As a reminder, the color of our food tells us something. And I’m not talking about fake, or artificial colors, like yellow 5 or red 40. Stay away from those! I’m talking about the colors of foods when they are grown in the ground. The color of the food actually represents the phytochemicals, or plant nutrients, that are present in the food.
Color Matters!
Every color is important, and by eating a variety of colors on your plate, you will make sure to get a variety of nutrients. Last time I discussed red, purple and blue foods and then shared a recipe for two-ingredient blueberry preserves that you can make yourself.
Today I’m talking about the yellow and orange foods. These would include:
- Oranges (duh!)
- Carrots
- Avocado
- Peaches
- Mango
- Papaya
- Sweet Potatoe
- Yellow peppers
- Corn
- Summer squash
- Cantaloupe
- Pumpkin
- Butternut squash
- Pineapple
- & more! (as I said before… it’s not a list without this added to the end!)
Nutrients in Orange & Yellow Foods
The following cancer fighting nutrients can be found in orange and yellow foods:
- Beta-carotene. The antioxidant is converted to vitamin A in the body and maintains eye health, fights cancer, and is necessary for healthy skin.
- Vitamin C, found in oranges, orange bell peppers, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, peaches, mangoes and papaya. Vit C is essential for wound healing and protects cells from damage.
- Potassium, proven to help lower blood pressure and found in pumpkin, sweet potatoes and butternut squash.
- Folic acid, a vitamin found in carrots, cantaoupe, summer squash and corn. Folic acid keeps DNA healthy and promotes and maintains the growth of new cells.
- bromelaine, an enzyme found in pineapple. This enzyme is thought to help with indigestion and reduce swelling. [Side note: This is also the nutrient in the pineapple that gives my dad a sore feeling in his mouth after eating it!]
Next time, I’ll share some great orange and yellow food recipes!
– Julie
