There are at least 5 reasons the color of fruit is important. Today, let's briefly discuss phytochemicals and their role in making fruits colorful.
In addition to giving beautiful colors to fruit, phytochemicals are key for optimal health. But, what exactly is a phytochemical?
Phytochemicals
Also called, “phytonutrients,” phytochemicals are important compounds found in all plants. Phytochemicals are what protect plants from fungus, germs, bugs, and disease. These compounds, though not currently considered “essential,” have been shown to have protective effects on humans as well. Five of the most well known phytonutrients are beta-carotenes, lycopenes, anthoxanthins, and anthocyanins.
Note that no fruit or plant contains only one type of phytochemical. The ones discussed are the predominant type found in particular fruits, and are discussed separately to keep things simple.
Beta-carotene
The pigment that makes the color of fruits, including mangoes and lemons, orange or yellow, is a form of vitamin A. Beta-carotene is part of the “carotenoid” family, which includes other phytochemicals to be discussed in more depth later. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant, and has been shown to have anti-aging and anti-cancer effects. As a source of vitamin A, Beta-carotene is also important for healthy eyes and skin.
Lycopenes
Lycopenes make fruit, such as watermelon and raspberries, red, and are also part of the “carotenoid” family. These pigments are excellent sources of vitamin A. Lycopenes are important for healthy eyes and skin, and are associated with reduced risk of cancer, especially prostrate cancer.
Anthoxanthins
These pigments are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are what protect us from environmental damage, damage from the sun, and from toxic substances such as second hand smoke. Antioxidants also help us to fight off infection and illness. Anthoxanthins are found in “colorless” or white fruits, such as coconut, apples and pears.
Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins give the color of fruit blue, purple and red, and are also powerful antioxidants. Purple and blue fruits are good for healthy brain, bones, and arteries. This is largely because of the presence of anthocyanins.
Chlorophyll
Is found in every green plant, because Chlorophyll makes plants green.
In basic biology, we learn that Chlorophyll is the chemical that gives plants the ability to convert carbon dioxide and water. A process known as “photosynthesis,” Chlorophyll is also what enables plants to receive the energy from the sun, and to produce glucose (sugar) and oxygen.
A particularly interesting thing about the Chlorophyll molecule is that it contains magnesium. Thus, ALL green plants contain magnesium. Here is a picture of the Chlorophyll molecule:
The “Mg” smack dab in the middle of the molecule is none other than magnesium. I think that is so cool! And for you techy types, the “Cs” are carbon atoms, which are the building blocks of carbohydrates. The “Ns” are nitrogen atoms, which are the building blocks of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.
In addition to magnesium, green plants are high in vitamin A, C, B6, and fiber. Green fruits rich in these nutrients include green grapes, limes, and kiwi fruit.
Since limited research has been done on phytonutrients (though more is happening as I speak), there is still very little we know about what it is exactly that makes an orange or a raspberry healthier than a supplement that contains the known vitamins and phytonutrients.
Whole Food versus Supplements
This is why it is important to consume the whole food as much as possible. Supplements usually contain isolated nutrients in an attempt to target certain beneficial ingredients (and to make money). For example, you can buy Lycopene by itself in supplement form. While the lycopene supplement may have something good to offer, it is not the whole raspberry or tomato. So, there is no way it can be as good for you as the full tomato. Supplements are man-made, and raspberries and other fruits are made by our loving Creator. So, it is nearly always going to be more beneficial for you to eat the whole foods over the supplements.
As for encouraging your family to eat more fruits, and to get your preschoolers started, here is a simple and fun matching activity I think they (and you) will enjoy. Click here to see it.
This delicious, colorful fruit salad is sure to win the hearts of many including your kids.Though the original recipe is for everything to be mixed together, it's okay to serve fruits in separate bowls/plates for children with sensory issues or for toddlers and other young children.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy, kid friendly recipes, recipes kids love
Servings: 4Servings
Calories: 172kcal
Author: Betty Crocker
Ingredients
4cupsCut up fruit4 different colors is best
2 tbspLime JuiceFresh is best
2 tbspHoney
1/4 teaspoonpoppy seedFound in Spice Aisle of most grocery stores
1teaspooncorn starch
Instructions
Just before adding dressing:Cut up 4 (four) cups of desired fruits.To make Dressing:Mix lime juice, honey, cornstarch and poppy seed in small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Usually no more than 5 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.Toss dressing with fruit and serve. Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
Notes
Fruit Combination ideas:Red apples, bananas, oranges, green grapesBlueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberriesKiwifruit, bananas, red grapes, pineappleStrawberries, blueberries, apricots, peachesNectarines, peaches, plums, strawberriesRaspberries, peaches, bananas, kiwifruit
Variety is so important for helping to ensure that your family is getting all of the nutrients available through foods. And it is extremely difficult to get some kids to eat more than a couple of different foods.
