Fruits and vegetables are a great way to get many healthy nutrients into our diet. We should all strive to fill our plates with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables.
Research shows that compared to other fruits and vegetables, red colour in fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of hypertension and high cholesterol, which subsequently helps your health.
Red foods consist of everything from fruits, including watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and apples; and vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, and red cabbage.
These colourful and tasty foods are gifts from nature. They offer many health benefits because they have some of the following nutrients; lycopene, ellagic acid, quercetin, hesperidin, fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Let us take a look at some of the best red fruits and vegetables that you should be eating and their benefits. Below we also share recipes worth trying.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are well known as lycopene superstars. One of the key components of the Mediterranean diet, lycopene is particularly beneficial for cardiovascular health and heart disease prevention. Cooking tomatoes (think tomato sauce) greatly increases the bioavailability of lycopene. Tomatoes also make a great choice for healthy snacking and many recipes like omelettes, soups, stews, and salads of course.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a good source of antioxidants, and powerhouse vitamin C, which, among other things, promotes immune system function. To get extra, try sprinkling strawberries on cereal or combining frozen strawberries in a smoothie with skim milk and frozen yoghurt.
Beetroot
Beetroot is full of vitamins and minerals and also has been found helpful in Alzheimer’s disease by recent studies. It is consumed boiled, chopped, raw, or roasted, either combined or alone. You can simply grate them and use them in salads or any other dish or soup.
Pomegranates
The unique antioxidant found in many red fruits – anthocyanins – is one of the many heart-smart nutrients found in pomegranates. In particular, studies found that pomegranate juice can improve blood flow in patients with heart disease, and prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Pomegranate juice has been widely used in many parts of the world. The juice can be sweet or sour, depending on when the pomegranate was harvested.
Cherries
Sweet and juicy, cherries are full of antioxidants and high in fibre. Your kids can enjoy them on top of granola or whole grain cereal, as part of a well-balanced lunch or as a fun afternoon snack. Frozen cherries offer the same nutritional benefits as their fresh counterparts, so keep these in your freezer for a smoothie addition or a frozen treat.
BLT
Serves: 4
Ingredients
450g grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
340g thinly sliced bacon
8 slices of bread of your choice
4 tbsp mayonnaise, divided
8 leaves of green or red lettuce
Method
Position two racks so they are roughly in the centre of the oven, with space between them, and preheat to 200 degrees.
Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with aluminium foil. Place the tomatoes on one sheet and drizzle them with olive oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. On the other sheet, lay the bacon in one evenly spaced layer. Transfer both sheets to the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have wilted and their juices have thickened, and the bacon is crisp or is done to your liking.
Remove the bacon and tomatoes from the oven and cool slightly. Drain the bacon on paper towels, if desired.
Meanwhile, toast the bread, if desired. Spread a tablespoon of the mayonnaise on four slices of bread. Lay a few roasted tomatoes on the remaining four slices of bread, followed by a few slices of bacon and lettuce. Top with the mayonnaise-covered slices and serve.
Turkish delight and pomegranate ripple
Serves: 4
Ingredients
75g rose Turkish delight thinly sliced
100ml pomegranate juice
100ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
½ tsp finely grated orange zest
25g icing sugar sifted
400g thick Greek yoghurt
Method
Place the Turkish delight in a small pan with the pomegranate juice, bring to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes until the Turkish delight softens and starts to melt.
Whiz it in a food processor for a minute or two until you have a translucent liquid jelly.
Pass through a sieve into a bowl to remove any specks of Turkish delight.
Leave to cool to room temperature.
Combine the cream with the vanilla, orange zest, and icing sugar in a medium bowl and whisk to soft, fluffy peaks using an electric whisk.
Fold this into the yoghurt in a large bowl.
Spoon three-quarters of the liquid jelly over the surface and fold it into the cream mixture.
Pile this into four 150ml glasses, ramekins, or cups, and drizzle over the reserved jelly.
Cover and chill for a couple of hours.
This can be made a day in advance.
Serving suggestion: Decorate with extra slivers of Turkish delight and accompany with a thin slice of baklava if wished.
Recipes: IOL Archives