Orange Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts, Health Benefits, Recipes & When to Pick

What are the orange bell pepper facts? Do they have any nutritional value? Are the orange bell peppers health benefits of  any significance to your well being? How are they important? Have you thought of including this fruit/vegetable to diet? What are the best orange bell pepper recipes available? If one is growing bell peppers of the orange color, what is the best time to harvest or pick? Read to find out.

Orange Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts

Orange bell peppers, as their name suggests have a striking orange color. Just like their close cousins (red, green, yellow and purple bell peppers) they are at times referred to as sweet peppers due to low levels of Capsaicin, the primary substance that is responsible for the ‘hotness’ in peppers. However, compared to green peppers,  they are sweeter and flavorful but not as much as red peppers.

So what is their nutritional value?

Orange bell peppers are packed with several nutrients that are essential for your general health and this is a fact that you need to take note of. If don’t believe it, have a keen look at this table below. The table  illustrates the orange bell pepper nutrition profile facts.

[Source: USDA National Nutrient data base]

How many Calories and Carbs in Orange Bell Peppers

What is the amount of calories in orange bell peppers? One serving of orange pepper contains approximately 90 calories which is equivalent to about 249 grams of the food. Documented studies show that from each single of orange pepper served, you are likely to get 1 gram of fat which translates to 2 percent of the daily fat intake recommended to persons   who have to follow a dietary restriction of 2000 calories daily.

What about carbs? How many carbs does this orange pepper have?  With a single serving of orange bell pepper, you are likely to get 18 grams of carbohydrates, of these come from dietary fiber.

In addition to calories and carbs, its clear from the information above that orange peppers  contain a number of nutrients including in proteins, vitamins, electrolytes, minerals and phyto-nutrients.

Orange Bell Pepper Health Benefits

You have already learnt that orange peppers are a nutrient-dense food meaning that they are good for your health. You actually need them. Below are the health benefits of orange peppers.

Reduced amount of fats and calories.
Orange bell peppers are low in fat and calories. Including, in your diet, nutrients which have a wonderful taste and reduced levels of fats or calories is significant to your health. A lot of fat isn’t only bad but also contributes to being overweight. Being overweight is unhealthy and may make you feel less confident. Food with minimal calories or fat may also be good as a preventative measure against various diseases which can, in part, be linked to high cholesterol and fat – for instance heart disease, stroke and gall bladder disease.

Vitamins

Vitamins A– As mentioned above, Beta carotene, is a type of vitamin A found in fruits such as orange bell peppers and vegetables. It is beneficial to your health as it helps to maintain healthy teeth, skin and strong bones. It has the ability to improve reproductive health; and significantly reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
Vitamin C– Studies have found that, just a single orange pepper has about 190 percent of Vitamin C, sufficient for daily vitamin C requirement. This simply means that, women can take 75milligrams and 90 milligram for men. A diet rich in Vitamin C helps to improve the body’s immune system thus protecting you from diseases.

It also aids in production of collagen which helps in wound healing. End result? Improved, healthy and youthful skin!  According to studies carried out, a diet rich in Vitamin C  improves absorption of iron available in any meal readily fast. Here is a tip, simply combine  orange peppers with fish or chicken, it helps to increase iron levels in your body, particularly for the women since they tend to lose blood (iron) every month during their menstrual cycles.

Vitamin B-6 – Orange Bell Peppers are a good way to increase vitamin B-6 intake in your body, ideally, your body should have 1.3 to 1.7 milligrams of this vitamin. Vitamin B-6 helps the body metabolize protein and red blood cells. It also helps in immune and nervous systems function. Getting inadequate supplies of B-6 could result in anemia because it is responsible for moving hemoglobin through the blood  stream. A good and stable blood sugar level relies on getting the right amount of vitamin B-6 which is is readily available in these peppers.

Minerals

A 1-cup serving of Orange bell pepper provides 4 percent of the daily value for iron, magnesium and phosphorus.The mineral iron is essential for cell growth, and also for forming red blood cells which transport oxygen around the body. Magnesium and phosphorus are used for building strong bones, muscle and nerve functioning. In addition, these two minerals keep your heartbeat steady. Magnesium is also important for immune function, and phosphorus is used for turning the food you eat into energy and storing it.

Fiber
Fiber is an important diet in our health. It doesn’t contain calories at all and usually takes generally long to be digested thus an important way to control your appetite. Taking sufficient fiber in your diet on a daily basis helps to improve cholesterol levels which significantly minimize the risk of getting heart attacks. More importantly, fiber regulates digestion, and stimulates bowel movements thus helping in relieving constipation.
Antioxidants
Did you know that brightly colored fruits including orange bell peppers and vegetables contain high levels antioxidants? With high levels of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, it helps fight cell damage which would in turn lead to the development of cancer and heart related diseases particularly from toxins in the environment resulting from pollution and tobacco smoking. Carotenoids are known for their efficacy in enhancing the body immune system (Bendich 1989). Lutein and zaexanthin help protect your sight from muscular deterioration and cataracts.

How To Prepare Orange Bell Pepper Recipes

The initial steps of preparing the red pepper before actual cooking involve selecting a fresh and quality pepper. It still doesn’t harm if you prefer the pepper raw. See more details;

• How to select bell pepper
• How to cut bell pepper
• How to cook bell pepper

Orange Bell Pepper and Spinach Omelet Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup orange bell pepper, cut into small strips
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 cups (16 ounces) of Eggs

Instructions:

1. Spray a 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook orange bell pepper and the red onion 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp tender. Add spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until spinach is wilted. Remove vegetables from skillet.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Spray skillet again with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1 cup of beaten eggs. As the eggs start to set use spatula to lift edge of cooked eggs letting uncooked eggs flow to bottom of skillet. Cook until eggs are set but still moist.

3. Spread 1/2 of vegetables on one side of the omelet. Fold other side of omelet over vegetable side. Invert onto plate.

4. Repeat steps above with remaining one cup of beaten eggs and vegetables. Cut each omelet in half; serve.

Roasted Orange Bell Pepper Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced chives
• 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place 1 pepper half, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet (reserve remaining half); flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Wrap bell pepper in foil; let stand 5 minutes. Peel and finely chop. Add 2 tablespoons chopped bell pepper and minced chives to canola mayonnaise; stir until blended. [Adam Hickman: Cookinglinght.com]

When to Pick or Harvest Orange Bell Pepper

According to bell pepper cultivators, they are harvested when firm and full size (at least 3 1/2 to 4 inches). Just like other pepper varieties, orange bell peppers can be eaten at any stage of growth but they are most nutritious and flavorful when mature and fully ripe(orange in color). Another tip to help you decide on when to harvest is to check “days to maturity” information on the seed packets. This information can also be found on many websites that sell pepper seeds or plants.

In a nutshell, orange bell peppers are an outstanding source of many nutrients necessary for immunity, growth and normal fuctioning of your body.They taste great too! This truly is a super-food, and a good remedy for many health problems. Try them today!

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