Did you ever wonder why bell
peppers come in different colors? Or if there is any nutritional difference
between the various colored peppers?
All fruits and vegetables derive
their color from a variety of phytochemicals (plant chemicals). According to
Robert L. Wolke in his book, “What Einstein Told His Cook 2”, plant colors can
be classified into three main groups; the chlorophylls, carotenoids, and
flavonoids (including anthocyanins and anthooxanthins).
Chlorophylls are green compounds containing
magnesium. When a green vegetable is overcooked, that pretty green goes away,
turning into olive green.
Carotenoids range in color from
yellow to orange to red. Beta carotene is the substance used by the body to
make vitamin A.
Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments
that are responsible for the blue, purple and dark red colors in plant tissue.
So what does that have to do with
colored bell peppers? For one thing, you can find almost any color of bell
peppers, such as red, orange, yellow, purple and brown, and of course,
green. The nice variety of colors
can make a dish attractive (such as using many colors of pepper, sautéed for
fajitas, or adding chopped colored peppers to potatoes, omelets or
salads).
Trivia: Did you know a red bell
pepper is actually a green pepper that has been ripened longer on the plant? Compared to a green pepper, a red
pepper is a lot sweeter with very little bitterness.
Nutrition-wise, green peppers
contain about 60 milligrams of vitamin C per pepper, while the red have 94
milligrams and yellow have 112 milligrams vitamin C. As you may suspect from
the color, the red peppers are the beta carotene winner, giving it about
116 r.e. of vitamin A, while the
green and yellow pepper have 10 or less.
All the bell peppers run about 15
to 20 calories per pepper, and are considered a “free food” on many weight loss
plans and for the diabetes meal plan.
