The 3 benefits of the Color of Vegetables discussed here expand to much more. However, to simplify, let's categorize the benefits of the color of vegetables into three broad categories: (post contains affiliate links)
1) Minerals
2) Vitamins
3) Phytonutrients
(This post contains affiliate links).
I. Color Provides Minerals
The four main minerals in vegetables are magnesium, potassium, manganese, and iron.
Magnesium protects against depression and prevents excess blood clots. It also helps the body digest nutrients, and builds strong bones.
Green vegetables include broccoli, spinach, zucchini, asparagus, and cucumber.
Potassium
Potassium and sodium are important for fluid regulation in the cells. When there is enough potassium in the diet, sodium and potassium are in balance. This regulates the amount of fluid your cells hold. However, if not enough potassium is eaten, water retention occurs.
For example, excess water in the cells causes the heart and kidneys to work harder. Sufficient potassium in the diet will fight against high blood pressure and protect the heart and kidneys.
Potassium rich vegetables include potatoes, including sweet potatoes, beet greens, swiss chard, and lima beans.
Manganese
The benefits of manganese include prevention of Epileptic seizures. In addition, manganese helps control blood sugar levels in Diabetics. Manganese is also important for healthy bones and protects against bone fractures.
Vegetables rich in manganese include lima beans, lentils, and green leafy vegetables.
Iron
Iron has been discussed previously. However, it is an important mineral in the formation of healthy red blood cells and for preventing anemia.
Lentils, spinach, chick peas (garbanzo beans), and collard greens are all high in iron. See below for my delicious Lentil Stew recipe.
II. Color Provides Vitamins
Vitamins A, C, B6, and Folate are four vitamins that are abundant in all vegetables, regardless of color.
Vitamin A
Deficiency of vitamin A results in dry skin, eczema, dry eyes, and night blindness. Also, vitamin A deficiency is associated with acne, stunted growth, and infertility.
Vegetables high in vitamin A include kale, pumpkin, carrots, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Vitamin C
As mentioned previously, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that fights infection and protects skin cells from sun damage. As a result, deficiency of vitamin C results in scurvy, poor wound healing, reduced immunity.
Vegetables high in vitamin C include broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and bell pepper
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is essential for protein metabolism and healthy nerve function. Also, vitamin B6 is important in forming red blood cells.
Foods rich in vitamin B6 include carrots and spinach.
Folate
Protects against Birth Defects
III. Color Provides Unique Phytonutrients
I have written previously about phytonutrients. So, I don't want to bore you here. Just a quick summary with a link to the original post will suffice, I hope. 🙂
Lycopene
Lycopenes are found in tomatoes, red bell peppers, beets, and other red vegetables. Click here to read more.
Anthocyanins are found in blue, purple and red vegetables. One interesting tidbit I didn't mention previously is that the anthocyanins change color depending on the pH of the food. For example, science experiments on acid and base result in red cabbage changing color.
Chlorophyll
The fact that chlorophyll is the basis for the green in plants and that it has magnesium at the center of its molecule fascinates me. Read more about chlorophyll here.
Green vegetables include avocado, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, green beans, and green peas.
Anthoxanthins are antioxidants and are found in white/colorless/brown vegetables. So, expect anthoxanthins to be in garlic, onion, mushrooms, parsnips, turnips, radishes, and lentils.
As most of you know, I'm working on education materials. I am designing these materials to help you more easily communicate to your kids the importance of eating fruits and vegetables.
I'm also hoping these materials will help you and your kids meet educational standards requirements. So far, I've produced pre-k to kindergarten fruit color matching and vegetable color matching. When I am finished, there will be something for all ages!
(Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way).
3 Reasons Fermentation is Fun. When we were given the opportunity to review the Fermentation Starter Kit by Fermentools, I was excited. As a Registered Dietitian, I know that probiotics are a healthy addition to your diet. I also knew this would be a great opportunity to give our 15-year-old son another hands-on kitchen experience. What I didn’t know was that this little tool creates a finished product in less than a week.
