheese averages about 60 to 100 milligrams (mg) of calcium in a half-cup serving, which you'll see listed on food labels as 6 to 10 percent of Daily Value.That's substantially less than the 300 mg in a cup of skim milk, which provides about the same number of calories as one half-cup of cottage cheese. However, some companies add extra milk protein (whey) or supplemental calcium to their cottage cheese, which generally doubles the calcium content. All cottage cheese is a good source of protein and other nutrients, but if you're counting on it for calcium, look for the highest-calcium, low-fat or fat-free versions and take at least a three-fourths cup portion.bull; Provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research. Learn more about the group and its New American Plate program at aicr.org.