Purpose:
Most chefs and home cooks work to make sure the meals they serve look as good as they taste. Did you realize that food color is often more than making a pretty plate? It also impacts the nutritional make-up of fruits and vegetables.



The color is of a plant's FLESH is determined by its natural pigment and its maturation and ripening.[1] In general, the primary pigments of the fat-soluble vitamins are impacted by

chlorophylls (green)
carotenoids (yellow, orange, red)


The water-soluble vitamins are impacted by

anthocyanins (red, blue)
flavonoids (yellow)
betalains (red)


The purpose of this discussion is to explore the various colors of fruits and vegetables and how their sources of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) relate to their colors. In addition, you will take food items from your classmate's list and create a nutritious meal or snack that has a balance of the macronutrients from a wide variety of foods.

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[1] Barrett, D., Beaulieu, J., & Shewfelt, R. (2010). Color, flavor, texture, and nutritional quality of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables: Desirable levels, instrumental and sensory measurement, and the effects of processing. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 50(5), 369-369.



Lesson Outcomes
Explore nutrients found vegetables and fruits of various colors (CLO 2, 5).
Explain how color helps identify the nutrients found in vegetables and fruits (CLO 2, 5).


Steps for Completing the Task
Step 1: Research
You are to do an internet search and find various fruits and vegetables base on the colors listed below. You are looking at the flesh color of the fruit or vegetable.
For each color, select 3 items (both fruits and vegetables) and list them.
Identify 1 vitamin and 1 mineral for each food you list
While fruits and vegetables contain many different types of micronutrients, select the largest amount for each food item. If you find that you are listing the same micronutrient(s), then list others to demonstrate their variety.
Colors search list (list three of each color):
Red
Yellow
Blue and/or Purple
Orange
Green
Black and/or White
For example:
Color

Food

Vitamin

Mineral

White

Banana

B-6

Potassium



You will also need to make a list of the web sites where you found your information. All that is needed is the "Name of Site" and the URL.



Step 2: Analyze and Evaluate
As you create your food items lists, reflect on the following questions:

How does food color impact the micronutrient value?
What kind of food colors do I prefer to eat from? Why?
What food colors do I avoid? Why?


Step 3: Analyze and Explain
Type your list of food items in a Word Document.
After you created your list of food items for each of micronutrients, write a 150-250 word paragraph summarizing the different foods that you identified and how color relates to the micronutrient value.
As you summarize your findings, be sure to reference the questions from Step 2: Analyze and Evaluate.
Write your list and paragraph on a Word document. Save the document to your computer as a back-up copy.


Refresher: How to Write a College-Level Paragraph

Writing paragraphs for nutrition responses is just like writing paragraphs for an English essay. Nutrition professors expect well-developed, evidence-based information in their paragraphs and papers, too.

Complete this short online refresher on how to write a college-level paragraph.



Step 4: The Discussion
Post your paragraph in Unit 3 DISC: Food Colors. You can post in the area below where it says "Responses" or you can click on the "Discussion" tab at the course menu across the top of this page.
Copy your food lists and paragraph from your Word document and paste in the discussion forum.
Respond to a minimum of two classmates
Response Activity: Create a meal or snack using 4-6 of the food items from your classmate.
Keep in mind that you are trying to great a meal that addresses as many of the micronutrients possible.
Think of how the foods will look on the plate (colorful plates!).
After you create your meal, you will need to write a brief summary of your meal and why you selected those food items (related to nutrients and color).
Your responses should be 50 to 100 words.


Criteria for Success
To be successful, your discussion posts should

Provide evidence of your food colors (list of food items and summary).
Be written in your "own voice." The posts should sound "like you" not like the Internet.
Use academic English (no slang or texting language) with minimal errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. (Hint: read your responses out loud before posting).
Stay within the word count range for the original response and response to peers.
Include thoughtful responses to two of your peers.
You cannot just say “I agree” or “I disagree” – you must provide some evidence of your own.
Don’t just repeat the evidence written by the classmate you are responding to.