Fruits and vegetables and the effect of colors

We now know that fruits and vegetables are healthy because they contain many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and few calories. But in addition to those properties, the colors of fruit and vegetables are also important. These colors not only make them look attractive, they also contain very different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The colors also influence the taste of fruit and vegetables.

More color on the table through fruit and vegetables

Colorful food is healthy according to advertisers. Colors entice to eat and vote positively. But according to research, some people are usually quite colorless eaters. Certain colors are certainly not popular with many, such as purplish vegetables such as red cabbage, beets and aubergines. Advertising campaigns are sometimes aimed at getting more color on the table.

Variation in colors of fruits and vegetables

Due to the differences in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants per type of fruit and vegetable, it is important to vary the consumption every day to get all the necessary substances that are good for health. This also automatically creates variation in the different colors that we consume. Those colors also have their specific properties like paints that are used by some ‘painter’.

Main properties of some colors

  • Orange-red: Fruits and vegetables with an orange-red color are high in beta-carotene, which simulate the production of melanin. Melanin protects the skin against UVA and UVB radiation. These fruits and vegetables also contain many vitamins that counteract the aging of the skin as much as possible. Orange-red fruits and vegetables have a good influence on the natural immune system.
  • Yellow: Vegetables and fruits with a yellow color are good for the heart and blood vessels and for a lower level of cholesterol.
  • Purple: Purple fruits and vegetables also have a good effect on the heart and blood vessels, as well as on the urinary tract and bowel movements.
  • Green : Good for the bones and teeth are green fruits and vegetables.

In addition to these properties, various fruits and vegetables also have other benefits for a healthy body. But it is of course not the case that by eating those species a lot can all possible ailments be solved. In many cases, a visit to the doctor will really lead to the correct solution for an ailment.

Colors and taste

The colors affect the taste. For example, tests were carried out in which the colors were manipulated by, for example, presenting green ice creams and pink chocolate spread, which did influence the assessment of the taste. Black pasta or rice will certainly not be a preference for many and black is not an appreciated color on the dining table anyway. Too bright colors will soon be assigned too chemical a character. It is also better not to cook certain dishes in colored water. Only colored Easter eggs are popular again, but the colored bowl is removed before they are consumed.

Colors in the Middle Ages

There was a period when colored food was very much in vogue. Especially in the late Middle Ages, the nobility had strange customs anyway, for example by putting an edible birdhouse on the table where real birds flew out when they were carved. At that time, many colors were used. To color dishes, for example, a paste of saffron and egg yolk was used that was gently heated after spreading over the dish, creating a kind of gilded layer. Other examples are the use of lapis powder and lazuli powder and even tin compounds. Of course, there are doubts about the health of those dyes.