Throughout the day you should eat a rainbow of foods — red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple and white. Each color is rich in specific nutrients that help make a well-balanced diet. Natural foods like vegetables and fruits are as colorful as they are healthy. Out of all the colors, orange stands out because of its association with some delicious and healthy fruits and vegetables. Here are some orange coloured food items boosting your health that also offer a great taste to satisfy your cravings and hunger.
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Health Benefits Of Orange Coloured Food Products
These bright-colored fruits and vegetables contain zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which is vitamin A.
The nutrients help our bodies in many different ways, from our eyes to our bones:
- Aids in eye health and reduces the risk of macular degeneration of the eye
- Reduces the risk of prostate cancer
- Lowers blood pressure
- Lowers LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)
- Promotes healthy joints
- Promotes collagen formation
- Fights harmful free radicals in the body
- Encourages the pH balance of the body
- Boosts immune system
- Builds healthier bones by working with calcium and magnesium
List Of A Few Orange Coloured Foods
1. Carrots
Carrots, a great food for eyesight, are the richest vegetable source for beta-carotene.
Carrots reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, help prevent macular degeneration, and help control insulin levels to those with diabetes.
While cooking foods typically removes some of their nutrients, this isn’t so with carrots. Lightly cooking them actually helps to release the carotenes, which are otherwise trapped.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are known to help stomach ulcers and inflamed conditions of the colon.
Sweet potatoes appear to play a part in preventing cancer in certain organs and glands due to its high Vitamin A content.
Due to the high content of Vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes help remove free radicals which damage cells.
Sweet potatoes are great for people with diabetes because they help stabilize blood sugar levels.
3. Oranges
This bright yellow-orange fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber. They also contain an antioxidant called cryptoxanthins, which helps protect cells from damage. One of Dana’s favorite varieties of orange are blood oranges—they make a mean cocktail.
4. Pumpkin
Just like carrots, pumpkins are rich in beta-carotene and some other nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, riboflavin, potassium, copper, manganese, B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. They are good for eye health, cancer and fertility.
5. Papaya
Papayas are a great source of Vitamin C. A single medium-sized papaya provides 224% of the daily vitamin C needs. They are also a good source of folate, vitamin A, magnesium, copper, pantothenic acid, fiber, alpha and beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, vitamin K and lycopene. Papayas can help you with several conditions including age-related muscular degeneration, diabetes, cancer, skin problems, digestion, and bone health.
6. Mangoes
Mangos are high in iron and help fight against anemia and reduce kidney problems, fever, and respiratory problems. They can even relieve clogged pores of the skin.
While you may find mangoes to be usually of a greenish yellow colour, there are certain varieties that are orange coloured. Mangoes are rich sources of healthy nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, potassium and vitamin C. They can offer several health benefits including a decreased risk for macular degeneration as well as colon cancer, improvement in digestion and bone health and healthy skin and hair. So, eat more of these fruits and vegetables and boost your health.
A Few Recipes To Try With Orange Coloured Food Products
1. Beet Salad with Tangerines
Ingredients:
- 24 baby orange beets
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/4 cup plus
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 8 tangerines
- 4 small shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
- Salt
Process:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°. Put the beets in a roasting pan, cover with foil and bake them for about 1 hour, until they are tender. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and quarter the beets.
Step 2
In a pie plate, toss the pine nuts with 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil and toast them in the oven for about 3 minutes, until the pine nuts are golden brown.
Step 3
Using a sharp knife, peel the tangerines. Working over a medium bowl, slice in between the membranes to release the tangerine sections. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into a small bowl; you should have 1/2 cup.
Step 4
In another small bowl, toss the sliced shallots and raspberry vinegar with a pinch of salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup of tangerine juice and the remaining 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and season the dressing with salt.
Step 5
Arrange the beets and tangerine sections on plates and drizzle with the dressing. Top with the toasted pine nuts and serve.
2. Gingery Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients:
- 1-quart water
- 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced crosswise
- One 1/2-pound sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek or other Asian hot sauce
- Salt
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Lime wedge, for serving
Process:
Step 1
In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil with the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and sweet potato. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the potato is tender.
Step 2
Transfer the sweet potato to a blender. Strain the broth; add 1 cup to the blender and reserve the rest for another use. Puree the sweet potato soup.
Step 3
Return the soup to the saucepan. Stir in the sambal oelek, season with salt and simmer until heated through. Pour the soup into a bowl, top with the cilantro and serve with the lime wedge.
The lively color orange represents strength and endurance. The spectrum of this sunny color can enhance a bright and energizing mood as well as richly warm the comforts of home. And the healthy aura of orange doesn’t stop there – thanks to the plethora of the nutrients associated with orange-colored fruits and vegetables, consuming orange foods can help your overall health.
A feminist by thoughts. She would love to have discussions about anything. Always ready to take up new challenges that comes her way. With a Masters degree in Commerce, she is into blogging and is thoroughly enjoying it. As a foodie, she would love to taste various foods. She loves to watch food and travel shows.
