FRESH NEWS

Color Me Healthy: National Eat Your Vegetables Day

Today is National Eat Your Vegetables Day, but we’ll be celebrating colorfully throughout June since it is also National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month! Color is nature’s way of telling us what nutrients are in the fruits and vegetables we eat. The natural colors in produce come from phytochemicals, which act as antioxidants and help to boost our immune systems. Eating a variety of colors, from bright citrus fruits to darker, leafy greens, ensures that you’ll get the variety of vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Our salad bar is the perfect place to pile your plate with fruits and vegetables of every color of the rainbow. So, grab a plate and let’s explore what salad toppings will give you a boost of nutrients!

Red. Foods like watermelon, tomatoes and red peppers contain lycopene, a phytochemical that has been linked to protecting the body against prostate and breast cancers. They also contain high amounts of vitamin A and C as well as manganese and fiber.

Orange. Fruits and vegetables that are orange in color contain alpha and beta carotene that help keep your bones, eyes, and immune system in order. They also contain antioxidants that destroy disease-promoting free radicals. Try adding oranges, squash, cantaloupe, carrots, or sweet potatoes to your plate on your next visit.

Yellow & Green. Many yellow and green vegetables are rich in Vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta carotene that help prevent the age-related loss of eyesight.  Drizzling a little lemon juice over a bed of lettuce makes a zesty and healthy salad dressing – top with some corn and yellow squash to boost your vitamin intake!

Dark Green. Foods that are green in color are packed with indoles and isothiocyanates that can prevent cancerous cells from forming.  Dark greens also contain folate that aids in cell reproduction and lutein which helps eyesight.  Try replacing iceberg lettuce with a bed of spinach and top your salad with some nutrient-rich California Avocados.

Deep Purple, Blue & Red. Dark purple, blue, and red fruits and veggies contain anthocyanins and proanthocyanins that are associated with helping the brain function optimally and keeping the heart healthy.  To score some of these health benefits, up your intake of strawberries, radishes and raspberries. Also, don’t forget to try our Very Berry Salad with blueberries, goat cheese, and almonds this month!

On your next visit to Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes see how many colors you can load on your plate and us know which colors are your favorites!

 

Sources:
http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/seasonal_local/eatingwell_in_season/eating_well_by_color?page=6
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/16-detoxing-cleanse-foods
http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/diet-nutrition/eating-the-rainbow-for-good-nutrition.aspx

12 thoughts on “Color Me Healthy: National Eat Your Vegetables Day”

  1. Vegetables will always be a great source of vitamins and minerals that we need each day. I must point out that vegetables should be a regular addition to our diet, probably it should be the largest one we consume rather than carbohydrates and protein. Little we did know is that vegetable can suffice our daily nutritional need though we need to know which one to consume.

  2. These coupons on this email advertisement, will not print. I liked the adds that state, ” to print coupon” If one cannot print the coupons, the coupon is no good.
    Than You

    1. Hi Mike – You can always show your coupon on your mobile device (if available) otherwise, you can print from the webpage if you are having trouble.

  3. Customer Service,

    Your salads dressings all contain corn syrups, which are GMO’s. You need to find sustainable
    salad dressings which does not support or buy into the Genetic Modify food manufacturers.
    All the retail salad dressings too in the grocery stores have soybean oil as well as canola oil
    contained in them, which also are GMO’s! As large as a company Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp, is, your higher success would be to support the industry as a non-GMO’s sustainable foods.

    Send one or a group of your Kitchen Cabinet people to research GMO’s as well as the move
    against Glutens. Although, your company takes a claim in gluten-free foods, your
    pizza’s bread, and others are not. Gluten-free breads such as Pamela Products, in CA.
    have always been GMO-Free, or non GMO’s. Then there is French Meadows, who are
    manufacturers in gluten-free breads, for those who have sensitivities into Tapoica flours.
    Both these companies can provide bulk to your Corporation, if U try!

    The soups are delicious, and have good ingredients contained in them, but too much sodium,
    which causes the older generation to have high blood pressure and hypertension.

    It is amazing how fast your company has grown, due to the popularity of fresh green salads.
    We enjoy as a family to eat occasionally, at Sweet Tomatoes, however, having the salad dressing with the GMO’s does have it’s havoc on the American diet and overall health.

    Since you have working women in your Kitchen Cabinet department, it is amazing not
    one of them would point this out. Which makes me wonder how frequently do they provide a healthy meal without substituting processed boxed foods found in the frozen food refrigerators
    everywhere!

    Overall, I love your variety of salads, and currently a vegetarian who does not eat any of your
    dairy or cheese products due to the hormonal situation of unsustainable foods.

    I could see Garden Fresh Restaurants, removing and not supporting the soda companies,
    for the corn syrups, products, as well as finding natural ways in making all the salad dressings without the GMO corn syrups too, because your salad dressings not only are unhealthy,
    but also contributes to the obesity of this country!

    Yes, there is something for everyone at Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes, but not unless
    you change the salad dressing or reduce the soups with lower sodium, and dump the
    soda industry, to go more healthy, will you have more people crowding and supporting your restaurant in their best interests of healthier environment!

    Dorrie Ann Shane

    1. Hi Dorrie – Thank you for your feedback. We do strive to provide the freshest and highest quality ingredients and produce in each of our locations and are continually evaluating options to better our menu offerings as well as remain environmentally friendly. We hope you continue to enjoy our salad offerings and grow with us into the future.

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