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Feeding the Family || Next:
What is in a Cup of Tea?
Are You Getting Enough
Color in Your Diet?
Page 2
—by Jean Fisher
Green
- Avocados have gotten a bad reputation as being high in
fat. But they are also high in fiber, folate, potassium,
pantothenic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B6.
- Go green, like honeydew melons, green peas, spinach and
collards to supply important carotenoids that reduce the
risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
- Also included in the green group of vegetables are broccoli,
Brussels sprouts and cabbage which are, like cauliflower,
cruciferous vegetables and contain powerful carcinogen blockers.
Red
- Add tomatoes to your diet to provide lycopene, an antioxidant
associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular
disease. Surprisingly, cooked tomato products are richer
in lycopene than uncooked tomatoes.
- You can also get the benefits of lycopene from watermelon
and pink grapefruit, plus vitamins A and C.
- Don't peel your apples! The skin of a Red Delicious is
packed with two very powerful phytochemicals called epicatechin
and procyanidin. Apples are also rich in pectin, a fiber
that has a high capacity to absorb water and improve regularity.
Purple/Blue
- Eat purple grapes or drink concord grape juice to provide
quercetin in your diet. Quercetin has been identified as
an important phytochemical in the prevention of blood clots.
- Blueberries, plums, purple cabbage, eggplant and purple
onion provide another phytochemical group prevalent in purple
food, anthocyanins. These anti-oxidant phytochemicals have
been linked with preserved memory and brain function during
the aging process.
Add color to your plate. Your eyes will enjoy the sight and
your body will be receiving important nutrients vital for
optimum health.
If you are interested in learning more about vitamins, minerals
and phytochemicals, I recommend the Linus Pauling Institute
website from the Oregon State University.
Oregon State University
Ready for the test?
Play
Quiz: Eat Your Colors now! (Has pop-up unless you are a member)
Do You Know Your Vitamin ABC'S?
 
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Bio Our editor, Jean Fisher, is a former elementary teacher.
She offers "What's For Dinner?"
as a free service for busy families. One delicious meal
is suggested for each day of the week, plus an organized
grocery shopping list that can be customized to include all
your shopping needs. You will also find two stimulating table topics and
one educational after-dinner activity for each day. As one happy
visitor commented, "It's everything you need all in one
place!"
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