Including a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet helps provide your body with a wide range of nutrients for optimal health. The basic idea is to choose an array of foods from the different color groups—red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, white—because each color group has certain nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Specifically, including naturally red foods in your diet helps maintain heart health, memory function, urinary tract health, and may also lower the risk of some cancers. Foods in the red group contain specific phytochemicals such as lycopene and anthocyanins that benefit overall health.
Color your diet red every day by eating these foods:
Fruit. Red apples, cherries, cranberries, red grapes, pink/red grapefruit, red pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon
Vegetables. Beets, red peppers, radishes, red onions, red potatoes, rhubarb, tomatoes
Beans & Peas. Pink/red beans (kidney, pinto), red lentils
There are several ways to incorporate red foods into your diet. Below are some tips to increase your intake of red fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
- Top a cup of fat-free or low-fat yogurt with raspberries, apples, or sliced strawberries
- Ask for more vegetable toppings (like sliced tomatoes, red onions, or red peppers) and less cheese on your pizza.
- Drink a fruit smoothie made with whole fruit (raspberries or strawberries), ice cubes, and a low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
- Store cleaned red fruits and vegetables in the fridge at eye level and keep a low-fat or fat-free fruit or veggie dip on hand.
- Add vegetables like tomatoes or red bell peppers to your egg or egg white omelet.Add sliced strawberries to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles, or toast.
- Snack on vegetables like red bell pepper strips with a low-fat or fat-free ranch dip.
Try these recipes:
Stuffed Red Bell Peppers
Ingredients (Makes 8 servings)
4 red or green bell peppers
1 pint or 2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 cup fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a large shallow baking pan. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Arrange peppers cut sides up in baking pan and lightly oil cut edges of stems. Halve cherry tomatoes and chop onion and basil. Finely chop garlic. In a bowl toss tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic, 2 tbsp. oil, salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture among peppers and roast in upper third of oven until peppers are tender, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 41, Total Fat 1.4g, Saturated Fat 0.3g, Carbohydrates 7g, Protein 1g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 2g, Sodium 78mg, Carbohydrates 63%, Protein 10%, Fat 27%.
Raspberry SmoothieIngredients (Makes one serving)
1 cup unsweetened, frozen raspberries
¾ cup 100% orange juice
½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
Blend all ingredients well in blender and drink!
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 240, Fat 0g, Carbohydrate 52g, Protein 8g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 70mg, Cholesterol 0g.
Submitted by:
UT Dietetic Intern
