We were surprised to see how many orange foods there are in the world. When you start looking, you will find orange foods everywhere!
Many look to orange foods for nutrition, flavor, or to just help them eat the rainbow. No matter your interest in orange foods, you will definitely learn something new here and find some yummy foods at the same time.
Let’s dive right in!
Ripe Peaches
Contents
What are the Benefits of Orange Foods?
There are many orange foods that are pretty healthy. Lots of them contain beta carotene, which may help support healthy skin and vision and improve your hair strength.
Certain orange foods have antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. That orange color can signify phytonutrients and bioflavonoids, which might help cell growth, boost the immune system, and improve bone health.
Each orange food will differ nutritionally, but the natural color orange is a good indicator that a food has some good benefits inside. Let’s check them all out now!
Foods That Are Orange
We found 35 different orange foods to try. From sweet potatoes to carrots, we tried to find them all!
1. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable. People around the world eat sweet potatoes, which are considered a staple food in many countries.
Sweet potato has lots of health benefits and is packed with nutrients. One sweet potato is full of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.
Sweet potatoes may help stabilize blood pressure, aid in digestion, boost immunity, and might even help reduce the risk of cancer. Sounds like we should all add sweet potato to our diet!
2. Orange Juice
Orange juice is made from orange fruits. The small, juicy fruits are squeezed and pressed to extract the juice and are sold either strained with no pulp or thick with tasty orange pulp. However, fresh-squeezed orange juice is the best!
3. Bell Peppers
Orange bell peppers are very beautiful and have a totally different taste than their red and green counterparts. They are sweet, crunchy, and have only the slightest pepper taste.
Orange bell peppers are perfect for eating raw or sauteéd into a stir fry or soup. A bell pepper has lots of vitamin C and may even help support your immune system. Sounds like we should all give an orange bell pepper a try!
4. Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a type of winter squash. It is part of the pumpkin family and has light orange skin with rich orange flesh.
Butternut squash is best when roasted or cooked. It becomes sweeter as it roasts, and the orange flesh grows softer and more tender.
Butternut squash is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium. It is a healthy food to add to your daily routine!
5. Orange Fruit
Of course, we had to include oranges on our list of orange foods! This little orange fruit is so orange in color that it was named after its natural hue.
There are many types of oranges, from common navel oranges to the popular Valencia orange. All oranges are full of vitamin C, which may help improve overall health.
Oranges are great when sliced and eaten and also turn into a fantastic juice. Be sure to peel away that thick orange skin to get to the delicious juice!
6. Fresh Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a type of winter squash that is often used as a decoration on Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkins are, however, edible!
Pumpkins are best when slow-roasted to make the flesh tender and sweet. There are many types of pumpkin but choose a sweeter variety, like a butternut pumpkin, for eating.
The flesh of the pumpkin is full of vitamin A and also beta carotene. It is not just a decoration but also a great, nutritious food!
7. Tree Tomato
Tree tomato is an egg-shaped fruit with a golden, amber color. They are native to South America and a very popular fruit in certain local regions of the world.
Tree tomatoes are often called vegetables, but they are technically a fruit.
8. Carrots
Carrots may just be the most popular orange food on our list. They are root vegetables that grow long and pointy.
Carrots can be eaten raw and have a very crunchy texture. They are great cooked as well. Add some carrots to a soup to boost the sweet flavor of the broth. Puree them into orange carrot juice for a healthy, delicious drink.
Carrots are rich in beta carotene, dietary fiber, and vitamin K. That deep orange color is not only pretty but also healthy! Carrots may be one of our favorite orange vegetables ever.
9. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe is a very popular orange fruit. It is a sweet, orange melon that ripens in the warm summer months.
Cantaloupe is also known as rock melon. This pretty orange-colored food is juicy, sweet, and may even have antioxidant properties.
10. Peaches
Peaches are one of the most popular fruits out of all the orange fruits and vegetables. They have a sweet flavor and are completely edible, so you can bite right into a ripe, tasty peach!
Peaches are great when eaten raw. They are also popular in baked goods and desserts. You don’t need added sugar in your recipes when using sweet peaches!
11. Kumquats
Kumquats are a very small orange citrus fruit with an edible, sweet rind. You can pop whole kumquats right in your mouth as if they were cherry tomatoes!
Kumquats are grown in warm climates on low bushes or trees. They are full of vitamins and micronutrients, making them healthy and tasty fruit.
12. Mandarins
Mandarins are a type of citrus fruit native to central Asia. They have a leathery orange peel that is removed to reveal juicy segments.
Mandarins are oblong in shape and are often much easier to peel than oranges. This makes them quite popular with kids and grown-ups alike!
13. Persimmon
Persimmons are also known as Sharon fruit. They are a tropical fruit with edible skin and flesh. Persimmons have a great, unique taste that is used to flavor drinks and make pudding and jelly.
Be sure to eat your persimmons only when ripe, or they will have a strong, bitter taste.
14. Apricots
Apricots are small stone fruit that has a beautiful orange color. The orange fruits are related to nectarines but have their own distinct flavor.
Apricots are most often sold dried. This small fruit has lots of vitamin A and C and is full of dietary fiber. It may just be one of our favorite orange fruits!
15. Mango
A mango is a medium-sized fruit with juicy orange flesh. They are grown in tropical regions on tall mango trees. Most people peel the skin off the mango and then eat it fresh.
Mangoes are high in antioxidants and may help boost immunity or prevent chronic diseases. They might help fight cancer cells and even aid in weight loss. Sounds like a fruit you should eat year-round!
16. Annato
You may be surprised to learn that you probably eat annato very often. It is actually a food coloring made from achiote seeds.
The seeds are ground into a powder or paste. It can then be used as a food coloring, dying a food a bright red.
