6 Unusual Colored Foods Full Of Properties
Tomato is synonymous with the color red and the carrot with orange. But there are varieties of other shades and with special characteristics.
The produce of the garden can become a box of surprises.
With more than 20,000 varieties, not all tomatoes are red. Not even carrots have always been oranges.
6 surprisingly colored vegetables
They draw attention for their unusual color, but what is really extraordinary about these foods are the qualities that their pigments give them : antioxidants, protectors, antibacterials …
Paint your recipes with them!
1. Black radish, the most medicinal root
The root of Raphanus sativus niger , whose pulp is white, is a gift for the liver due to the effect of glucosinolates, sulfur compounds that favor the production of bile and are detoxifying.
It is recommended when you feel bloated or suffer from constipation or gas. It also prevents infections.
It is taken in raw slices in salads, in fresh juice diluted in water or in capsules of dry extract.
2. Yellow cherry, a tomato for your eyes only
There are more than 20,000 varieties of tomato of all shapes and colors.
If the red ones are rich in lycopenes, the yellow cherry abounds in lutein and zeaxanthin. These carotenoids protect the eyes against cataracts and macular degeneration, disorders that threaten the vision of the elderly.
Its flavor is sweet but balanced and its texture is very crunchy.
3. Purple potato, as antioxidant as a berry
Purple reveals the presence of anthocyanins, which are on top of antioxidant substances. It is a particularly recommended variety to prevent infections and cardiovascular problems, since anthokinins benefit the blood vessels.
Do not peel it: with a more earthy and dried fruit aroma than the white potato, it is used in the same way. Cook it and eat it with its fine skin to take advantage of all the properties.
4. Purple carrot, the value of the original
Orange carrots began to prevail in the seventeenth century; Before there were red, yellow, white and also purple ones, closer to those originating in Afghanistan, where they come from.
Rich in antioxidant anthocyanins, these purple carrots are almost always grown in the traditional way.
In Spain , purple varieties are being recovered, such as the one from Cuevas Bajas (Málaga) or the safarnaria –sweet and somewhat spicy– from Mallorca.
5. Yellow zucchini, straight from the garden to the table
On a round yellow zucchini the sunlight appears to have been collected. Very delicate, it lends itself to filling and eating it with the skin, rich in vitamins C and group B, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin.
It is a very productive plant. Choose a pot that is at least 50 cm in diameter. It is so tender that it can be eaten raw, with all its nutrients.
6. Red chard, a pharmacy in every leaf
Contains up to 13 antioxidant polyphenols and virtually all vitamins in significant quantities.
It is not possible to list all the benefits of red chard here, but it does highlight the ability of syringic acid to reduce blood sugar spikes.
Cooking it in water (3 minutes) reduces the oxalate content and, with it, the risk of kidney stones forming. You can use it to make lasagna.
