By Barbara Call Bourassa
Test your knowledge of locally grown produce, whether it comes from a farmer’s market, a nearby roadside stand, or even your own garden.
1. True or false: Eating fruits and vegetables can help ward off certain health conditions.
The answer is true. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating plenty of vegetables can help control blood pressure and cholesterol, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss. Tomatoes, for example, is a fruit that’s loaded with health benefits. It’s rich in lycopene, a much-studied phytonutrient that may prevent colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers as well as cardiovascular disease.
2. True or false: Bell peppers are not a good source of vitamin C
The answer is false. Bell peppers, which can range in color from pale to dark green, yellow to orange to red, and purple to brown to black, are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. A one-cup serving of sliced raw red pepper strips provides 290 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin C and 104 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin A. Red peppers are also a good source of vitamin B6 and lycopene, and all peppers are a fine source of fiber, folate, and vitamin K.
3. True or false: Zucchini is a type of summer squash.
The answer is true. Summer squash is an umbrella term that includes several different varieties of vegetables, including crookneck squash (commonly known as yellow squash) and zucchini, a long, green-colored squash that resembles a cucumber. All types of summer squash are great sources of manganese, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folate, copper, riboflavin, and phosphorous.
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