Annato paste is also added to Mexican foods to give them a peppery, smokey taste and bright red color.
17. Calendula
Calendula is a bright orange flower that is sometimes used as an herb or medicine. They are packed with beta carotene and also micronutrients.
Many people use calendula flowers to make tea or add it to foods as a spice. It may even have anti-inflammatory and healing effects.
18. Cape Gooseberry
Cape gooseberries are native to Peru and Columbia. The small orange berry grows inside papery husks. The berries have a sweet and sour flavor and are often used to garnish desserts. Many people describe them as having a fruity, chocolate-like taste.
19. Chanterelle Mushrooms
Chanterelle mushrooms are a type of wild mushroom with a greyish orange color. They have a peppery smell and a soft, slightly spongy texture.
Chanterelle mushrooms have a high amount of vitamin D. Vitamin D may help with bone health and improve the digestive system.
20. Clementines
Clementines are popular orange fruits that are a hybrid of mandarins and sweet oranges. They are very easy to peel and have a sweet taste.
Clementines are full of vitamin C and antioxidants. This citrus fruit may be small, but it is pretty powerful in both taste and nutritional benefits!
21. Curry Powder
Curry powder is a very popular spice that is most often used to make curry, a spicy Indian dish sold worldwide. It is actually a blend of turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and chilis. It comes in many colors, from yellow to red, but we like orange curry powder the best!
22. Crab Roe
Crab roe is also called crab caviar. The small eggs have a bright orange color and a salty taste.
Crab roe has lots of vitamin A which may help promote eyesight. Try serving crab roe on top of crackers or toast. It also makes for a pretty garnish on seafood dishes.
23. Duck Sauce
Duck sauce is a condiment often served as a dipping sauce at Chinese restaurants. It is made from a mix of orange fruits, including apricots, pineapples, and peaches. It also has some spices mixed in, like chili peppers and ginger, giving it a bit of a bite.
Duck sauce is very sweet and has a thick, sticky consistency. It is high in beta carotene, which gives it that natural orange color.
24. Dalandan
Dalandan is a small, sour orange that has green skin. Remove that green skin, and you will find a juice, bright orange flesh inside.
Dalandan is often used to make orange juice or chopped and added to fruit salad. It does have a tart, bitter taste, so it is best to serve it with other foods.
25. Gac
Gac is a melon that grows in Southeast Asia. It has a mild flavor and a brilliant orange color.
Gac contains lots of carotenoids, a pigment that adds lots of orange colors. Carotenoids are also quite healthy and may help promote eye health.
26. Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are a type of edible flower that comes in a whole array of colors. We are mainly interested in the orange flowers, though!
Nasturtiums are native to South America, but they are now used around the world as a great garden flower. The flowers actually attract insects, keeping them away from your prized garden fruits and vegetables.
Nasturtiums are great as a garnish or in a salad. They don’t have too much flavor but look quite beautiful on top of a steak or in a summer salad bowl.
27. Mamey Apples
Mamey apples are technically a berry. They can be pink, light orange, or come in deep orange color. They are native to Central America and also Mexico.
Mamey apples have lots of vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin E. They have a sweet taste similar to apricots with a mix of carrot taste blended in.
28. Papaya
Papaya is a beautiful orange fruit found across Asia. They have soft, juicy flesh and many small black seeds. Papaya is also called pawpaw and is best when eaten fresh.
Papaya is one of the healthy foods on our list. It may help control blood sugar, reduce the risk of cancers and heart disease, and aid in digestion.
29. Tamarillo
Tamarillos are also called tree tomatoes. They are native to South America and have bitter-tasting skin. When ripe, the flesh of the tamarillo is sweet and sour.
Tamarillos have a high iron content and lots of vitamins such as C and A.
30. Turmeric
Turmeric is a very bright orange spice found across India and Southeast Asia. It has a bitter, smokey taste that can really bring foods to life.
Turmeric is used in lots of cooking applications, but it also has potential health benefits. Many people turn to turmeric to possibly reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.
31. Uni
Uni is the orange organ from a sea urchin. It is often called urchin roe but isn’t technically a true seafood roe.
Uni is eye-catching thanks to the color orange. It has a strong ocean taste and is usually eaten on top of sushi or with sticky rice as a garnish and flavor booster.
32. Ugli Fruit
Ugli fruit is a hybrid of a tangerine and a pomelo. It is also called tangelo, a hybrid of the two fruit names.
Ugli fruit is slightly sourer than a tangerine but not quite as bitter as a grapefruit. It is full of vitamin C like most citrus fruits.
It is mostly found in Asia countries but becoming more popular around the world.
33. Dutch Mimolette
Dutch Mimolette is a type of cheese that is made with carrot juice. The carrot juice adds a deep orange color and also makes the cheese taste a little bit of fruit.
Mimolette can be eaten on its own, served with some crackers, or grated onto a salad. Melt some over pasta to make a beautiful, light orange meal.
34. Orange Beets
Beets are grown in a rainbow of colors. Orange beets are a beautiful golden color that tastes just as good as their red counterpart.
Orange beets are a root vegetable. They can be eaten fresh, roasted, or turned into healthy beet juice.
Beets may help prevent heart disease, lower blood sugar, or treat anxiety. They have lots of potential health benefits and also taste delicious!
35. Watermelon
When you think about watermelon, you may think of the color red, but it also comes in orange varieties. The large, oval-shaped fruit has a thick green rind that is removed to reveal a juicy, orange flesh. Be sure to remove the seeds before you take a big bite!
Orange Fruits and Vegetables You Must Try!
Did you learn a few new orange foods? We definitely did! Now we have to go try a few, and I think you should too. Enjoy!
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