3 Reasons Fermentation is Fun
1. You get to spend time in the kitchen with your kids.
Our 15-year-old son has autism and is an introvert. As a result, it can be extremely challenging to get him to interact with us—unless it’s his preferred topic, which currently is trains.
When he knows it’s an assignment for school, however, he’s more than willing.
As you can imagine, Fermentools Starter Kit quickly became part of his high school curriculum. 😉
Thus, we all got experience and learned the process of preparing fermented food. Plus, we spent quality education time together.
And all of us learned, including my husband, who’s been cooking for 40 years. Speaking of which, my husband led with the experiments.
And the first thing he said when I asked him what he learned was, “How easy it was.” For example, the process uses very simple ingredients. All that is needed is distilled or spring (non-cholorinated) water, salt, seasoning (which you can choose based on your preference), and the chosen food itself.
Which leads to the 2nd of 3 reasons fermentation is fun.
2. You can ferment virtually anything.
Yes, that's right! We started with what we already had in the refrigerator–carrots.
A few days before we conducted our fermentation experiment, we went to the store and my hubby bought 5 pounds of carrots. The reason for this is that he was searching for yeast so that he could make homemade bread. He went to virtually every grocery store in the area until he found a large supply store that had yeast. While purchasing the yeast, he picked up some carrots. 😉
Since we had so many carrots in stock, we searched online for ideas and decided to ferment some of our carrots. Since my husband and son like garlic so much, they also added garlic. The carrots turned out great. However, I would recommend slicing them because the carrots we used were still crunchy, which I didn't care for. My hubby likes the carrots this way. However, I’m going to give it more time and taste them again. Which reminds me, it states that the longer you ferment the vegetables, the better they will taste. That’s good to know.
I wish I could tell you what my son thought of the taste of the carrots, but he was unwilling to try them. Maybe some day! What I can tell you is that he helped prepare them by cutting up some of the carrots and putting the ingredients in the jar.
My son was fascinated by the process, though! In fact, he kept watching as the bubbles started forming–the very next day, and the day after, and so on.
The bubbles continued to form until the carrots were ready to be put into the refrigerator. It was completely surprising to all of us that the bubbles formed so quickly. It was a surprise to both me and my husband that the final taste included a vinegar flavor. Especially since the jar contained no vinegar!
Everything you need to ferment a food is included in the Fermentools Starter Kit. All you need is a large-mouthed jar and the food/water/herb combination.
During our research, we also discovered that root beer and sarsaparilla, familiar drinks to most, are fermented drinks! We printed a recipe for these two drinks, but haven't tried them yet as they require exotic ingredients such as sassafras. (You can easily find a recipe online for these drinks).
Reason number 3 of 3 reasons why fermentation is fun is:
3. You can teach your family about other cultures.
Plus, you get to try new foods you've never even heard of before!
After we completed the carrots, the next three foods we considered were:
German Sauerkraut with Bratwurst, Kielbasa, Pork
Korean Kimchi with (virtually anything you want).
El Salvadorian Curtido with Puposas
I’m not fond of sauerkraut and I wasn’t sure what we would eat the Kimchi with. Thus, I thought it would be more fun to create Curtido. (I didn’t know what it was called. However, while I was in graduate school, I took a class which introduced me to this unique ethnic food).
When we visited the little “Hole in the Wall” El Salvadorian restaurant in San Bernardino, California, I fell in love with Puposas and the accompanying “slaw” it is traditionally served with. But I never knew the name until now!
This is the Curtido when it was first put into the jar.
So, I chose Curtido because it would be a good excuse to encourage my husband to make Pupusas from scratch. And they turned out delicious! Again, I am amazed that the Curtido tastes like it contains vinegar when it doesn't! The only ingredients included in the Curtido are cabbage, carrots, sweet red peppers, oregano, Malaysian salt, and non-chlorinated water. Yum!
