June 19, 2003

Prairie Fare: A Patriotic Plate Is Tasty and Nutritious for the Palate

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Cooking magazines often feature desserts and salads made with red, white and blue produce at this time of the year. Decorating your plate with the colors of the American flag is attractive and festive for Fourth of July celebrations.

A patriotic-looking plate can be good for your health, too.

Researchers continue to study the role of natural colorants and other "phytochemicals" (plant chemicals) in plant foods. Plant foods are available in all the colors of the spectrum – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and white. All have numerous health benefits associated with them.

Are you eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily? If you’ve met the goal, aim a little higher. New research suggests that women and children over age 7 aim for seven servings, and teenage boys and men aim for nine servings daily.

Serving sizes include a half-cup fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, three-fourths cup of 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, one medium-size piece of fruit, one cup leafy greens or one-fourth cup dried fruit.

Here’s a look at the "patriotic" members of the produce spectrum.

Red Group

Red produce includes apples, red cabbage, cherries, cranberries, pink grapefruit, red peppers, radishes, raspberries, tomatoes, watermelon and many others. "Lycopene," the red colorant in tomatoes, watermelon and others, may help reduce risk of cancer, especially prostate cancer among men.

"Anthocyanins," the red colorants in strawberries, raspberries, apples and others, are powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from damage and help keep our hearts healthy.

White Group

White produce includes bananas, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, onions, potatoes and parsnips. Bananas and potatoes are especially good sources of potassium, a mineral need for maintaining healthy blood pressure. Natural chemicals in garlic and onions may help protect us from stomach cancer and heart disease.

Blue Group

Blue produce includes blueberries and plums. Other members of the blue/purple family are chokecherries, eggplant, juneberries, purple grapes and raisins. All contain a form of "anthocyanins" that acts as protective antioxidants. Blueberries, in particular, are being linked with improved memory function and healthy aging.

Add a rainbow of produce colors to your diet this summer. Here’s a fruit salad with a patriotic twist.

Summer Fruit Salad

8 oz. carton frozen low-fat whipped topping, thawed
3 1/2 oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 orange, peeled and cut up
2 c. crushed pineapple with juice
1 c. miniature marshmallows
1 c. sliced fresh strawberries
2 sliced bananas
1 c. fresh blueberries

In large bowl, combine whipped topping, pudding mix, orange, crushed pineapple and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, layer salad in a glass bowl with strawberries followed by one-third of pudding mixture, bananas followed by one-third of pudding mixture and blueberries followed by one-third of pudding mixture.

Makes about 10 servings. Each serving contains 177 calories, 2.9 grams fat, 2 grams fiber and 37 grams carbohydrate.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

[Editors: We’ve updated the illustrated column identifier for Julie Garden-Robinson’s Prairie Fare column. If you’re using an older version or if you would like to use the identifier, please download this printable EPS file. Prairie Fare (142 Kb eps file)]