What are Red Vegetables?| Health Benefits, and 4 Delicious and Nutritious-Dense Types to Boost Your Health

You are probably familiar with the mommy expression “eat your vegetables,” especially for the foods you hate. It’s a common recommendation from healthcare experts because vegetables, generally, are powerhouses of health! Red vegetables are specially good for maintaining good eyesight.

However, there are different kinds of vegetables, categorized according to colour, taste, or other characteristics. There are majorly five sub-groups of vegetables.

Sub-groups of vegetables

As I said earlier, there are five major subgroups of vegetables. And they are

Dark Greens Vegetables

These are vegetables that are dark green in colour. Examples are broccoli, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, collard greens, etc. They are rich in vitamin K, calcium, folate, iron, and antioxidants that protect your body system against cancer and inflammations.

These are predominantly vegetables that belong to the legume family. Soybeans, green peas, lentils, chickpeas, black peas, etc., are perfect examples of this. They are very helpful in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure because they are high in phytochemicals, iron, folate, and fibers.

Orange and Red Vegetables

Just as the name implies, they are vegetables that are red or orange in colour. Vegetables such as bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, etc., are under this category. Also, they are known to be rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, lycopene, beta-carotene, and antioxidants that boost immunity and eye health.

These are vegetables with high starch content. Examples are cassava, potatoes, corn, and green peas. They are a good source of carbohydrates, calcium, vitamin C, potassium, energy, and magnesium.

These are also vegetables but are mostly those that do not fit into other subgroups. Cabbage, cucumber, mushrooms, celery, eggplants, garlic, etc., are vegetables in this subgroup. And they have various nutrients and phytochemicals that are beneficial to your health.

Note: These subgroups are not mutually exclusive, and some vegetables belong to more than one subgroup based on their characteristics.

However, in this post, we’ll talk mainly about red vegetables, their types, and their benefits.

A brief Insight into what Red Vegetables are exactly.

Red vegetables are typically vegetables that are dominantly red in colour. Their red colour is not by chance. It indicates the presence of certain active compounds that have beneficial health effects. These compounds are called phytonutrients, which include minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

For a start, carotenoids and flavonoids are two common red-coloured nutrients. According to NCBI, these nutrients are responsible for the colours red, blue, and purple.

For example, if you ever ate a tomato or any red-coloured vegetable, then you’ve definitely benefited from these compounds. And the good thing is these compounds are highly beneficial in various ways, such as cancer prevention, liver protection, and fighting infections.

Now let’s explore the different types of red vegetables, the potential benefits for your health, and the best ways to add red vegetables to your diet to maintain a balanced diet.

Types of Red Vegetables

There are no definitive answers about the types of red vegetables we have. This is because different sources use different criteria to determine what counts as a red vegetable.

However, in this post, I’ll talk about four common types of red vegetables, their health benefits, and how to add them to your diet.

Ready to rock and roll? Let’s go!

Everyone is familiar with tomatoes. From the pizza sauces of Italy to the stews of Africa, tomatoes are frequently featured. Tomatoes come in various shapes and sizes- round, slim and long, oval-shaped, and even oddly shaped, but they uniformly remain juicy and red.

Tomatoes originates from Western Southern America, but hardly a nation today lacks tomatoes. Their taste is as different as the many species that exist; nonetheless, we can use this to our benefit.

Tomatoes contain fructose and glucose, making them comparatively sweet, but their acids- citric and malic- make them sour or tangy. Each tomato will have varying proportions of these compounds, influencing the final flavour.

Nutritional Composition and Health Benefits

Tomatoes have a high nutritional profile, don’t be fooled by their simple looks! It has a high concentration of Vitamin C, potassium, and sodium. They get their red colour from lycopene—an antioxidant that reduces the risk of macular degeneration. Lycopene protects the skin from sunburn and reduces the growth of cancer cells.

A half cup of tomato yields 30 calories and provides 15% of the daily value of Vitamin C. Vitamin C protects your body from free radicals and slows down aging. You can find more benefits here.

How to Consume Tomatoes

There are many ways to enjoy tomatoes. Some of these include:

·         Salads: There is hardly a salad that does not feature tomatoes. Mix your salad with onions, and other handy vegetables, toss in your favorite dressing, and enjoy!

·         Soups: blend tomatoes with other vegetables like carrots, peppers, and onions, cook to a simmer, garnish with fresh leaves, and relish with bread or rice.

·         Sauces: pizza will certainly feature here. Or what’s an indulgent pizza without a thick meaty tomato puree spread on it? Top the bread generously with the sauce and decorate with your favorite toppings. Bake in your oven and enjoy. Don’t leave out the cheese.

Many people will claim an aversion to beets, alternatively known as beetroot, maybe because its rich red colour may be overpowering. Notwithstanding, beets are a treasure trove for health enthusiasts.

Beets can be traced back to 300 BC in Ancient Greece, but it is native to North Africa and Asia. It is the root part of the beet plant, which has edible leaves. They possess a characteristic earthy flavour that is slightly sweet. Its flavour gets enhanced when combined with other foods.

What more? Beetroot gets its red colour from betanin, a non-digestible compound. Their levels are pretty high. Consequently, beets are best consumed in moderation. They can also cause urine and stool to be red-coloured. Therefore, do not fear if you notice the red tinge in your waste.

How to Consume Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers make a versatile cooking ingredient. Some ways to enjoy it are:

·        Stuffed bell peppers: carefully remove the seeds and stuff them with chopped vegetables, whisked eggs, and meat pieces. Grate some cheese and bake till done.

·        Salads: Red bell peppers give a bright red hue to salads. Mix them with diced cucumbers, sweet corn, shredded lettuce, and cabbage. Drizzle with a mix of Greek yoghurt and mustard.

·         Stew: Add some colour to your fried rice when you add chopped red bell peppers. As a bonus, you can sear them and blend them into a pulp for a tasty tomato sauce with a smoky flavour.

·         De-seed and dry out your red bell peppers, smoke them over a grill, then dehydrate them in your oven. Once dry, blend into a smooth powder. You have made smoked paprika. Add it to your dishes for a richer flavour and colour. Check out a step-by-step guide here.

Less common than its white variety, red cabbage is just as versatile. Abundant in Africa and Europe, this red vegetable is a richly purple cruciferous vegetable. Red from the anthocyanins in it, the PH of the soil it is grown determines its final colour.

It is green/yellow in alkaline soils, red in acidic ones, and purple in neutral soils. It grows just above the ground, wrapped in its smooth or crumpled broad leaves.