Learning for Life: Are you ‘eating the rainbow’?

Juicy red tomatoes, cheerful yellow squash, crisp green beans, crunchy orange carrots … these are just a few of the colorful and delicious vegetables we Alaskans have spilling out of greenhouses and gardens right now. This end-of-season harvest makes it easy to “eat a rainbow” of veggies.

Different colors of produce provide us with different vitamins and minerals, so it is important to eat a variety. Doing so has been found to have numerous health benefits such as lowering the risk of obesity, heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases.

Most Americans do not consume the USDA recommended daily amount of 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Farmer’s Markets and grocery stores stock fresh, local produce that is nutritious, abundant, and delicious. For free vegetable recipes and publications on preserving the harvest, stop by our office at 43961 K-Beach Rd., Suite A, Soldotna, AK 99669 or call us at 907-262-5824.

— Submitted by Amorette Payment,
UAF Cooperative Extension Service,
Nutrition Educator, Kenai Peninsula District.

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