HomeFood For Thought ThursdaysGoing Orange All Year Round

Going Orange All Year Round

Fall is the time of year we usually think of bright orange-colored vegetables, such as pumpkin, squash, and sweet potatoes.  But going orange all year round is a great way to pack a nutrition and flavor punch, as well as to save money.  Fresh carrots, some kinds of squash—such as butternut—and canned pumpkin are available most of the year at reasonable prices.
Orange-colored vegetables are loaded with good nutrition because they contain carotenoids, which help your body make Vitamin A.  Carotenoids protect against heart disease and cancer.  And like almost all veggies, the orange veggies are low in fat and contain no cholesterol.

Here are two tasty, low cost recipes from FoodHero.org:  an easy carrot salad and AGAIN—because kids LOVE it!—Pumpkin Fruit Dip.

****TRIVIA!  There was no word for the color orange in the English language until the 1600’s.  As oranges were brought to Europe from the Middle East, the name of the fruit, nāranj, was used to describe the color of the fruit’s skin. *****

Carrot Raisin Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes            Makes: 3 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 carrots)

1⁄2 cup raisins

2 Tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 Tablespoons plain yogurt or orange juice

Directions:

  1. Combine carrots and raisins in a serving bowl.
  2. Mix low fat mayonnaise or salad dressing with yogurt or orange juice.
  3. Pour mixture over carrots and raisins and chill until serving time.
  4. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Fruit Dip

Even the most veggie-phobic kid will ask for more.  You can decrease the sugar to 1/3 to ½ cup and still have it taste great.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (15 ounce) pumpkin (about 1 ¾ cups cooked pumpkin)
  • 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (great!) or plain yogurt (tangy) or low-fat  cream cheese (really smooth)
  • 3⁄4 cup sugar or less (try 1/3 – ½ cup to start)
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, ricotta cheese or yogurt or cream cheese, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add sugar a little at a time to reach desired sweetness.  Stir until smooth.
  2. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes:

  • Serve with apple slices, bananas, celery sticks, whole grain crackers, or pretzels.
  • Try using a mixture of ricotta, yogurt, or cream cheese.
  • For a smoother texture, use a hand mixer or food processor to mix ingredients.

Nutrition Facts

Sources and Photo credits:  https://www.foodhero.org/recipes/healthy-recipes; https://www.rd.com/food/fun/orange-word-color-fruit/; https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/;

This post was brought to you by Joan Martin, SNAP-ED Nutrition Educator

Food For Thought Thursdays