What’s Next, Purple Cows?
Industrialized agriculture in the U.S. focuses on high yield crops that last well on store shelves which is why you see pretty run of the mill crops at your average grocery store. But, as the consumer, you care about more than that!
You want the best taste, lots of nutrients, and real food.
That’s why we love supporting our local farmers, because they focus on real food, that’s really good tasting and really good for you. One of the best ways to reap the most health benefits from your food is to eat a wide variety of local food. Our suggestion?
Focus on a colorful plate.
Luckily, our farmers grow some of our favorites in a variety of colors. But, is there a difference in the nutrients you gain from white cauliflower vs. the purple variety? Or, what about multi-colored carrots, they’re all the same right?
Actually, the color of fresh produce is a great indicator of the types of vitamins and minerals it contains. For example, our ever popular purple cauliflower gets its vibrant purple hue from anthocyanins, which are the same flavonoids that give dark berries and red cabbage both their color and their super food health benefits. That means that noshing on purple cauliflower gives you a boost of antioxidants in addition to the fiber, vitamin K and vitamin C you get from traditional white cauliflower.
Another perfect example of the different nutrients that can be found in different colors of the same vegetable are multi-colored carrots. Orange carrots have been cultivated and consumed for centuries, but this root vegetable can now be found in reds, yellows, whites, and purple. This breeding process has been about more than aesthetics – it’s about the nutrients too! You can always rely on carrots for their crunchy texture and sweet flavor, but here’s a breakdown of what you can expect based on its color:
- Orange – The classic carrot has both alpha and beta carotene, which gives it the vibrant orange color. Since carotene helps the body to produce vitamin A, orange carrots are known to promote eye health.
- Purple – Like purple cauliflower, purple carrots have anthocyanin in addition to the typical alpha and beta carotene pigments. These purple beauties give an added antioxidant boost and can help prevent heart disease.
- Red – A combination of beta-carotene and lycopene (the nutrient known best for its concentration in tomatoes) gives red carrots their hue. Lycopene is linked to lowering risk for some cancers!
- Yellow – This light colored variety gets its yellow color from xanthophykks and lutein which are two nutrients that have been linked to both eye health and cancer prevention.
- White – Absent of color, white carrots aren’t absent of health benefits. The white variety is packed with fiber which helps promote the feeling of fullness and healthy digestion.
As you can see, in this case you can judge a veggie by its cover – to an extent, since there are trends in the vegetable world (lycopene and beta-carotene = red and orange produce, whereas anthocyanin and antioxidants = blue and purple produce.) Regardless of which variety you choose, all fresh vegetables have merit. But hey, if the bright purple cauliflower tempts your kids (or you!) to eat more of it, then that’s the variety you should choose!
The important part is that you eat your fresh produce – we’re just lucky that our local farmers make it easier by growing colorful varieties that are so darn nice to look at.
Have a burning question about local food? Submit it to info@seasonalroots.com, and we’ll answer it! Or, even better, maybe we’ll write a blog about it.