When Nathan was younger, he would eat cooked beans. However, as he's gotten older, it's been nearly impossible to get him to eat any kind of beans, even the Bush's Baked Beans he used to like. Regardless, I decided to have my husband cook some pintos in the Instant Pot for dinner this week.
Traditionally, I have put onion, salt, and white pepper in my beans for spice, based on my mom's recipe. I usually put olive oil in my pintos as well.
To be honest, when I decided to have pinto beans for dinner, I did not expect my son to eat them.
My husband is a garlic lover, and a hard core meat eater. So when he made the pintos on Monday, he added (a ton) of garlic and two slices of bacon. After tasting them, I'm thinking, “Nathan loves garlic, I should have him try these.”
This is especially important to me because I'm always searching for different high protein meals that are also inexpensive, and rich in other nutrients and fiber.
The results of my little experiment are that Nathan has eaten them for the last two nights without complaining. He won't actually admit he likes them, but eating them without having to be coaxed is all the evidence I need. So, if your child likes garlic, and you've had a hard time getting him or her to eat beans, I have an easy recipe for you!
And the good news is that 2 slices of bacon adds hardly any fat to the overall recipe. In fact, without cheese, 1 1/2 cup serving is only 127 calories! With cheese, 227 calories.
The first night, I gave Nathan a small serving of beans with cheese. The second night I got even more creative.
We had leftover breast meat chicken from the rotisserie chicken we got at Costco last week. I suggested that my husband make his awesome chicken and tomatoes (which Nathan has also eaten in the past–he will eat things like this as long as it's not spicy and as long as the tomatoes aren't obvious).
The second night Ron and I had chicken and bean tacos and Nathan had a chicken and cheese burrito with pintos on the side. (In the next post, I will add the recipe for chicken and cheese tacos).
It is so exciting to me when I can get my son to eat a greater variety of foods besides just mac and cheese!
Homemade Pinto Beans with Minced Garlic and Bacon (or Olive Oil)
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time6 hourshrs
Soaking6 hourshrs
Total Time6 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: adhd diet, autism diet, beans, easy, frugal, healthy, high protein, kid friendly recipes, pinto, recipes kids love
Servings: 101/2 cup
Calories: 127kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
2slicesBaconCenter Cut is Leanest
1/2 onionOnionabout 1/2 cup
1tbspMinced GarlicWe use the jarred garlic; if using fresh, 3-4 cloves, depending on size
1poundDried Pinto Beans
8cupswaterJust enough to cover the beans
Instructions
Put dry beans in bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight, or about 6 hours. Drain and rinse beans and put into Slow Cooker or Instant Pot. Cover with water, add bacon or olive oil, onion, and garlic. Turn on slow cooker or Instant Pot. If using slow cooker low setting, it usually takes about 6 hours for beans to be tender and ready to eat. If you use the high setting of slow cooker, the beans should be done in 3-4 hours. But it will depend on the crock pot. If you use the Pressure Cooker setting on the Instant Pot, beans should be done in 30-60 minutes. Makes 10 1/2 cup servings
Notes
This easy, inexpensive recipe is an excellent source of protein, folate, magnesium, fiber and B vitamins. And my son likes it.I bet yours will too!Top with shredded cheese for extra protein, calcium and FLAVOR! (1/4 cup shredded cheese = about 100 calories)
Available on IOS and Android mobile apps; also desktop website address.
Of all the 5 best free nutrition diet exercise apps, MyFitnessPal is BY FAR my favorite, and I use it all the time.
One of the best things about this app is you can create and add your own recipes into the system. The app will then give you calories and basic nutrition facts per serving. The desktop version also shows you a Nutrition Facts label that you can copy and paste into your documents or wherever you want.
