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Good Food for Good Health

10

goodness from the garden

Loadingyour plate with fruitsand vegetables gives it appealingcolorand adds welcome variety in flavor and texture.Variety also mattersbecause each fruitor vegetable offers itsownunique combination of micronutrients—vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, sometimes called phytochemicals, which are specific nutrients found only in plants that play helpful roles in warding offdisease. Someof the most well-knownphytonutrients are carotenoids, found in carrots, red berries, and spinach,and polyphenols,found in green tea, soy, and oranges.When buying fresh vegetables andfruits, concentrate on peak-of-seasonproduce grownlocally,organic when you can. Choosing local, seasonal ingredients means more nutrients for you and less wear-and-tear on the environment.

VEGETABLES

Vegetables containa veritable alpha-bet of phytonutrients. Many are inflammation-fighting antioxidantsthat speciallytarget a particular health risk, like protecting your vision, fighting the risk of prostate cancer, or reducing the odds of heart disease.Vegetables also offer a wide variety of minerals and vitamins, plushealthycomplex carbs for energy, along with filling fiber. Some types, including potatoes, corn, crucifers, and leafy greens, also contain a doseof protein.

CRUCIFERSare a broad family of vege-table powerhouses that includes broc-coli, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbages, cauliflower, col-lard greens, and kale. Surprisingly, even arugula, watercress, radishes, and turnips are part of this extended family. The compounds called gluco-sinolates in cruciferous vegetables are known to have anticancer effects. Each crucifer brings its own blend of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to your table. Many different crucifers appear in recipes throughout this book, helping you eat at least one every day.

LEAFY GREENSinclude spinach and let-tuce, and leafy crucifers like kale, col-lard greens, arugula, and watercress. Spinach is rich in folate, a B vitamin that protects the heart and protects against birth defects, and is a good source of

iron, which supports energy. Lettuces provide vitamins A, C, and K, plus chro-mium, a micronutrient that helps main-tain stable blood sugar levels.

ROOTS are colorful and rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber. They often contain enough sugar to please your sweet tooth, especially when roasted. The beets in recipes like Roasted Beets wth Indian Spices (page 126) offer unique red antioxidant pigments. Beta-carotene in carrots helps repair damaged DNAin the body, a nice thought while enjoying Carrot Noodles with Kale Pesto (page 134). A trio of carotenoids inorange sweet potatoes can help your immune system resist viruses, so think of Baked Sweet Pota-toes with Chili-Lime Butter (page 141) when you feel a cold coming on.

ALLIUMSinclude onions, green onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots and all contain sulfur-based compounds that help control blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol levels. Yel-low onions add the antioxidant querce-tin, and red onions add anthocyanins for vision and neurological health. So many dishes use one or more alliums, cooked or raw, that including them in everyday cooking is easy. They even star in Roasted Tomato & Onion Soup (page 36).

VEGETABLE FRUITS

We call the ingredients that follow “vegetables” because of the ways we use them. But botanically speaking, all of them are fruits.

AVOCADOSare one of the most nutri-ent-dense vegetables. Their mostly monounsaturated fat and beta-sitos-terol, a phytonutrient, help balance blood cholesterol levels. Avocados show their culinary versatility in Choc-olate Avocado Mousse with Coconut Cream (page 166).

BELL PEPPERS provide good amounts of vitamins A and C. Ripe yellow, red, and orange ones contain the most, while unripe green peppers have the least. Each type of pepper gets its color from different combinations of antioxidant carotenoids. Bell pep-pers are part of the capsicum family that also includes chiles, but contain no capsaicin, the compound that gives chile peppers their heat. Smoky Black Bean Soup (page 42) showcases the flavor roasted bell peppers add to dishes.

TOMATOESare rich in lycopene, a par-ticularly potent form of carotene that helps protect against heart disease and reduces the risk of prostate, lung, and other cancers. Cooking tomatoes makes it easier for our bodies to utilize their lycopene. Heirloom tomatoes, old-fash-ioned varieties that were bred more for