Produce A to Z

Rainbow

Make a rainbow on the bulletin board and include all the colors listed below or make a color of the week or the month. Hold a contest to see who can come up with the best recipe for each color.

“There’s Magic in the Rainbow” (not just at the end of the rainbow).

It’s not really magic, but good science. The “magical properties” in fruits and vegetables.

Using both the fruit and vegetable rainbow idea for variety selection and the “magic” properties of phytochemicals, fiber, caratonoids, etc. in fruits and vegetables.

Then using ROYGBIV to relate to groups of fruits and vegetable.

To get a healthy variety think a rainbow of colors.

Colors of the rainbow

Red—watermelon (lycopene), cabbage, cranberries, strawberries, tomatoes

Orange—peaches, cantaloupe (vitamin A), winter squash, sweet potatoes, mango, carrots

Yellow—corn, citrus, pineapple

Green—beans, honeydew melon, cabbage, avocado, broccoli

Blue-blueberries

Indigo- purple plums

Violet-grapes (resveratrol), eggplant, plums

The ABC of Eating More Fruits and Vegetables

Have a contest to see who can think of the most ABC words for fruits and vegetables. Or post these on bulletin boards to remind people to get more fruits and veggies in their diets each week. Here is a list to get you started.

A Antioxidants - substances in foods that can prevent or slow the oxidation or damage to the body’s cells; Apples

B Beta-Carotene; Beets

C Caratonoids; Carrots

D Dietary Fiber; Daikons

E Emphasize fruits and vegetables in your meals; Every day; Every meal

F Flavonoids- found in soy, pomegranates and green tea

G Greens- dark green leafy vegetables include collards; mustard, kale, Swiss chard, broccoli rabe and all are great sources of Vitamin C

H Honeydew melons or healthy lifestyle

I Isoflavonoids or immune defense; Interest - keep meals interesting by experimenting with new fruits and veggies each week

J Jump on the fruits and vegetable bandwagon

K Kiwi; Keep - keep fruits and vegetables on hand for fast and easy snacks

L Lycopene- found in tomatoes and tomato products, may help reduce the risks of cancer and other diseases; Lime, Lemon; Lettuce;

M Mangos; Minerals; Melons

N Nectarines;

O Oranges and Other citrus fruits

P Phytochemicals

Q Quinoa is great in a salad with fresh chopped vegetables

R Resveratrol—found in grapes and red wine; Red peppers; Red cabbage; Blood red oranges

S Strawberries

T Tomatoes

U You should eat five or more fruits and vegetables everyday

V Vegetables or vitamins

W Watermelon—due to the rich red colors watermelons are high in lycopene

X Extra servings of fruits and vegetables

Y Yellow fruits and vegetables –yellow pigments in fruits and vegetable contain lutein

Z Zest—add zest to your meals using colorful fruits and vegetables

By Cheryl Syracuse, MS.