Many articles and books have tags certain foods as “super foods.” Most “super foods” are considered so because of their high antioxidant content. Antioxidants are dietary substances found naturally in foods. Nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and selenium are all antioxidants. Antioxidants are responsible for protecting your cells from damage.

How do our cells get damaged? Molecules, known as free radicals, are unbalanced and attach to other molecules in hopes of obtaining balance. Free radical damage has been shown to be responsible for aging, tissue damage, and some diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Fortunately, with the help of antioxidants from food, you can prevent the free radicals in your body from attacking your healthy cells.

So which foods contain these powerful antioxidants? The easiest way to make sure your eating lots of antioxidants is to eat fruits and vegetables from every color in the rainbow! Each color provides unique antioxidant effects.

Red/Pink: tomatoes, watermelon, apples, raspberries, cherries, red peppers, strawberries, etc.

Orange: carrots, mangoes, oranges (citrus fruits), cantaloupe, peaches, sweet potatoes, etc.

Green/Yellow: leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, squash, avocados, corn, etc.

Purple/Blue: grapes, blueberries, eggplant, plums, raisins, beets, etc.

Here is a delicious recipe to try today to help increase your intake of antioxidants to start protecting your body today!

Prepared by Rebecca Lapps, Marywood University Sources: WebMD, Healthwise, Inc. Antioxidants-Topic Overview. 2007.

Apple Strawberry Crisp

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable spray

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp brown sugar substitute*

1/2 pint fresh strawberries

1 large tart cooking apple, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp lemon peel, grated

1/2 tsp vanilla

*If brown sugar substitute cannot be found, use regular brown sugar.

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400�F. Spray 8-inch round baking dish with nonstick vegetable spray. Combine margarine, oats, flour, and brown sugar substitute in small bowl until crumbly and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients to coat fruit. Pour into prepared dish. Top with oat mixture. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until slightly browned.

Microwave tip: Pour fruit mixture into unsprayed, 8-inch microwave-safe dish. Top with oats mixture. Cook on high power for 6–8 minutes, rotating dish halfway through cooking time. Let stand for 4–5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with low-calorie whipped topping, if desired.

About the Author

Mary R. Ehret, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., is with Penn State Cooperative Extension, Luzerne County, 16 Luzerne Ave., West Pittston, Pa., 18643. (570) 825-1701/602-0600. Fax (570) 825-1709. mre2@psu.edu.

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