Fruits and vegetables:
Put more color on your plate
Fruits and vegetables are naturally loaded
with important nutrients including vitamins,
minerals and fiber. These nutrients can help
protect you from health problems such as
heart disease and certain cancers. You
should strive to eat at least five servings
of fruits and vegetables each day. Choose
a variety of produce. Add some of these
colors to your grocery cart to get the most
nutritional value:
• Kiwi: It may be small, but it’s big on vitamin
C and fiber. Serving idea: Slice kiwi into your
morning cereal. This will help add some color and
natural sweetness.
Orange/yellow
•Tomatoes: The antioxidant lycopene may help
prevent prostate cancer and heart disease. Also,
it gives tomatoes their bright red color and
nutritional power. Cooked tomatoes yield more
lycopene than raw ones. Serving idea: Spread nosalt-added tomato sauce on a whole-wheat bagel.
Then, sprinkle some low-fat cheese on top. Toast in
the oven for a fast pizza snack.
•Sweet potato: It’s full of potassium, fiber, and
vitamins B6, C and E. The sweet potato also is a
good source of carotenoids — compounds your
body turns into vitamin A. Serving idea: Bake,
then slit down the center. Fill with steamed
broccoli and sprinkle with feta cheese.
•Papaya: Only 25 calories per serving, this exotic
fruit has plenty of vitamins A and C, and fiber.
Serving idea: Slice in half and scoop out the
seeds. Put a dollop of low-fat vanilla yogurt in
the center. If you like, top with a sprig of mint.
• Apricot: Grab one for lots of vitamins A and C,
calcium, iron and fiber. Serving idea: Slice into a
salad with fresh field greens, almonds and sliced
mushrooms.
Green
• Collards: They have 150 percent of the daily
requirement of vitamin A. Also, collards have
vitamin C, calcium, iron and fiber. Serving
idea: Sauté in olive oil with onions, garlic and
mushrooms.
• Broccoli: This veggie favorite is a great source of
calcium, potassium, folate, fiber, and vitamins A
and C. It also has indoles. These are compounds
that may help prevent some cancers including
breast cancer. Serving idea: Steam and sprinkle
with red pepper flakes.
Red
• Red bell peppers: One-half cup of red bell peppers
offers more than twice the vitamin C and almost
half the vitamin A that the average adult needs each
day. Serving idea: Toss with fresh greens and a light
vinaigrette for a terrific salad.
• Watermelon: Even though it tastes as sweet as
candy, watermelon is a low-calorie, healthful snack.
Watermelon is loaded with vitamins A and C.
Serving idea: Mix 1 cup fresh lime juice,
½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
for dipping watermelon spears.
Fruits and vegetables:
Put more color on your plate
Blue/purple
• Blueberries: These flavorful little berries have
higher levels of antioxidants than most other fruits.
Antioxidants may help prevent cancer and improve
mental performance in older adults. Serving idea:
Toss into a salad for a sweet treat. Or, turbo-charge
your morning with a banana, yogurt and blueberry
smoothie.
• Grape juice: Research shows that grape juice may
lower your risk for heart disease. Serving idea: Try it
chilled with a little club soda.
• Passion fruit: A great source of fiber, passion fruit
also is full of vitamins A and C and iron. Serving
idea: Scoop the pulp from two passion fruits. Then,
mix with 1 tablespoon honey and a splash of lime
juice. Slice one large kiwi and one banana and cut a
cup of red, seedless grapes in half. Toss together and
serve.
Serving ideas courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
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