News and Notes from The Johnson Center
Rethink Red
JCCHD | Fri, July 26, 2013 | [Family and Food]
Getting the daily requirement of fruits and vegetables can be difficult; using the colors of the rainbow as a guide is a great place to start. You should eat a fruit or vegetable in each color group every day. Fortunately, red fruits and vegetables are the most fun to eat, especially in the summer months. Chilled watermelon and strawberries are a perfect treat after a day at the pool. Pomegranates and cherries are an easy snack. You can even jazz up your chicken salad with cranberries for your next picnic.
Nutrients in Red Fruits and Vegetables
Resveratrol is an antioxidant found predominantly in cranberries and strawberries. It fights cancer in two ways: because it is an antioxidant, resveratrol eliminates cancer-causing free radicals in the body, and, unlike anything else, it increases the activity of enzymes that eliminate toxic or carcinogenic chemicals in the body. Resveratrol also inhibits the enzymes and white blood cells that cause inflammation. [1]
Capsaicin, found mainly in spicy red peppers, is another antioxidant. The heat indicates the amount of capsaicin present. When a person is dieting their metabolism will typically decrease based on decreased caloric intake. However, increasing intake of capsaicin will keep metabolism up and help burn additional calories.
If you don’t like spicy food, red bell peppers are packed with vitamins A and C. Vitamin A promotes healthy eye sight, and vitamin C is known to boost your immune system. [2]
Lycopene is an antioxidant found in red fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes and watermelon have the highest content. Lycopene plays an important role in protecting cell membranes from oxidation. Oxidation can affect the rate of absorption of nutrients, resistance to toxins, and the elimination of cellular garbage. [3]
Adding More Red to Meals
Minor changes to meals can impact your child’s health in a big way. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
• Breakfast: Strawberries are great breakfast foods. Freshly sliced strawberries can be added to cereals, oatmeal, and granola.
• Snack: Making snacks easily accessible is the best way to get your child interested in fruits and vegetables. Placing sliced fruits like watermelon or vegetables like red bell peppers in a mason jar also has a surprising effect on encouraging healthy eating habits. Dips such as hummus and homemade dressing are good ways to promote better snack choices.
• Lunch: It is easy to sneak tomatoes into sandwiches and fruit on a plate. You can also try something that is more interesting to eat like a pomegranate.
• Dinner: Adding vegetables to family favorites is a good place to start. You can add tomatoes to soups, ground meat, salads, and rice. Red bell peppers are just as effortless to work into a meal. They can be stir fried or chopped and added to ground meat.
• Dessert: Homemade fruit popsicles are a crowd pleaser. Likewise, you can serve almost any dessert with a side of berries.
Speaking of dessert, try this tasty recipe.
Strawberries and Cream Popsicle
From http://www.thecoconutmama.com
Ingredients:
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons raw honey
• ½ tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups fresh strawberries
Directions:
1. Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and blend until combined. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl mix coconut milk, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of raw honey together. Mix until combined thoroughly.
3. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry puree into each popsicle mold. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of coconut mix into each mold. Continue to switch between the berry puree and the coconut mixture until popsicle molds are filled. Place molds in freezer.
4. Allow popsicles to freeze completely before serving, about 5-8 hours. Once your popsicles are ready to serve, run the bottom of the popsicle molds under warm water to help release them from the molds. Serve and enjoy!
5. This recipe fills 12 large popsicle molds.
Try this twist on a summer favorite.
Beet Burger
from http://www.yummymummykitchen.com
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup roughly chopped, peeled beets (about 1 medium-large beet)
• 1 can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• pinch of freshly cracked pepper
• Vegan cheese for topping (optional)
• 4 gluten free hamburger buns
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1 small yellow or red onion, sliced
• sliced pickles
• 1 large avocado, sliced
• 2 cups arugula
• Favorite salad dressing (a creamy vinaigrette is recommended)
Directions:
1. Place the flax seeds and water in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. The flax will help bind the mixture. Add the beets, beans, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and pulse until the mixture is combined and all the ingredients are coarsely to finely chopped. Remove mixture and form into patties.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Cook patties for 5 minutes, then gently flip over and top with cheese if using. Cook another 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut rolls in half crosswise and toast under a broiler or in a toaster. Place patties on bottom buns and top with tomato, onion, pickles, avocado and greens. Drizzle dressing over the greens or on the cut side of the top bun.
Article Resources
1 http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/resveratrol/#sources
2 http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-peppers
3 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=121
