ORANGE You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Written by Heather Hopkins
Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

We all know the joke…and as elementary as it may seem, it can actually give us some nutritional insight.  In honor of the ADA’s “Eat Right with Color” initiative and National Nutrition Month, let’s talk about the importance of the color orange and how it relates to eating well.  Here, we won’t be talking about oranges as a fruit, but the color orange in fruits and vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes.  Carotenoids are a fat-soluble compound and are found in “orange” foods as beta-carotene, a Vitamin A precursor.  According to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (2010), beta-carotene is converted by the body for functional use to retinol, and is essential to human vision.  It also plays a role, as retinoic acid, in processes like cell differentiation and bone growth. 

In order to absorb beta-carotene properly, it needs to be ingested with fat-ingestion enhances the absorption. However, dietary intake still comes more highly recommended than supplementation.  In conjunction with 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, adequate consumption of beta-carotene to maintain vitamin A levels is entirely possible.

While yellow is a close relative of orange on the color wheel, when it comes to beta-carotene consumption, yellow bananas-while good sources of other nutrients-simply aren’t what you’re looking for.   Add some orange to your plate with more servings of carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and squash, and you’ll be consuming more beta-carotene in no time! Now ‘orange you glad I didn’t say banana?’

References

The Natural Standard Research Collaboration.  (2010, Dec. 1).  Beta-carotene.  Retrieved from:  http://www.mayoclinic.com 

[Untitled photograph of fruit].  Retrieved February 26, 2011 from:  http://farm4.static.flickr.com  

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Hokies for Supper!

Written by Kyle Flack

Part of the National Nutrition Month initiative

Hokies for Supper!  Well… sort of.  Since Virginia Tech Hokie bird meat can’t be found in your local grocery store, the next best thing you can do to show your school spirit at your next meal is to eat Hokie orange! In keeping with EatRight.org’s Eat Right with Color month, in addition to March Madness, I say we show our Hokie sprit with the color orange on our plate!  There are also many health benefits to making orange foods part of your daily diet, benefits that can leave you lean and healthy for the upcoming summer months.  The orange color in foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and various varieties of squash comes from beta carotene. Beta carotene has been shown to be a cancer-protecting nutrient through its anti-oxidant effects.  So as the sun gets brighter and summer creeps up on us, you can be assured that your Hokie-colored dish is protecting you from all those the UV rays (at least maybe a little).  In addition, these orange foods are also low in fat, calories, and high in fiber, making them ideal weight-loss foods to shed those winter pounds!  Below is my own pumpkin creation to try, full of nutrients to keep you feeling good and fiber to keep you feeling full!

Kyle’s Hokie Orange Smoothie:

Blend together in a blender the following:

·         ½ 15oz. can of Libby’s pumpkin

·         6-8 skim milk ice cubes (just like ice cubes but made of milk instead of water)

·         1.5 tablespoons of natural peanut butter

·         2 teaspoons of cinnamon

·         .5 teaspoon of cloves

·         Dash of nutmeg

·         Skim milk to thicken as desired 

References

Students in Orange paint. [Photograph] (2005). Retrieved February 17, 2011, from
http://search.creativecommons.org/

Waxman, S., Gross L., Schriber C., Herbert V. (1995). Nutrition and Cancer. In V. Herbert, G.J. Subak-Sharpe (Ed.), Total Nutrition (pp. 486-487). New York: St. Martin’s Griffin

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