A late night emergency trip to the grocery store gave me a unique glimpse of the unbelievable variety of produce available. The produce department was totally empty, and the bins were fully stocked with fruits and vegetables, lovingly displayed. There were no people or shopping carts to block or distract my view; what I saw was color and texture. What a sight! Rather than dodging my way through, grabbing what I needed, and charging to the checkout line, I wandered the rows and noticed items I had often passed right by. For each standard item, there were many varieties often from different states or countries. I was reminded of a “Washington Post” article on nutrition, written by Carole Sugarman, where she asks, “What color is your diet?” The article was about packing each plate at every meal with as many different colors as possible. The brighter and bolder, the better! The more intense the color, the more “nutritional bang for the buck.”¹ These phrases are all an attempt to entice the public to increase fruits, vegetables and whole grains in our diets.

The stainless steel cookware you own allows you to cook in the healthiest way possible. Your task is to choose a variety of foods that provide the most nutrition to cook and serve at your table. In the next several newsletters, we will explore the huge variety of available produce by color. Separated into five color groups, the hope is that you will choose foods representing all the colors of a rainbow each day. Our first installment is courtesy Julie Garden-Robinson of North Dakota State University and discusses the color red. “It’s hard to go wrong if you fortify your diet with colorful foods. Almost every fruit and vegetable is loaded with disease-proofing compounds.”²

Plant pigments called lycopene and anthocyanins color fruits and vegetables in this group. Studies have linked lycopene to reductions in the risk for several cancers, especially prostate cancer. Anthocyanins act as antioxidants that work to protect cells from damage. Antioxidants have been linked to keeping our hearts in healthy working condition.

Examples of the Red group: Red apples, beets, red cabbage, cherries, cranberries, pink grapefruit, red grapes, red peppers, pomegranates, red potatoes, radishes, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon. Tomatoes are unique in that they release their beneficial powers best when cooked as in a tomato sauce, soup and ketchup. Red potatoes hold their value in their skin, so wash well but do not peel. If you have never tried potato salad with unpeeled potatoes, you are in for a treat. Visit our website at www.KitchenCraftCookware.com and try this week’s featured recipe for Russian Potato Salad at your next picnic or patio dinner. Our next newsletter will explore the Orange/Yellow group.³