Have you heard that eating the colors of the rainbow is beneficial to your overall health? Well it is!
Phytonutrients determine the color of fruits and vegetables. These phytonutrients are natural chemicals or compounds produced by plants. They keep plants healthy, protecting them from insects and the sun.
Every color indicates an abundance of specific nutrients, plus health benefits – as shown below in the diagram.
Red fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals, including lycopene and ellagic acid. These powerful nutrients have cancer-fighting effects in addition to other health benefits.
Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C and carotenoids, including beta-carotene. Carotenoids are a class of phytonutrients and are found in the cells of a wide variety of plants, algae and bacteria. They help plants absorb light energy for use in photosynthesis. They also have an important antioxidant function of deactivating free radicals and offering cancer-fighting properies.
Green fruits and vegetables the healthiest of colors is rich in lutein, isothiocyanates, isoflavones, and vitamin K — essential for blood and bone health.
In addition, they’re rich in folate – a nutrient important for pregnant women to consume aiding in the prevention of congenital disabilities. Cruciferous vegetables, (such as broccoli), help improve immune function, while dark leafy greens like kale are know for improving one’s mood.
Other green fruits and vegetable have been proven to alleviate symptoms related to the common cold, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Insomnia and even repair damage to your DNA.
Blue and purple fruits and vegetables are rich in:
These offer positive effects on anti-cancer and anti-aging properties.
White and brown produce while not the liveliest of colors, are still considered a healthy choice, and have phytonutrients.
In a nutshell, both fruits and vegetables regardless of color will do the body good. Fresh & Healthy plant based foods are key! The learn more about the benefits of eating a rainbow of foods simply “google” it. There’s a world of information to digest and produce at your market.
While this recipe as shown, for Rainbow Veggie Pizza is not vegan, you can easily make it vegan, by using dairy-free cheese, and replacing the egg in the crust, with 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed or Chia seeds, to 2 ½ tbsps. water, and blend.. The full recipe is below.
I served this Rainbow Veggie Pizza to my family, a cooking class of twelve, in addition to our neighbors, and everyone loved it! Loaded with fruits and veggies the colors of the rainbow, this pizza will satisfy even the carnivore.
If you create this recipe or a version of it, please share your photos and comments on my Instagram page @vickibensinger.
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