A Rainbow of Nutrients
Lewis Ginter Botanidal Garden is usually a pretty colorful place, but in the Community Kitchen Garden those colors equate to a wide variety of nutrients!
Cherry tomatoes on June 1st!
Red vegetables like tomatoes and watermelon are high in lycopene, which helps the body fight off free radicals.
Swiss chard belongs in the green group, but the ‘Bright Lights’ variety offers so many great colors.
Orange fruits and veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash are rich in beta carotene. This compounds aids in protecting the skin and repairing damaged DNA.
This squash blossom is just waiting to be stuffed!
Yellow vegetables including corn are packed with carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which studies have linked to a reduced risk of cataracts and muscular degeneration.
Snow peas
The list of green vegetables could go on for days. Some green heavy weights include broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. All contain chemicals like sulforaphane, isocyanate, and indoles which inhibit free radical activity.
Can you beat a beet? I don’t think so.
Blue and purple fruits and veggies such as blueberries, beets (don’t forget the yummy beet stems), and red cabbage contain antioxidants that are thought to slow cellular aging and help prevent blood clots.
Even white vegetables like onions and cauliflower are full of good stuff. Plus, the fresher the veggies, the more nutrients they have. Best of all, these veggies are going to the people who need them most — Meals on Wheels recipients and children who eat in FeedMore’s Kids Cafe.
So stay healthy and eat a rainbow every day!
Brody, J. E. (2015, June). PERSONAL HEALTH; The Color of Nutrition: Fruits and Vegetables. The New York Times.