Celebrate the spirit of Basant Panchami! Add these yellow fruits to your diet

Yellow is the colour and flavour of Basant Panchami every year! From clothes to food and flowers – people mark the occasion with full fervour. There are a host of yellow foods and fruits that you can add to your diet if you are health conscious.

Let us take you through some of them. But first, let us find out a bit about Basant Panchami, which falls on February 5 this year.

Significance of yellow on Basant Panchami

This festival marks the beginning of spring season (Basant Ritu) and the end of the harsh winter season. During this time trees and plants are filled with fresh leaves and flowers, fields bloom with mustard vegetation and ripened fruits and the crops turn yellow. Hence, yellow colour is considered to be of special importance on this day.

On this festival, people wear yellow clothes and consume traditional foods. But if you’re on a diet or simply want to eat something healthy, we’ve listed down here 10 yellow fruits which are great for your health.

When it comes to fruits, yellow fruits are more beneficial for your health than other fruits as they are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.

So without further ado, let’s check the list of yellow fruits:

1. Banana

Banana is a tropical bounty. This is versatile, easily available, and easy to consume. This inexpensive superfood has a lot of health benefiting nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin A, B, C, and potassium. Not to forget, banana is a gut friendly fruit and in fact, it can help in weight loss because it is rich in nutrients, packed with energy, keeps you full for longer, and satiates hunger—all of which can lead to weight loss.

Vasant PanchamiBananas are really healthy! Image courtesy: Shutterstock

2. Mango

The season of the king of all the fruits is coming back. Mangoes, not just in taste, also have a plethora of health benefits to offer you. They’re rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, dietary fiber, and copper. Guess what, mangoes are great for weight loss and even great for your skin and hair.

3. Yellow apple

Apples are generally low in calories and high in fiber, yellow apples are no different. And that’s why they were found to support weight loss. Due to the presence of flavonoids, yellow apples help to fight against cancer, especially lung cancer.

4. Star fruit

Star fruit, also known as carambola or ‘Kamrakh’ is similar to other tropical fruits. When you cut it, each slice resembles the shape of a star, that’s why it is known as star fruit. According to Deepti Khatuja, Head clinical nutritionist, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, star fruit is a good source of fibre that can help to manage the digestive system, ideal for weight loss, good for heart health and can boost your immunity because it has high antioxidant content along with vitamin C.”

Vasant PanchamiMake star fruit your go-to superfood for weight loss. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

5. Pears

Pears are juicy and sweet and enjoyed during the summer season although they are typically available year round at markets. Being a great source of vitamin C, copper, and fibre, pears are a great source of energy and can fight against several health diseases including osteoporosis, and heart diseases.

6. Papaya

Dr Aditi Mudaliyar, Consultant Nutritionist and Dietitian, Motherhood Hospital, Kharadi, Pune, says, “Papaya is a low calorie juicy fruit rich in vitamin C and A. It has a range of health benefits including asthma prevention and even anti-cancer properties. Papayas are also a good source of folate, vitamin A, magnesium, copper, pantothenic acid, fibre, and powerful antioxidants that are thought to play a protective role in eye health.”

7. Lemon

A lot of us use lemon water as a home remedy to lose weight or to boost our metabolism level. So most of us are aware of the fact that it helps in weight loss. Apart from this, lemon is a powerhouse of vitamin C nutrients which can help in removing toxins from your body, strengthen your immune system, and aids greatly in digestion. What’s more? Don’t throw away the peel because it’s also rich in antioxidants and has a very high level of vitamin C.

8. Pineapple

Pineapple will typically be yellow-gold in colour. It’s a good source of water for hydration and natural sugar energy. Pineapples contain a good amount of magnesium, potassium, soluble and insoluble fiber which can curb your appetite, preventing you from binging. Along with that, it is filled with antioxidants that can provide a variety of benefits for the skin.

Vasant PanchamiNosh on pineapples as a fruit or reap the benefits of its juice. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

9. Summer squash

Also known as yellow squash provide numerous health benefiting nutrients such as vitamin A, B6, and C, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, folate, riboflavin, and fiber. It’s a fruit, however, most people consider it a vegetable because it is consumed in the form of a cooked vegetable. It’s easily available year-round and varieties include zucchini, crookneck, and pattypan.

10. Yellow pepper

Green, red, orange, and yellow bell pepper belong to the family of peppers or capsicum. They are all of different tastes and nutritional values. Yellow pepper is sweeter and less bitter than green ones. It is high in vitamin C which can help to strengthen your immune system and make your body resistant to disease. Along with that, it contains dietary fibre, protein, calcium, folate, potassium, phosphorus, and carbohydrates.

Some yellow foods to add to your diet:

* Honey
* Turmeric
* Olive oil
* Egg yolk
* Sweet corn
* Cheese
* Besan
* Poha
* Arhar dal (pigeon pea)
* Quinoa

So ladies, enjoy the festival without compromising on your or your family’s health with these foods! Happy Basant Panchami!