If you want to eat the rainbow, you need to start with red foods! Luckily there are lots of red foods for you to try.
A surprising number, in fact! And we have found them all. We have a serious love for red foods.
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Our Red Foods List
Take a look at all of these super red foods and see how many you already know. We bet that a few foods on the list will surprise you.
1. Cranberries
Cranberries are small red fruits from North America. They are considered a superfood since they are full of vitamins and minerals.
Cranberry sauce is a classic Thanksgiving food. Dried cranberries are a wonderful addition to salads and trail mix. These little red fruits are just everywhere!
2. Red Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers are very popular vegetables and have many uses. They are delicious when sliced and eaten fresh, but they are also great cooked into stir fry and sauce.
Red peppers are often spicier than other color peppers. They have many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, C, and fiber.
3. Prickly Pear Cactus
The prickly pear cactus plant grows in the western hemisphere. It is a short cactus that grows small red fruit at the ends of the cactus crowns. The fruit is very sweet and can be eaten right off the cactus.
Prickly pear tastes like a watermelon but with an even sweeter taste. The fruit is super red and can be used to flavor and color foods.
4. Radishes
Radishes have bright red edible skin. There are several varieties of radishes, most of which are red, so we had to include them on our red food list.
Radishes are small root vegetables with a slightly spicy taste and a fantastic crunch. Radish is most often eaten raw, but it can be roasted to make the veggie sweeter.
While the red root of the radish is the part that is most often eaten, you can also eat the leafy greens on top of the radish. The greens make an excellent, healthy veggie.
Add some sliced radish to your salad, in pasta, or on top of a pizza.
5. Beets
Beets are a red root vegetable that is just as potent as it is pretty. They have a powerful, sweet taste that can be enjoyed as a juice, roasted or sliced, and eaten raw.
Beets have lots of nutrients and are often eaten for their potential health benefits. Beets may help lower blood pressure, improve high cholesterol, cleanse blood vessels, help with heart health, and even prevent certain chronic diseases.
The anti-inflammatory compounds in beets are said to help prevent free radical damage, giving it all these possibly amazing powers!
6. Blood Oranges
Blood oranges look like a regular orange-colored fruit until you cut into them. The inside flesh of a blood orange is bright red and very juicy. It almost looks as red as blood which is how the oranges go their name.
Blood orange is full of vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber. They are delicious when eaten sliced and raw but also fantastic as fruit juice.
Blood orange is a little more tart than a regular orange, but they are still sweet enough for everyone to enjoy.
7. Grapefruit
Red grapefruit is a naturally occurring hybrid citrus fruit. It is a mix of sweet orange and a pomelo. The skin of the red grapefruit is a yellowish orange but slice into the fruit, and you will find a juicy red flesh.
Red grapefruit fruit juices are delicious to drink, and the fruit is also great sliced and enjoyed fresh. It is full of vitamin C like most citrus fruits. Add it to our list of healthy vegetables and fruits that are red!
8. Red Onion
Red onions have deep red, purplish skin. The layers of red and white can be seen clearly when sliced. Red onions are a little milder than other types of white onions, and they have a nice sweet flavor that is delicious in recipes.
Onions are a healthy vegetable and a great source of nutrients. Red onions have powerful antioxidants that may help prevent cancer and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. They may promote a healthy heart and even improve eyesight.
Onions are cholesterol-free and even have antibacterial properties. We love powerful red fruits and vegetables like this!
9. Red Cherries
Cherries are small red fruits in season at the beginning of summer. Different varieties of cherries come in various shades of red. Bing cherries have a deep red color, while Stella cherries are a lighter red.
Cherries are a wonderful source of vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. Red cherries may help boost your immune system as part of a healthy diet.
10. Red Grapes
Grapes come in many different colors but, of course, we love the red ones!
Red grapes are rich in antioxidants and may even help reduce inflammation. Red table grapes are fantastic eaten raw, while red wine grapes can be turned into a wonderful, complex drink.
11. Red Wine
Speaking of red wine, we had to include it on our list of red foods! Red wine is a very popular red food that comes in all shades of red.
There are lighter red pinot noirs and deep, rich red zinfandels. Red wine gets its color from the skin of the red grapes. The darker the grapes, the darker the wine will be.
Red wine has been shown to possibly have health benefits. While it is never recommended to drink alcohol excessively, many have argued that red wine may have an anti-aging effect on the skin and protect your heart, thanks to the high levels of resveratrol in the wine.
12. Red Potatoes
Red potatoes are also called summer potatoes. They have red skin and are typically smaller than other types of potatoes. Red potato is lower in starch than larger potato varieties, making them perfect for roasting.
Red potatoes should be cooked before eating. The red peel is completely edible and thinner than the skin on brown potatoes in the same family.
13. Red Cabbage
Red cabbage is an annual leafy vegetable. It grows in tight heads and can be sliced to eat raw or cooked to soften the crunchy leaves.
