A friend who is interested in eating healthier once asked me if he was only going to eat two fruits and one or two vegetables, which are the healthiest. Unfortunately for him and for anyone who was hoping for a definite answer, the reality is eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is the healthiest option. Different varieties supply different nutrients, so by eating as many different kinds as you can, you will be providing your body with more types of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
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This month’s theme is Eat the Rainbow. Each week a list of fruits and vegetables of a certain color will be listed along with their general nutrition highlights and some recipes. The goal is not to have a day where you eat all red fruits or all green vegetables, but to use these lists to create meals that are filled with many colors.
Eat the Rainbow: Red Fruits and Vegetables
Nutrients: The two main pigments in red fruits and vegetables are lycopene and anthocyanins. Found in tomatoes and watermelon, lycopene is an antioxidant that may help protect against several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Anthocyanins are found in foods such as strawberries, raspberries, and red grapes. They are also antioxidants and have protective effects on both cells and the heart.
Fruits
- Apples
- Blood oranges
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Guava
- Pink grapefruit
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Pomegranates
- Watermelon
Vegetables
- Red bell peppers
- Red chili peppers
- Red potatoes
- Rhubarb
- Tomatoes
Recipes
- Salmon with Strawberry Salsa
- Raspberry-Rhubarb Pie
- Pork Tenderloin with Guava Sauce
- Breakfast Lasagna
- How to roast a pepper
- Savory Red Pepper Soup
3 Comments
Diyan posted on April 6, 2012 at 7:49 am
Thank you for this post. This is one of my favorite topics, because by swapping your daily snacks (chocolate bars, chips, etc.) with a fruit or some vegetables, you could make large improvement into your total well being. As you’ve said, fruits and vegetables are sources of vital nutrients, and different colored fruits and veggies equals to large variety of vitamins and minerals, which the body requires for optimal physiological function and health.
Also an easy way to combine great variety of fruits and vegetables, is by making fresh juices and smoothies. This is especially good for vegetable juices, because they are very low in calories, which would not add up to the daily calorie intake, if consumed at larger quantities. But of course, in terms of nutrition, everything should be in moderation.
As for the list of red vegetables I could add radish, red cabbage and beet, although the last two are more likely to belong to the purple vegetables group.
ideal protein diet posted on April 20, 2012 at 11:00 pm
I like salmon with strawberry salsa recipe. it’s really tasty, good combination, and healthy too. and if we have to eat fruits and vegetables that got red colour, I doubt that and especially for the red vegetables.
lulu posted on October 12, 2012 at 5:05 am
As you’ve said, fruits and vegetables are sources of vital nutrients, and different colored fruits and veggies equals to large variety of vitamins and minerals, which the body requires for optimal physiological function and health.