Green, red and yellow peppers: benefits and recipes

Peppers have a very intense flavor, can be eaten raw, cooked or roasted, are very versatile, and are scientifically called Capsicum annuum . There are yellow, green, red, orange or purple peppers, and the color of the fruit has an influence on flavor and aroma, but all are very aromatic and are very good for skin, circulation, and to enrich a balanced and varied diet.

This vegetable is rich in vitamins A, C, B vitamins and minerals, and has antioxidant and anti-aging properties, and other health benefits.

What are the benefits

Some of the most important benefits of chili are:

Strengthens the immune system, due to its composition in antioxidants, which fight free radicals; Exerts an anti-aging action, due to antioxidants and B vitamins, indispensable for cell growth and renewal. In addition, vitamin C also contributes to the formation of collagen.; Helps in the absorption of iron, due to the presence of vitamin C; It contributes to the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, because it has calcium in the composition; It contributes to the maintenance of a healthy vision, due to the composition in vitamin A and C.

In addition, peppers are also a great food to include in weight loss diets, as they have few calories and help maintain satiety.

How to enjoy the benefits to the fullest

The pepper must be heavy, have a green and healthy stem and the skin must be soft, firm and without wrinkles, avoiding those with dents or black spots. A good way to preserve the pepper is in a plastic bag, in the refrigerator, without washing.

To take advantage of the fat-soluble carotenoids that are in their composition, they can be ingested seasoned with olive oil, which facilitates their transport throughout the body and optimizes their absorption.

Nutritional information

The following table shows the nutritional composition of 100 g of yellow, green or red peppers:

	Yellow pepper	Green pepper	Red bell pepper
Energy	28 kcal	21 kcal	23 kcal
Protein	1.2 g	1.1 g	1.0 g
Lipid	0.4 g	0.2 g	0.1 g
Carbohydrate	6 g	4.9 g	5.5 g
Fiber	1.9 g	2.6 g	1.6 g
Calcium	10 mg	9 mg	6 mg
Magnesium	11 mg	8 mg	11 mg
Phosphor	22 mg	17 mg	20 mg
Potassium	221 mg	174 mg	211 mg
Vitamin C	201 mg	100 mg	158 mg
Vitamin A	0.67 mg	1.23 mg	0.57 mg
Vitamin B6	0.06 mg	-	0.02 mg

In order to maintain the nutritional quality of the pepper, it should preferably be eaten raw, however, even if it is cooked, it will continue to present health benefits.

Recipes with chili

Peppers can be used in the preparation of various recipes, such as soups, salads and juices, or used simply as an accompaniment. Some examples of pepper recipes are:

1. Stuffed pepper

The stuffed pepper recipe can be prepared as follows:

Ingredients

140 g brown rice; 4 peppers of a color to choose from; 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 1 chopped garlic clove; 4 chopped onions; 1 chopped celery stalk; 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts; 2 peeled and chopped tomatoes; 1 tablespoon of lemon juice; 50 g of raisins; 4 tablespoons of grated cheese; 2 tablespoons of fresh basil; Salt and pepper to taste.

Method of preparation

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC and cook the rice in a container with water seasoned with salt for about 35 minutes and drain at the end. Meanwhile, with a knife, cut the top of the peppers, remove the seeds, and place both parts in boiling water, for 2 minutes and remove at the end and drain well.

Then, heat half the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the garlic and onions, stirring for 3 minutes. Then add the celery, nuts, tomatoes, lemon juice and raisins, sauté for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix rice, cheese, chopped basil, salt and pepper.

Finally, you can stuff the peppers with the previous mixture and place in an oven tray, cover with the tops, season with the remaining oil, place an aluminum foil on top and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.