Red cabbages are said to have lots of health benefits. It is one of the healthier fruits and vegetables on our list! Red cabbage is full of vitamin C and vitamin B-6.
It is also low in calories and a good dietary fiber source.
14. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are classic red vegetables. They are typically used in salads or to make tomato sauce. Tomatoes have a sour, tangy taste that can also be quite sweet.
Tomatoes are high in lycopene which is a strong antioxidant. They also have lots of vitamin C, folate, and potassium.
Try making red tomato juice, red pasta sauce, or just slicing tomatoes to enjoy on their own. Ripe cherry tomatoes popped right into your mouth are especially delicious.
15. Raspberries
Red raspberries are a small, red fruit that is soft and juicy. They are sweet with just a little tartness that makes them perfectly balanced.
Raspberries are grown on bushes in mild climates. They are native to Europe and North America.
Raspberries are wonderful to eat fresh but also make fantastic jam or pie. The little berries are full of vitamin C and may help boost your immune system.
16. Red Currants
Currants are bright red, slightly translucent berries. They are a member of the gooseberry family and are considered to be a super fruit thanks to the high levels of antioxidants in the berries.
Red currants are most often used to make jam and jelly. The tart flavor is best when cooked with a sweetener.
17. Red Velvet Cake
We had to include a tasty, red dessert on our list of red foods! Red velvet cake may be the most popular red dessert out there. The bold, bright red color is certainly eye-catching!
Red velvet cake is actually a chocolate buttermilk cake. It is made red by adding red dye and vinegar to the cake.
Red velvet cake is often paired with cream cheese frosting, adding to the tangy taste of the buttermilk and helping the chocolate taste not quite as sweet.
18. Strawberries
Strawberries are one of the best red fruits we know of. Everyone loves strawberries! Strawberry is such a common flavor in jelly, juice, and even ice cream. We have all tried a strawberry milkshake at some point.
Strawberries are not only delicious, but they are also very healthy. The vitamins and minerals in strawberries may help reduce the risk of certain cancer and heart disease.
They have also been shown to possibly improve eyesight, benefit diabetics, and lower blood pressure.
Sounds like a red fruit we want to eat more!
19. Victoria Plum
Victoria plums are also known as English plums. They have a yellow center but a red, mottled skin.
Victoria plums are great for eating or for cooking. Just remove the small stone in the center of the plum, and it is ready to eat! You can also use this red fruit to make jam, pie, and preserves.
20. Red Chilies
Red chilies are simple green chilies that have been aged until they turn a bright red color. The redder the red peppers, the spicier they will be!
Red chilies are used to flavor lots of different cuisines, from food in the Middle East to South America. The red pepper is most often eaten ground as chili powder or dried into chili flakes.
Chilis are full of nutrients that may help improve your health. They are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, which may help keep your heart healthy.
The little red peppers are a rich source of vitamin C and other nutrients that may all have the great health benefits you need! Red food is truly amazing!
21. Watermelon
Watermelon has a thick green rind but a crisp, juicy red flesh. Watermelons are quite large and weigh several pounds per melon. However, you may want to grab a super big melon once you learn how healthy it may be.
Watermelon has many lycopene, vitamins C, A, and amino acids. It is completely fat-free, so many people enjoy this red fruit while on a diet.
Slice watermelon and enjoy it fresh or blend it into watermelon juice. This is the perfect summertime treat that we know you will enjoy!
22. Pomegranates
Pomegranates are orange-sized fruit that has reddish skin. The seeds and gelatinous flesh inside the pomegranate are the edible part, and they are also pretty red in color.
Pomegranates are another healthy fruit that is loaded with essential nutrients. They are a great source of vitamins and may even have anti-inflammatory effects.
Like many red fruits on our list, they are amazing!
23. Rhubarb
Rhubarb has long red stalks and large green leaves. The leaves of the plant are not edible, but the red stalks are. They can be eaten raw but will be quite sour.
Rhubarb is definitely best when cooking into baked goods. Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of the best pies ever!
24. Red Spinach
Red spinach is a specialty type of produce. It is very much like green spinach but with just a difference in color in the stem.
It has red stalks and red veins running through the leaves. Red spinach is quite a pretty healthy food, if we must say so!
The red pigment in the spinach adds even more health benefits. Red spinach may help promote healthy bones, reduce hypertension, and even boost immunity.
25. Goji Berries
Goji berries are small red berries that are loaded with health benefits. The berries are relatively new on the health food scene but have been around for decades. They have a sweet and slightly sour taste that many people adore.
Goji berries are a good source of vitamins A, C, and antioxidants. Many people love to sprinkle them on an acai bowl or add them to a smoothie for a potential nutritional boost.
They also add a great flavor which we know you will love!
Red Fruits and Vegetables You Need to Try
Red is a fantastic color for food. It is eye-catching and can actually indicate that a food is healthy. Like Lona Sandon, RD, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said, each red food brings something different to the table.
Give some of these delicious red foods a try and see which one you like best. We bet you will be a big fan of that red velvet cake. Enjoy!
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