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December 23, 2004
Prairie Fare: Here’s to a Colorful New Year
Have you ever noticed that many comforting “wintry” foods are pretty bland in color? Our plates tend to take on the appearance of the outdoor landscape about this time of the year. I thought about this as I was enjoying a cup of cocoa with marshmallows. My steaming cup looked like a murky pond filled with a pile of little snowballs. I didn’t spoil my appetite by visualizing that scene too long. Along with fuzzy sweaters and floppy slippers, many of us like to “cuddle up” with creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, savory meatloaf, flavorful bean soup and other “warming” foods when the mercury dips low in the thermometer. All these comforting, brownish-beige foods have their nutritional merits, of course, but menus can be improved with a little color. Many people experience a winter slump when it comes to fruit and vegetable intake. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we eat the most fruit in the summer. Despite eating more fruit, adults are still only eating about 54 percent of the recommendation. In the winter, our fruit consumption slips to 44 percent of the recommendation. Teenage girls and boys have the most room for improvement. Teen boys eat just 29 percent of the recommended number of servings and teen girls 34 percent. We don’t do much better with our vegetable intake. Do you know the fruit and vegetable goal? “Five a day” is a good place to start, but the current recommendation is five to nine total servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Men, for example, should aim for nine servings and seven for women. A serving is three-fourths cup of 100 percent juice, one-half cup of cut fruits and vegetables, one medium piece of fruit (about the size of a tennis ball) or one-fourth cup of dried fruit. Canned, fresh, frozen and dried forms of fruits and vegetables all count toward the goal. Besides beautifying your plate, eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is good for your health. Fruits and vegetables contain “phytochemicals” or plant chemicals responsible for both their color and many of their health benefits. Plants differ in their makeup, so it’s important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get all the health benefits. Color provides cues to health benefits. Blue/purple fruits and vegetables, like plums, purple cabbage and blueberries, may lower the risk for certain types of cancer (in conjunction with an overall healthy diet). The “blues” also may promote memory function and healthy aging. Green fruits and vegetables, like green grapes, kiwi, cabbage and broccoli, add crunch and flavor to meals. Some of the “greens” provide protective lutein and indoles, which are plant chemicals that may lower risk for cancer and/or promote vision health. Yellow/orange fruits and vegetables, like cantaloupe, apricots, carrots and squash, are sources of carotenoids, which promote vision health. The yellow/orange group also includes citrus fruits. Oranges and grapefruit, for example, provide vitamin C, which promote a healthy immune system. Red fruits and vegetables, like pink grapefruit, red potatoes and tomatoes, are versatile, colorful foods with many health benefits. Some may lower the risk of certain kinds of cancer, and others promote memory function. For more information about the health benefits of colorful produce, visit the Produce for Better Health Foundation Web site: www.5aday.org. Here’s a super-simple soup recipe that received rave reviews at a holiday potluck. It’s creamy, warm, comforting and colorful, too. With a blend of vegetables in a reduced-fat creamy cheese soup base, it might become one of your favorite quick meals.
### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