My son and husband enjoyed the puposas, but not so much the Curtido. And again my son wouldn't taste the Curtido. That is fine with me because that means I get it all to myself!
To each his own, they say!
3 Squash, cheese, and green chili puposas and homemade El Salvadorian Curtido.
You have heard that you need adequate magnesium. However, have you been wondering why? Magnesium is good for what? Keep reading and find out, including a delicious recipe.
Magnesium (Mg) is WAY MORE important than most people realize.
I just ordered the below package of dark chocolate almonds tonight from Amazon.com because I love almonds and dark chocolate. Plus, each serving of these almonds has a whopping 66 mg of magnesium! That is 15% of the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for an adult. And it is a really good deal!
These are a new product, and are most likely going to be in the grocery stores soon. They may already be there, in fact.
For further reading, here are my most popular posts:
Do you have low magnesium? It is a common condition but shows up more readily in certain populations. Read on to see if you are at risk for low magnesium and what you can do about it.
What Can Cause Low Magnesium:
While this deficiency can happen to anyone. There are certain populations that are more at risk. Below, we look at 10 populations that are most likely to be deficient. We also explore why they have a higher risk, overall.
The Elderly
One reason the elderly are at risk is that older adults tend to consume less magnesium in their diet. Also, as people age, their body is less able to absorb the magnesium in the food they eat.
Another potential cause is high intake of medicines. As people age, the amount of prescription drugs tends to increase. Many of these medications interfere with absorption.
Magnesium deficiencies are associated with several diseases, including Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, multivitamins do not contain 100% of the US Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of magnesium. So, a supplement may be necessary to prevent deficiency in the elderly.
Children with Autism
Children with autism often have sensory processing and motor issues that affect their choice of food. The diet is often severely limited. What is known as the “white diet” is common. For example, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, apple juice, crackers are common favorites. A diet limited to only white foods is going to be deficient in many nutrients, including magnesium.
If a child is severely limiting their food intake, a multivitamin with minerals is recommended. A magnesium supplement may be necessary as well. Check with your doctor before supplementing with magnesium. Every child's nutrition needs are unique, and too much of one nutrient can negatively affect the status of another nutrient in the body.
People who Restrict Carbohydrates
Many of the foods high in carbohydrates are also high in magnesium. For example, whole grain breads and cereals, beans and peas, and leafy green vegetables are high in magnesium. In contrast, foods that are low in carbohydrates also tend to be low in magnesium. For example, meat and cheese. Thus, if you are on a low carb or ketogenic diet, it may be necessary to supplement your diet with magnesium.
People who Consume Certain Types of Antacids
Two types of antacids, known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) and H2 inhibitors, interfere with magnesium absorption. These are medications that reduce the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Reducing acid production increases the pH of the stomach. This in turn decreases the ability of stomach to break down magnesium into a form the body can use. As a result, people taking these types of antacids are at increased risk of deficiency.
People who are diabetic are at risk for magnesium deficiency. In diabetes, blood sugars run high. In an attempt to flush out the extra sugars, the kidneys increase urine production. As a result, there will be an increased loss of important nutrients including magnesium.
People with Crohn’s Disease
Crohn's disease causes many digestive issues including frequent bouts of diarrhea. As a result, magnesium is lost. Crohn's disease also interferes with absorption of magnesium.
People with Intestinal Removal
The intestines are where most of the nutrient absorption occurs. When part of the intestines are removed, or not functioning properly, magnesium absorption is decreased.
People Who are Alcohol Dependent
People who are alcohol dependent don't usually eat a diet sufficient in nutrients. Also, what they do eat gets excreted through the urine. Thus, people who are alcohol dependent are at risk for magnesium deficiency.
People Who Take Thiazide Diuretics
All diuretics cause increased urination to prevent water retention. Thiazide diuretics are used to treat blood pressure. Unfortunately, a side effect is increased loss of important nutrients including magnesium.
