Food of the Week [Part I]: Beautiful Bell Peppers at Her Active Life

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Food of the Week [Part I]: Beautiful Bell Peppers

Posted April 20, 2008 at 05:00 PM by Katie Drummond

Section: Her Health, Her Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Recipes, Vegetarianism, Weight Control, Special Features, Food of the Week

They’re a favorite of brown bag lunches everywhere, as a raw veggie that can be tossed into tupperware and makes the perfect receptacle for hummus, dressings and dips. That’s right - the bell pepper is our Food of the Week, for more than merely its convenience factor. As a matter of fact, a little research shows that this bright and bountiful vegetable (which comes in red, green, yellow, orange and even black varieties all year round) packs a nutritional punch that few other veggies can boast.

If you’ve got the spring sniffles, consider it extra incentive to dice some pepper on your salad for dinner tonight - a serving (around 3-4 strips) of bell pepper has over 100% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C and is an excellent source of vitamin A (which contains beta-carotene, a major fighter of evil free radicals and a powerful preventer of waning eyesight). Italian researchers compared the diets of patients who had cataracts removed with patients who had not undergone the operation, and found that vegetables like sweet peppers reduced the likelihood of problems with cataracts. The red variety of peppers also supply the phytonutrients, lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been found to protect against macular degeneration, the main cause of blindness in the elderly.

Choose peppers that have vivid colors, taut skin, and that are free of soft spots and blemishes. They’ll keep for a week or so in the fridge, and can be frozen well. Be sure to wash grocery store varieties, because most peppers are shipped heavily waxed.

Although you can enjoy raw sweet peppers in an instant, why not try dressing them up a little bit? This roasted vegetable sandwich is a perfect way to celebrate spring and get a few servings of peppers and other vegetables in a fresh, flavorful lunch or dinner.

Recipe Profile

Perfect For: Picnics or family barbecues

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Two crusty buns or baguette, toasted
1 large red pepper
1/2 red onion
1/2 eggplant
2 tbsp olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, diced
sea salt to taste
Fresh sprouts
1 avocado

Start by roasting the vegetables: Slice thickly, then lay on a baking sheet, sprinkle with oil, garlic, and salt, and then roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. When the veggies are slightly blackened, layer them on toasted bread, place sprouts on top, and then spreading mashed avocado on 1/2 of each sandwich. Easy, right? Enjoy!