Peppers

By: Amelia Attwood, RD, LD

This fall, snack on bell peppers, whether you enjoy red, green, orange, yellow or the whole rainbow of bell peppers. Peppers have been cultivated for more than 9000 years. The earliest cultivation has taken place in South and Central American civilizations!

Bell Peppers are a great source of vitamin C, B vitamins, potassium, and fiber. Green bell peppers are also an excellent source of calcium. Calcium helps strengthen the bones and teeth. Orange, red, and yellow bell peppers are also an excellent source of vitamin A. Vitamin A helps maintain skin and eye health. 

The producers of the bell peppers featured at school this month are known as State Line Produce located in Lime Springs, Iowa. Their produce commonly travels along the Iowa Food Hub routes. The Iowa Food Hub has been bringing healthy, locally grown food to schools, colleges, restaurants, and grocery stores in Iowa as a part of their nonprofit mission.

Snack peppers make a great convenient additive to any lunch box or charcuterie platter. Bell peppers sautéed with onions and celery make the standard base for southern cuisine. Try out raw bell peppers at home in this refreshing potato salad. In this light and fresh potato salad, swap out the deli counter version with this recipe as a balanced alternative with reduced fat intake. Another way to try out raw bell peppers, is dipping them in hummus as was served at school this month for the farm to school taste test. Incorporate this treat into your Spooktober celebrations by creating a Jack-O-Lantern when utilizing the bell peppers as a set of eyes, a nose, and a mouth on top of a bowl of pumpkin pie hummus dip. If you are needing more simple produce recipes, checkout our Simply Seasonal database of five ingredients or less and five steps or less recipes.