Who said creating a meal was hard people!!! Sometimes, the simple stuff is the best stuff! Since you were a kid, I am sure you’ve always heard to add more color to your plate. Below are easy and delicious recipes that meet those childhood, and now more importantly - adulthood, requirements.

The more natural color your food has, the better it is for you. “Why”, you ask? And, “Well the only food that has color are fruits and veggies…”, you might add. This is true, but there are plenty of ways to make fruits and vegetables taste delicious without much effort. Coming straight from the ground, fruits and vegetables are the healthiest foods you can eat, so there is a reason they have the most color.

Make fruits and vegetables your best friend :)

To break it down for you:

The color in fruits and vegetables comes from the abundant amount of phytonutrients produced.

These phytonutrients act as antioxidants to fight against/prevent illnesses and cancer.

Every fruit and vegetable contains different kinds of phytonutrients depending on their pigment.

That being said, the more color you have in your daily intake, the more vitamins and antioxidants you are ingesting so you can be the best you can be.

Red pigmented fruits and veggies contain lycopene. Lycopene has cancer-fighting properties[especially prostate cancer]. Orange/Yellow pigmented fruits and veggies are rich in cartenoids which convert into vitamins A, B & C! Vitamin A is helpful in maintaining visual health and healthy mucous membranes.

Green color comes from chlorophyll, which is a result of photosynthesis (plant energy from light). Chlorophyll promotes fantastic health with many benefits. Greens are also very alkalizing. When your body is in an alkalized state, cancer cannot live in it. The power of your PH level is huge, so eat those greens.

 Blue/Purple vegetables and fruits contain anthocyanins which fight against cancer/disease, reduce radical damage and improve & memory.

We have put together an EDIBLE RAINBOW with all foods you can grab at Lucy’s Market.

RED Roasted Tomatoes

Is your mouth watering? Same. These roasted tomatoes are delish, packed with flavor (especially since they are Lucy's Market tomatoes), and packed with lycopene! So say HELLOOOO to health!

• 1 or 2 regular tomatoes (pictured- 1)
• 1 container of small heirlooms
• Georgia Farms Olive Oil
• Pink Himalayan Salt
• Black Pepper

ORANGE Baked Sweet Potato Fries

The bright orange in these sweet potatoes gives your Vitamin A levels a major boost to A+++ ! This tasty treat delivers nutritional value to the inside and out, giving an extra glow to your skin. Pair with our fine dijon mustard to dip and… we'll just let you decide..

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

Pink Himalayan salt

Georgia Farms Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Fine French Dijon Mustard for dipping

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Wash your sweet potato. First cut into semi-thin slices about 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch thick. Then, sliver to your desired size. The thinner they are, the crispier they will get. (Keep in mind, the thinner they are, the easier they will burn. So... just keep an eye on them)

Lay onto pan, drizzle olive oil. Toss around so everything is slightly coated. Add pink himalayan salt.

Bake at 400 for about 20 mins or until crispy. The thicker your fries are cut, the longer it will take. Toss every so often. Enjoy!

YELLOW Squash & Corn Carpaccio

Super sweet with no cooking! We only have a short time period left of yellow squash before we turn to butternut, acorn, and spaghetti. Let's make the most of it! And by that we mean, make a fancy carpaccio. But don’t worry, this is much simpler than it looks.

Ingredients:

4 to 5 yellow squash

1 to 2 ears of Silver Queen Corn

1 lemon

Artisan Made Balsamic Vinegar with Georgia Blueberries (at Lucy’s)

Georgia Farms Olive Oil

Pink Himalayan Salt

Black Pepper

Thinly slice yellow squash. Layer 4 times on top of each other. In between each layer, sprinkle corn, squeeze lemon, brush small amount of blueberry vinaigrette and olive oil. One you have made it to the final top layer, repeat lemon squeeze and corn sprinkle, but then drizzle blueberry vinaigrette and olive oil, and add salt and pepper. Ta-Dah! Look at you go. (You can always add more or less of the seasoning ingredients. The vinaigrette is very flavorful, so even just drizzling at the top would taste delish!)

GREEN Goddess Salad

Avocados, arugula and cucumber… greens that taste great. Combine these three power foods with our honey-lemon vinaigrette for an unforgettable side salad. Toss together and ba-da-BING, ba-da-BOOM.

Ingredients:

1 bag of Lucy’s arugula

1 avocado

2 cucumbers

Serves 2

BLUE Blueberry Yum Yum

Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants. They are one of the healthiest foods you can consume. To get your daily dose, add a handful to your favorite yogurt for breakfast. Sprinkle some of Heidi’s GF Heavenly Granola on top, and this mix will kick Wheaties to the curb.

Ingredients:

1 handful of blueberries

1 serving of your favorite yogurt

2- 3 tblspoons of Heidi’s GF granola

PURPLE Heart-beet Salad

Beets are sweet, earthy veggies with brilliant color and flavor. These ruby gems are a goldmine of health-boosting nutrients such as Vitamins B & C, fiber, and potassium.

At Lucy’s Market you can find a pre-made beet salad with goat cheese, apples, and walnuts. Perfect for an on-the-go lunch or salad add-in for that dinner party you have coming up. Throw it on a bed of arugula and you’re good to go my friend!

Brought to you by: Lucy Wilson