Get to know your produce - Eat by Color!

If you find you keep eating the same things over and over, try exploring the rainbow of choices available in our Boxes. Reward your palates and plates with a bounty of vitamins and minerals as well as delicious meals! 

Red fruits and veggies usually bring vitamin A (beta carotene) and C plus provide a good source of manganese and fiber. Think red bell peppers, tomatoes, and beets. Tomatoes and watermelon are loaded with lycopene, a compound that appears to have cancer-fighting properties. 

Orange. Just a shade away from red, and with a similar vitamin and mineral profile, you get vitamins C, A, B6, potassium, and fiber in produce like sweet potatoes and orange peppers.

Yellow. Delivering potassium, fiber, manganese and vitamin A, are the yellow veggies. Good examples from your BOX are yellow summer squash and yellow bell peppers.

Green. Dark leafy greens are packed with nutrients. A favorite dark leafy green is spinach due to its rich lutein content, which aids eyesight, and folate, which supports cell reproduction. Broccoli and asparagus also contain these compounds.

Blue. Think blue, and you’re most likely picturing blueberries, one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. They are loaded with fiber and are an incredibly versatile addition to your diet.

Purple. This group includes veggies like eggplant, and fruits such as blackberries and Concord grapes. Purple indicates the presence of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that protect blood vessels and preserve healthy skin. You can also find vitamin A and flavonoids in purple vegetables like purple cabbage and purple potatoes.

White. White may not be much of a color, but vegetables, such as rutabagas, offer Vitamin C, K, and folate, plus fiber. Don’t forget onions and garlic, have a compound called allicin that seems to protect the heart and blood vessels from damage. 

Why is it important to eat the rainbow?

Different colored foods play different roles in the body. Aim for at least three colors at every meal and two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables over the course of the day.

Eating three colors each night at dinner will add up to over 500 servings of vegetables over 6 months!

Rainbow Hummus Rolls 

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

2 whole wheat wraps
1/2 cup diced red peppers
1/2 cup diced yellow pepper
1/2 cup diced red cabbage
2 large carrots, peeled
6 to 8 tbsp hummus
2 tbsp raw, unsalted sunflower seeds or use any raw seeds of your choice

Instructions

Heat wraps for 10 to 20 seconds in the microwave.

Spread each wrap with 3 to 4 tbsp. hummus. Use store bought or homemade hummus.

Divide veggies and sprinkle on top of the hummus on each wrap. Make sure to stop your veggies about 2 inches down from the edge of the tortillas (this will help the wraps seal up better).

Starting on the opposite end of where you left a gap, roll upwards tightly and press down to seal.

Eat as whole wraps or cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces to make sushi-like rolls! Serve with your favorite plant-based dip or eat with your favorite soup!