Sweet Bell Peppers: A Healthy Choice

A nutritious and tasty addition to your next meal.

Sweet peppers, otherwise known as bell peppers, are one of the most nutritious and versatile vegetables you can eat. The plump, bell-shaped boxes are conveniently designed for stuffing, and they are indispensable in salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and condiments. Bell peppers add mild, fresh flavor to the trinity of sauted vegetables peppers, onion, and garlic-that form the basis for Creole and Cajun dishes, such as jambalaya and gumbo. When roasted, they impart a smoky taste to appetizers and vegetable dishes. Whatever the cooking method, they are sure to add something special to your next meal.

Colorful vegetables often indicate more nutrient content, and that theory is certainly true with bell peppers. Whether they are green, yellow, orange, or red, they are excellent sources of vitamin C and A, two very powerful antioxidants. They also contain significant amounts of vitamin B6 and vitamin K, and are very low in calories.

If peppers are not picked when green and are allowed to mature and ripen, they change in color to yellow, then orange, and eventually to red. The longer peppers are allowed to mature and ripen the higher they become in vitamin content, especially vitamin A. While the vitamin content changes, the difference in taste between a green and red pepper is relatively insignificant. Outside of the increase in vitamin content, the main difference that the ripening process creates is a slight softening in the texture of the pepper.

Peppers are available all year, but they are the sweetest and most delicious in the summer months. Choose peppers with deep, vivid colors. When selecting a pepper, make sure the skin is taut without any wrinkles. The stem should be fresh, green, and not appear shriveled. They should feel weighty when you pick them up; heavier peppers will be moist on the inside with fresh, full seeds.

Peppers may be stored, unwashed, in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will last about 3 to 5 days before they begin to dry out, shrivel, and turn mushy. Green bell peppers will stay fresh a few days longer than the yellow, orange, or red ones.

To cut into a pepper, use a paring knife to cut around the stem, then gently pull it out. Use your fingers to pull out the remaining seeds from the inner cavity. They are then read to slice or dice and use in your next meal.