A Rainbow of Flavors - Fresh Baby | Nutrition Education Products for All Ages
Colorful fruits and vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals your body needs to maintain good health and energy levels. Each color range provides your body with different nutrients, so it is important to eat a rainbow of color! Here are 6 major colors and example foods:
Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, potassium and Vitamin C. They taste great fresh off the vine and cooked in sauces, stews and soups. Try chopped tomatoes or fresh salsa with scrambled eggs. A plate sliced tomatoes are a fantastic summer BBQ side dish –sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Brightly colored orange foods are good for eyes, skin, immune system and heart. Orange foods contain high amounts of Carotenoids; these compounds help provide Vitamin A, or retinol, to the body. Vitamin A helps us see at night, keeps our immune system strong and keeps our skin cells healthy. Orange foods are also loaded with Vitamin C. The color orange can also improve your mood and reenergize you. Be sure to brighten up your meals by eating at least one orange food a day.
Healthy orange fruits & vegetables:
Pumpkins: Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to include this excellent food in your family’s meals. Add vitamin and antioxidant packed pumpkin puree to pancakes, burritos, and bread or muffin recipes. Pumpkin also makes great soup. (Food Guide: Pumpkin)
Peaches & Nectarines: In addition to Vitamins A and C and Carotenoids, peaches and nectarines are a good source of dietary fiber. Slice a peach in half and grill for a juicy and delicious side dish.(Food Guide: Peaches)
Cantaloupe: This orange delight is chockfull of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Dice cantaloupe in fruit salads and vegetable salads. This gem also makes a very nice edible garnish. (Food Guide: Cantaloupe)
Oranges: Some say you can taste the sunshine in a glass of orange juice. Eating oranges and drinking orange juice supplies your body with a great dose of Vitamin C for healthy skin and a strong immune system. Oranges also contain folic acid for healthy development. (Food Guide: Oranges)
Carrots: This sweet and crunchy super food helps to keep your eyes healthy, your skin radiant and your body cancer-free. Carrots make a great raw snack. Steamed carrots make a delicious, sweet side dish.
Orange Peppers: Like their red and yellow cousins, orange peppers add great flavor and good nutrition to meals and snacks. Serve orange peppers raw as a snack, in salads, sautéed in pasta, stir-fried, or roasted in soups and stews.
Papaya: Nutritious and delicious papaya is loaded with Vitamin C, potassium, and beta-carotene. Add papaya to salads, smoothies and salsas. Or, use papaya as an edible garnish for chicken and seafood dishes. (Food Guide: Papaya)
Sweet Potatoes: Eat Sweet potatoes on a regular basis, not just at Thanksgiving. Fiber and Vitamin A rich sweet potatoes taste great grilled, baked, mashed, roasted or boiled. For added nutrition, add mashed sweet potato to bread and muffin recipes.
Yellow fruits and vegetables come in a range of textures and flavors and contain a variety of beneficial vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Yellow is a great color – it’s the color of sunshine and sunshine energizes us. Next time you are at the market, ask your child to choose a sunny yellow fruit or vegetable, so they can enjoy the delicious energetic benefits of yellow foods.
Healthy yellow fruits & vegetables:
Bananas: This fun and easy to eat fruit contains potassium, vitamins A, B-6, B-12, and C. Bananas provide a quick energy boost for hungry kids of all ages. Keep bananas on the counter for healthy after school snacking. Bananas are great added to smoothies, cereal, yogurt, pancakes, or baked goods.
Pineapples: Juicy, sweet pineapples provide the body with Bromelain, Vitamin A and C, and manganese. Bromelain is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps relieve swelling caused by injury or illness. Serve pineapples fresh, grilled, or add to sauces and salsas. (Food Guide: Pineapple)
Yellow Peppers: Yellow peppers are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and B6, niacin, magnesium, copper, folate, potassium and manganese. Add yellow peppers to pasta, stir-fry, and salads. Slice yellow peppers and serve with a side of salad dressing for a crunchy, sweet snack.
Yellow Squash: Yellow squash contains vitamin C, Iron, folate, beta-carotene, and lutein. Slice yellow squash and sauté with olive oil for a nutritious side dish, or add to casseroles for extra goodness.
Corn: Nothing says summer like fresh corn, and watching a young child eat corn on the cob can be a memorable experience! Corn provides the body with beneficial anti-oxidants to help prevent disease and fiber for healthy digestion. Steam, boil or grill corn on the cob, or cut the kernels from the cob and serve as a side dish, or add it to soups, stews, salads and casseroles.
Lemons: Lemons are a good source of vitamin C. Plus, they are a cleansing food. Squeezing a slice of lemon into a glass of water each day can aid digestion problems and remove impurities from the body. Adding a little slice of lemon to your kid’s water can be a great way to get them to drink more water. You can also squeeze fresh lemon juice over vegetables, poultry and fish.
Yellow Pears: Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and cancer preventing anti-oxidants, pears are a healthy and delicious choice for snacks and side dishes. Pears also have a low glycemic index, which means they can help control blood sugar levels. Pears provide the body with vitamins A, C, B1, B2, and E, folate, potassium, iron, and fiber. Slice pears and serve alone, or add to salads and smoothies. (Food Guide: Pears)
Blending tip: Blend the juice and greens first before adding the other ingredients for a smoother texture
Blackberries: A tasty way to add fiber and vitamin C to your diet, blackberries are delicious in salads, sauces and backed goods. Pick blackberries in season and freeze for an off-season treat.
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