Local Produce Packs a Punch

Eating an optimal amount of vegetables and fruit will enhance your intake of:

1. FIBRE

Fibre promotes good digestive health but also lowers cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, protects against diabetes, and can help you keep full to manage a healthy weight.

2. VITAMINS & MINERALS

Fresh veggies and fruit contain more vitamins and minerals per calorie than any other food group!

3. PHYTOCHEMICALS

Phytochemicals are protective compounds in plant-based foods that have health promoting and disease preventative effects.  There are hundreds of phytochemicals – eat a variety of plant based foods to get a good mix.

Local Produce Packs a Punch

The seasonal summer fruits and vegetables from your garden, at a local farmers market or in the produce section of the grocery store have a wealth of nutrients.

Root Vegetables (carrots, potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips etc.)

• Potassium, fibre, vitamin C, carbohydrates

• Orange, yellow, and red roots have high concentrations of beta carotene and other antioxidants associated with a decrease in cancer and heart disease.

Allium vegetables (onion, garlic)

• Vitamin C, potassium, and trace minerals.

• Organosulfur compounds (allylic sulfides) inhibit blood clotting, reduce blood cholesterol levels, and lower the risk of some cancers.

Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, turnips etc.)

• Vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K, fibre

• Carotenoids – cancer preventative compound found in deep green and red varieties

• Indoles – lower cholesterol levels and protect against cancer – especially breast cancer

Squash (zucchini, yellow/acorn/spaghetti/butternut, pumpkin)

• Potassium, B-vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid, fibre, and carbohydrates.

• Deep yellow and orange varieties like pumpkin, butternut, and acorn squash are rich in carotenoids. 

Peppers (sweet bell peppers and hot peppers)

• Vitamin C, minerals, fibre

• Red and green peppers contain carotenoids

• Hot peppers contain capsaicin – lowers cholesterol

• In general the riper (redder) varieties are higher in nutrients than the unripe (greener) varieties.

Greens (Romaine Lettuce, leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, dandelion greens etc.)

• Beta-carotene, fibre, calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin K

• The deeper the green the better nutrient density!

• Folic acid – reduces the risk of heart disease and neural tube birth defects during pregnancy

• Spinach is high in lutein – slows macular degeneration of the eye

Fruits (tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, saskatoons etc.)

• Tomatoes and tomato based products (bruschetta, salsa, canned stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce) contain lycopene which reduces the risk of prostate, lung, stomach, breast and colon cancer.

• Berries are especially high in phytochemicals including cancer preventative carotenoids and are some of the highest fibre fruits around. Soluble fibre in berries help to reduce cholesterol