By Jessica "Jimmy" Wilson
As the vernal equinox approaches, so too does the much anticipated bounty of spring fruits and vegetables. After months of limited seasonal produce, spring brings with it the welcomed promise of abundant gardens, ripe with brilliant red and gold sugar beets, flaming yellow lemons, gorgeous red radishes, deep purple eggplant, crisp green asparagus and a rainbow of heirloom carrot varietals. Soon too the local markets will be brimming with the colorful bins of spring vegetables, ready to enter our kitchens, adorn our tables, and better our health.
Recently, nutritionists have been embracing the concept of colorful eating. The colors of our fruits and vegetables say a lot about their individual nutritional characteristics. Red indicates a concentration of health-supportive lycopene and anthocyanins. Yellow and orange impart vitamin C, and the phytonutrients carotenoids and bioflavonoids. White indicates a presence of allicin. Green fruits and vegetables are packed with lutein and indoles. And the blue and purples bring anthocyanins and phenolics. By eating a variety of colors in our diet we can maximize our intake of vitamins, minerals, and reap a whole host of other health-promoting benefits such as lowered inflammation, healthy weight, and cardiovascular health.
In order to optimize the nutrients offered by a colorful diet it is best to favor eating vegetables raw or preparing them with gentle cooking methods that preserve their full nutritional profile. Try grating raw beets over your salad instead of boiling, which can leach the powerful nutrients from the beets into the water to be discarded. Muddle fresh lemon and mint into your water to add a nutrient boost to a refreshing drink. Lightly steam asparagus instead of intensely sautéing, which can leave them brown and lifeless. Brush eggplant with a heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil and grill for your next eggplant dish instead of breading and deep-frying which can counteract the vegetable's healthful makeup. By incorporating these and other simple health-minded techniques, we can reap the most reward from a colorful and nutrient-rich spring harvest.
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