FOOD TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE RED FOODS

A steak with carrot and sweet potato purée and roasted red bell peppers & thyme

Red, orange and yellow mini bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower and chicken wok

​I had a lovely conversation with a friend the other day about the colors of the food, and how sometimes we don't necessarily crave a certain food, but a certain color of food. She was convinced that all red food were comfort food. 
And as I sat there and started to think about all the benefits of red foods, the minerals and vitamins they have, and how important they are to hold a balanced diet, I have to say that even though many of the foods that are red color can be comfort food, they are so much more for the function of our bodies and mind. 
So I pulled my book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth' by Jonny Bowden and we had a blast looking at all the red foods that are available, and how good they are for our bodies to function well. 

"Many red fruits and veggies are loaded with powerful, healthy antioxidants -- such as lycopene and anthocyanins -- that may do everything from fight heart disease and prostate cancer to decrease the risk for stroke and macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and older). Antioxidants soak up damaging free radicals."  says the WebMd.com 


Strawberries - a good source of folate, which helps heart health and is helpful for women in their childbearing years, a good source of the antioxidant and vitamin C

Tomatoes - potassium, vitamin C, lycopene, which is strongly connected with prostate cancer protection

Red pepper - a phenomenal source of vitamin A, which helps with skin, bones, and teeth.  they have as much vitamin C as an orange!

Carrots -  rich in beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, vitamin B8, pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese

Sweet potatoes - vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6, potassium, dietary fiber, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus.

Beets - rich in folate, lycopene, and anthocyanins

Watermelon - a great source of lycopene that may decrease the risk of heart disease by decreasing LDL cholesterol

Cherries - fiber, vitamin C as well as potassium, which can help maintain a lower blood pressure

Cranberries - vitamin C, can stop bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls

Raspberries - fiber,  helps lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol

Pink Grapefruit - higher levels of antioxidants, such as vitamin C. It's also a good source of pectin, which helps lower cholesterol

The whole conversation got the start of a food picture and ended up in a lengthy research moment for our favorite ingredients and to a celebration of all the benefits, those favorites actually bring to our lives.It was a needed and necessary boost for us to 

• pay more attention to what we eat
• what benefits the food we eat have to our bodies
• to increase the desire to eat a healthy and balanced diet
• to clear out some misconceptions about the food we eat 

Sometimes our daily routines come such that we lose the taste or the appetite to the foods we normally eat. To get more information about the benefits the ingredients have, find new recipes to try or go out to eat and try something new and different might be the way to get your passion for food back and get the cravings for healthy and taste rich burning again.

Stay tuned for more food talk, meal ideas, and recipes with Spoons and have a flavor rich weekend y'all!
~ Cheers!