Do not be disappointed when you step in to Bee Healthy Thursday for your box of veggies and fruit and the box is just a dull and drab cardboard brown…the excitement (and RED) is INSIDE! All but the salad mix and some of the carrots are ‘red’…read on….
Box contents this week:
Greybull Valley Garden Fresh Salad Mix, 2 ORG Red Pears, ORG Red Cabbage, bundle of ORG Red Chard, ORG Red Radishes, ORG Red Bell Pepper, ORG Roma Tomato, ORG Rainbow Carrots– 2#, ORG Red Beet, Red Onion, ORG Red Potatoes– 2#– $35
…make sense? The RED this week is primarily the color of the veggies: Red and purple! In nature, these colors attract pollinators and help the plant to survive or protect itself. In people, veggies and fruits high in red, purple, and blue colors contain what is known as anthocyanin…a flavanoid, polyphenol, phytochemical in our food that are powerful antioxidants that can promote antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity effects, as well as the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)…From National Institute of Health, a government agency. (Anthocyanins also provide neuroprotection–protect nerve cells!)
*The veggie in the box that is highest in anthocyanin is Red Cabbage, double duty for our health…anthocyanin rich and a Brassica (superfood family of broccoli, cauliflower, AND cabbage. Kale is a Brassica, too.). From Eatthe80.com: Red cabbage is one of those with a great dose of Vitamin C, making it an antioxidant-rich, immune booster. In comparison to green cabbage, red cabbage contains 10x more vitamins, cancer-fighting flavonoids, and a winning amount of antioxidants which improve eye, teeth, bone, & immune health.
*Red Beets contains betalains, which are as powerful of health food as those with anthocyanins. Red Beets and Swiss Chard are in the same family with Spinach. From Grocery.coop: In fact, chard is basically a beet that has been bred to have fat, juicy stems and big leaves instead of channeling most of its energy into big roots. Some ancient Sicilians who loved beet greens are credited with creating the plant.
*Swiss Chard contains chlorophyll, lycopene and β-carotene. (Carotene is high in orange carrots, red carrots are high in anthocyanin.) From Medical News Today: Chard contains 3 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and 44 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A. This vegetable can help to combat cancer, reduce blood pressure, and enhance performance in sports. (Vitamin A from foods is superior to Vitamin A supplements!)…Check out last week’s post for more information on how to prepare Swiss Chard–cooked or as a salad!
Aside from the focus on anthocyanins in this post… Remember we have the regular veggies and fruits in store with the addition this week of ORG Cosmic Crisp Apples ($3.50/#), ORG Bok Choi, ORG Fennel bulbs (3), ORG Oyster Mushrooms (6), and Washington state grown ORG Asparagus (11 bundles)– Come check out FRESH Produce THURSDAY @ BeeHealthy, 635 Big Horn Ave, Worland–
Box Folks: Remember 10% off Bee Healthy purchases with your BOX!
You must be logged in to post a comment.