Eat Your Colours 10 Red Foods to Add to Your Plate

This article was originally published on GNC.com

 

Eating all the colours of the rainbow can be a fun way to broaden your food horizon. Considering that September is Irish Heart Month, red is the colour of the moment.

If you’re feeling in the spirit of all things red, why not add different shades of it to your diet? Fruits and vegetables with red hues are brimming with antioxidants. In fact, all fruits and vegetables with deep ruby tones, including those that are purple and blue, have at least one type of powerful antioxidant.

Here are some red foods you will want to add to your diet, this month, and every month.

CHERRIES

Cherries should be on your must-have list of red foods. Fresh cherries are full of minerals and other nutrients. Key among them is vitamin C. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, produce collagen, and defend against cell damage. Research has indicated that cherries improved sleep, decreased blood pressure, and decreased inflammation, which can improve your heart health. (1)

BEETROOT

It should be no surprise that beetroot made the list of red foods you should have in your diet. Whether you’re pro-beetroot or anti-beetroot because you’ve never tried them, one thing’s for sure — they are good for your heart. Beetroot contains a substance called nitrate, which is the precursor compound for nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is essential for many aspects of health, perhaps one of its most important functions is to improve vasodilation of blood vessels, which allows oxygen and nutrients to enter the circulatory system). If you think you don’t like beets, skip the canned variety and head straight to the produce section. Roast fresh beetroots and serve with creamy plain Greek yoghurt and pistachios. Better yet, you can grate beetroot like carrots and add them to a salad. There are also beetroot supplements that people use as well.

TOMATOES

Tomatoes might be the most versatile red food you have in your kitchen. From sauce to salads, tomatoes are a staple ingredient in many dishes, and there’s never been a better time to embrace them.

Tomatoes get their red colour from an antioxidant called lycopene, of which Harvard Medical School has produced a study(4). Lycopene is better absorbed when eaten with a source of fat, so add a healthy fat such as olive oil, avocados, or nuts to your tomatoes. (5)

STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries are high in anthocyanins, the antioxidant that gives them their red colour. (6) They are also rich in vitamin C, which can help support your immune function. One cup of fresh strawberries provides more than the RDA of vitamin C for adult women and almost the full recommended amount for adult men. (7)

APPLES

If there ever was a fruit that is available all year and always in season, it’s the apple. Red varieties include Red Delicious, Gala, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Fuji, and many others.

Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fibre, which is good news for your gut and may be one of the reasons why apples are considered the fruit that will “keep the doctor away.” (8)

Apples are a culinary chameleon, transforming into sweet and savoury dishes alike. Sauté sliced apples until soft and served alongside a roasted pork tenderloin or slice a sweet red apple and dip it into creamy nut butter for a healthy snack.

RED BELL PEPPERS

It might surprise you to know that a half-cup of sliced red bell peppers contains more vitamin C than a medium orange. (9) Red bell peppers are a versatile vegetable in cooking and there are many ways you can seamlessly add them to your next meal or snack.

Use red bell peppers as edible cups for your favourite version of stuffed peppers or chop and add them to your favourite rice dish. Slice red bell peppers thin and dip them in a homemade yoghurt ranch or hummus as a snack or to encourage your kids to eat more peppers.

POMEGRANATE

The pomegranate has been widely studied and has been shown to decrease inflammation, which can be present in various chronic conditions. (10) Adding just a small amount of this fruit to your daily diet may help you reap the nutritional benefits.

Use pomegranate juice as an alternative to an alcoholic drink or simply to increase the antioxidants in your diet. You can also purchase pomegranate arils as a convenient addition to a salad or smoothie bowl.

WATERMELON

Did you know that watermelon is over 90% water? (11) That makes it a perfect choice for active adults who need to stay hydrated. It’s also rich in the amino acid, citrulline, which is involved in the production of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is essential for many aspects of health, perhaps one of its most important functions is to improve vasodilation of blood vessels, which allows oxygen and nutrients to enter the circulatory system.

To add more watermelon to your meals, try making a watermelon salad with equally hydrating cucumbers and savoury feta cheese. Add watermelon to a blender with strawberries for a nutritious and refreshing pink drink.

RASPBERRIES

Raspberries rule when it comes to fibre — one cup gives you 8 grams! (13) That’s an impressive amount if you are increasing your fruits and vegetables with the intention of also eating your fibre. Research tells us that most adults only get around 16 grams of fibre daily, significantly lower than the recommended 25 grams/day for women and 38 grams/day for men. (14)

Fresh and frozen raspberries are equally nutritious choices. Add to smoothies, yoghurt, or sprinkle fresh raspberries on your morning granola.

RADISHES

The radish is part of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes cabbage, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts — that’s an awesome company. Red radishes have anthocyanins, but all radishes and their leaves offer nutritional benefits. Try slicing radishes, eating them as a snack, and using them as a topper for chilli or soups. For a more sophisticated flavour, roast radishes in olive oil for a heart-healthy side dish.

 

Seek out more red foods daily for a boost of antioxidants and nutrients in your diet.

 

References

1. Kelley, D. S., Adkins, Y., & Laugero, K. D. (2018). A review of the health benefits of cherries. Nutrients, 10(3), 368. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10030368 2. USDA Food Database. Cherries, sweet, raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171719/nutrients 3. Benjamim, C. J. R., Porto, A. A., Valenti, V. E., Sobrinho, A. C. D. S., Garner, D. M., Gualano, B., & Bueno Júnior, C. R. (2022). Nitrate derived from beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in patients with arterial hypertension: A systematic review and meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 823039. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.823039 4. Godman, H. (2012). Lycopene-rich tomatoes linked to lower stroke risk. Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/lycopene-rich-tomatoes-linked-to-lower-stroke-risk-201210105400 5. Arballo, J., Amengual, J., & Erdman, J. W., Jr (2021). Lycopene: A critical review of digestion, absorption, , metabolism, and excretion. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(3), 342. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10030342 6. Milosavljević, D. M., Maksimović, V. M., Milivojević, J. M., Nakarada, Đ. J., Mojović, M. D., &

Dragišić Maksimović, J. J. (2022). Rich in phenolics-strong antioxidant fruit? Comparative study of 25 strawberry cultivars. Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 11(24), 3566. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11243566 7. USDA Nutrient Database. Strawberries, raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2344777/nutrients 8. Koutsos, A., Tuohy, K. M., & Lovegrove, J. A. (2015). Apples and cardiovascular health–is the gut microbiota a core consideration? Nutrients, 7(6), 3959–3998. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7063959 9. NIH Vitamin C Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/ 10. Kandylis, P., & Kokkinomagoulos, E. (2020). Food applications and potential health benefits of pomegranate and its derivatives. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 9(2), 122. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9020122 11. USDA Nutrient Database. Watermelon, raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167765/nutrients 12. Tarazona-Díaz, M. P., Alacid, F., Carrasco, M., Martínez, I., & Aguayo, E. (2013). Watermelon juice: potential functional drink for sore muscle relief in athletes. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61(31), 7522–7528. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf400964r 13. USDA Nutrient Database. Raspberries, raw. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167755/nutrients 14. Quagliani, D., & Felt-Gunderson, P. (2016). Closing america’s fiber intake gap: Communication strategies from a food and fiber summit. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 11(1), 80–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827615588079