Another awesome thing about MyFitnessPal is that practically all foods are in the database, including many restaurant foods. For example, Soupplantation/Sweet Tomato, Red Robin, McDonald's, to name a few. Also, there is a bar code reader, so you can save time by just reading the bar code of the food you are eating.
The articles on MyFitnessPal are trustworthy and written by credentialed fitness pros. They contain tasty recipes, and sound nutrition and exercise advice.
I use the free version of MyFitnessPal, and there are ads showing. However, they are in the background, at least in the IOS mobile app. The desktop version also has ads, and they are a bit more noticeable. But, I don't find them troublesome.
If you are interested in a more extensive analysis of the foods you eat, you can pay for the premium version. But I have never found any use for it.
MyFitnessPal can be downloaded on Android and IOS, and can also be used on a desktop/laptop. There are several apps that can be connected to MyFitnessPal, including MapMyRun, MapMyWalk, FitBitTracker, and Pacer Pedometer.
SparkPeople Calorie Tracker
I discovered the desktop version of SparkPeople through Pinterest recently while looking for stability ball exercises, and I like it a lot. It reminds me of MyFitnessPal, except there are some really good exercise videos available on SparkPeople.com. There are a lot more ads that popup, however.
I just got a brand new Instant Pot for my birthday in November, so I found this one interesting. By the way, I LOVE my Instant Pot!
SparkPeople also has several apps that complement the calorie tracker, including Nutrition Lookup and SparkRecipes.
Nutrition Lookup by SparkPeople
This is a very specific app for food lookup analysis. The free version of this app has more detailed nutritional information than the free version of MyFitnessPal.
For example, the free version of MyFitnessPal only includes calories, fat, carbs, protein, cholesterol, potassium, sodium, calcium, vitamin a, c, and iron. In contrast, Nutrition Lookup also has information on vitamin B12, B6, D, E, Copper, Folate, Magnesium, and more.
Vitamins B6, B12, Folate, D, E, and the minerals Copper and Magnesium are all important nutrients to have in your diet. So, if you are interested in detailed nutritional analysis without having to pay, Nutrition Lookup is a better choice than MyFitnessPal.
SparkRecipes
This app does what it says. It provides recipes. However, not just any kinds of recipes. Healthy recipes. For example, the recipe, “Raspberry-Lemon Scones,” includes nonfat milk and whole wheat flour. Also, the amounts of butter, salt and sugar are significantly lower than is typical for a Scone recipe.
And, of course, there are TONS of recipes that are kid-friendly, allergy friendly, quick and easy, and so much more!
SparkRecipes allows you to add your own recipes as well, which is similar to MyFitnessPal. You can also create favorite ingredients, which is not an option that I have noticed in MyFitnessPal.
Calorie Tracker, Nutrition Lookup, and SparkRecipes can all be connected to the main website, and you can use the same username and password for all three.
EB Pro was designed specifically for autistic kiddos to encourage regular exercise. Despite this fact, EB Pro can also be used for any child who struggles with exercise.
One downside is that EB Pro works only on tablets.
Unfortunately, it also has a few bugs.
We have been using EB Pro since summer, and it is wonderful when it is working correctly. The developers have been having issues with PayPal and monthly subscriptions, so we have been canceled a couple of times. I have had to redo my programmed workout routines a couple of times, which has been frustrating. However, the developer is easy to work with and he does all he can to help get you functional on EB Pro.
Every exercise is categorized with most having a short video showing the exercise. Most of the exercises are basic and easy to learn. The developer works with autistic youth, and all of the videos are of autistic youth doing the exercises. You can make your own videos and download them as well.
Since the exercises have visual aides, mom and dad or older brother and sister can learn the exercises and teach them to younger or special needs siblings. Higher functioning special kids can become independent once they learn specific exercises. They can then use the Exercise Buddy on their own, which helps mom a lot!
My son is able to do this, and it helps ease my stress level tremendously!
Exercise Buddy is not actually free, but it hardly costs anything. It is only $4 per month (or $36 for a year). Plus, you can get a 14-day free trial before deciding if it works for you.
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The “Mg” smack dab in the middle of the molecule is none other than magnesium. I think that is so cool! And for you techy types, the “Cs” are carbon atoms, which are the building blocks of carbohydrates. The “Ns” are nitrogen atoms, which are the building blocks of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.
Kid-Friendly Pinto Beans Recipe
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