World Fruit and Vegetable Day in Poland
World Fruit and Vegetable Day is a good opportunity to reflect on the presence of vegetables and fruits in the daily diet of every person. On this occasion, the Polish fruit and vegetable industry - producers and processors, wants to celebrate the World Fruit and Vegetable Day, falling this year on October 16.
On that day, the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw will shine with five colors. The unusual illumination is to encourage inhabitants of Warsaw to celebrate this holiday and at the same time draw their attention to the role of fruit and vegetables in the daily diet.
The illumination will be a spectacular event, but also an educational message. The colors of the lights that will shine on the facade of the Palace on that day have been selected according to the dietary key:
5 colors on the plate
Yellow / orange, red, green, violet and white represent the 5 color groups of fruits and vegetables. Each of them, on the other hand, has specific leading health properties, as color is related to the content of specific nutrients.
Fruits and vegetables owe their characteristics to, among others natural dyes: carotenoids (yellow-orange group), anthocyanins (red and purple group), chlorophyll (green group), and other substances, such as, for example, flavanones or essential oils (white group).
In order to provide the body with a variety of necessary phytonutrients, it is worth consuming fruits, vegetables and juices from all 5 color groups. For example, orange pumpkin, carrots, apricots and carrot juice are sources of beta-carotene important for the eyesight, which also supports our immune and cardiovascular systems and is involved in the prevention of certain cancers. In red fruits and vegetables, we find various compounds from the anthocyanin group, considered to be one of the most powerful antioxidants. Anthocyanins fight free radicals, accelerate cell aging and increase the risk of cancer. All red and purple fruits and vegetables have a large amount of them, including cherries, strawberries, black currants, chokeberry, blueberry. It is also worth reaching for red apples, red onions and cabbage, rich in cyanidin, which will protect against obesity.
By eating spinach, lettuce, gooseberries or cucumbers, we provide the body with chlorophyll, which has anti-cancer properties and large amounts of folic acid. In turn, white vegetables (garlic, onion), thanks to the content of essential oils, support the treatment of colds as a natural antibiotic. The flavanones they contain (cauliflower, parsley) have an antioxidant effect, and thus support our body in the fight against various adverse changes in our body.
Fruit and vegetables all year round
According to the recommendations of public health institutions, we should consume min. 400 g of vegetables, fruit and their preserves, preferably broken down into 5 portions. One portion can be, for example, one apple, a bowl of salad, a few small fruits, a plate of vegetable soup or a glass of juice (200 ml).
If you want to take care of a properly balanced diet, in addition to the principle of 5 portions, it is worth remembering about the five colors mentioned, which make it easier to compose meals that are also diverse in terms of providing our body with various necessary ingredients. Remember that fruit, vegetables and preserves, including juices, are often the only source of some vitamins and many antioxidant phytonutrients.
Source: dobrejablka.pl