Below are the Most Common Generic Names of Thiazide Diuretics:
Chlorothiazide
Metolazone
Indapamide
Hydrochlorothiazide
Chlorthalidone
Methyclothiazide
People Eating the American Diet
The American diet is high in processed foods and refined breads and cereals. It is also high in meat and cheese, and low in whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. The result is inadequate intake of many nutrients, including magnesium.
The Effect of The Refining Process
When whole grain breads are refined to make white bread, the outer bran and germ are removed. The same thing happens when brown rice is refined to make white rice. Most vitamins, minerals and fiber are in the bran and the germ. Thus, most of the nutrients are removed during the refining process.
There is virtually no magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, or folate remaining in the refined product before fortification.
In 1941, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that all “fortified” or “enriched” labeled breads, cereals, and rice must include iron, riboflavin, thiamin, and niacin. The folate requirement was added later. Thus, all “fortified” and “enriched” breads are good sources of iron, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, and folate.
They are NOT, however, good sources of magnesium, vitamin E, or vitamin B6. Thus, the American diet is severely lacking in many nutrients, including magnesium.
Below is a magnesium rich dish for you to try:
Note that you can go into the free myfitnesspal.com app on android or Apple and the QR code in the recipe will work for you.
I used to LOVE Banquet TV dinners, especially the ones with Salisbury Steak and mashed potatoes. As a single person, they were my go to when I felt like having a hearty meal but didn't want to cook. I especially loved them because they were so cheap.
But of course, after studying nutrition all those years, I started to compulsively read ingredient lists. As a result, I haven’t had a Banquet TV dinner in 20 years.
I’m going to take a risk here and tell you why I’m mentioning this.
I had a dream a couple of weeks ago about a Banquet HUNGRY-MAN dinner. (That’s right, I’m a bit nuts)! =)
Anyway, In the dream, there was a mom struggling with behavior issues in her son, and a doctor had written a note asking if by any chance her son’s behavior issues that day started after eating lunch.
His lunch was a Banquet Hungry-Man dinner.
I remember thinking, “Wow! What a good doctor!” I remember the mom was worried about too many calories. However, in the dream, I was remembering and explaining to her about all of the stuff they put in those Banquet dinners, and how much better for you homemade cooking is.
She was a person who liked cooking but didn’t have a lot of time. Sound like anyone you know?
When I woke up that morning, I knew I needed to invest some time and energy into looking at what exactly the current Banquet dinners contain.
My husband went to the store for me—he’s such a great guy—and looked for the Hungry-man version, they didn’t have it, so we settled for the regular Banquet dinner.
When he brought it home, the first thing I noticed was that the label was WAY smaller than it was 20 years ago—though that could just be my aging eyes! LOL
I wish I could say I was totally shocked by what was on the label, but of course I wasn’t. My husband took a picture of the ingredients, so I could read them, I kid you not!
First, the mashed potatoes had three lines of ingredients, including Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), BHT, and a bunch of other yucky stuff; the Salisbury steak patty, over two lines with MSG also as an ingredient; the apple dessert contained some choice ingredients as well. If you want to see what's in the dinner, here is the link to Banquet. (Though, keep in mind that the company spends an unusual amount of time “explaining away” the bizarre ingredients).
Since the ingredients are truly horrendous, and since the main reason we eat TV dinners is because they’re quick and easy, my husband and I put our heads together to create a delicious alternative. Ron and Nathan prepared the Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and corn last Thursday.
And last night, Ron finally prepared the Apple Cinnamon Dessert.
This meal shouldn't be too difficult, and most of the ingredients will be freezable and reheatable, just like a ”real” TV dinner. 🙂 Also, if you are concerned about calorie content, don't forget that you can reduce serving size.
In the meantime, here are some older posts I have written related to diet and our kiddos (even though some of them focus on ADHD or Autism, they really do apply to all of us, because artificial additives aren't good for ANYONE, and we all need a healthy, balanced diet).
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