Misc. food topics

Calcium-themed Food Guide Pyramid. I printed the page and put it on my refrigerator for reference.

The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health by J. A. Joseph, D. A. Nadeau and A. Underwood. I had first read about this book in a NY Times' article to which I linked last year. In spite of its "market-ese" title—"revolutionary" and "optimum" in one sub-title!—the book's claims are carefully qualified. The first two authors work and research in nutrition at Tufts. As the title suggests, the authors categorize fruits and vegetables by color group and analyze the health benefits, particularly the phytochemicals.

Plants manufacture those compounds to protect themselves against a variety of dangers, ranging from solar radiation to menacing microbes. . . .[T]hese vegetable defenders turn out to protect people, too, against a whole host of ills. (pp. 3-4)

According to the book (p. 185) the top ten fruits and vegetables (although the book analyzes many more) are:

• Red: Strawberries, raspberries; tomatoes, red bell peppers
• Orange-Yellow: Oranges, mangoes, grapefruit; carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash
• Green: Kiwi, avocado; kale, broccoli, spinach
• Blue-Purple: Blueberries, Concord grapes, dried plums; purple cabbage, eggplant

The School of Nutrition at Tufts University evaluates nutrition websites, rating websites from "Among the best" to "Not recommended."

Peaches are now available at the Farmer's Market. However, I'm still enjoying the strawberries.