Easy Ways to Use Bell Peppers for Healthy, Flavorful Family Meals

I absolutely love peppers. They're so much fun — beautiful, colorful, and full of personality. Some are sweet, some are spicy, but they're never boring.

About 90% of a pepper is water. The remaining 10% is packed with nutrients, including vitamin A, calcium, small amounts of iron, potassium, magnesium, a little zinc, and an impressive amount of vitamin C (even more than an orange).

Vitamin C is essential for the body. It supports the immune system, promotes wound healing, improves iron absorption, and contributes to healthy bones, connective tissue, and much more. Since our bodies cannot store vitamin C, it's important to include it regularly in our diet. That's where these colorful peppers come in.

Simple Ways to Enjoy More Peppers

What can you do with peppers besides tossing them into a salad?

You can roast them in the oven, slice them into strips, and toss them with balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic slices, and a sprinkle of coarse salt. The result is a simple, flavorful roasted pepper salad that's delicious served over a slice of bread with cream cheese.

If you're looking for a healthy snack, simply cut a pepper in half to create two little "boats," fill each one with cottage cheese, and enjoy.

A Colorful Pepper and Cheese Toast

Another favorite in my kitchen is a colorful pepper and cheese toast.

Start by sautéing diced onion together with diced peppers. If you'd like, you can also add a little diced or grated carrot for extra color, although it's completely optional.

Some people avoid cooking with butter because of its saturated fat content or its relatively low smoke point. Personally, I enjoy using a tiny amount of butter every now and then. Besides adding wonderful flavor, butter contains valuable fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. And perhaps its greatest advantage is simply that it's delicious.

Because vitamin C is sensitive to heat, keep the sautéing quick and gentle. Even if you cook the peppers a little longer, don't worry as they still retain plenty of vitamin C, and a significant amount will survive the cooking process.

Meanwhile, take two slices of bread. Cut a square or circular "window" out of the center of each slice and set the cut-out pieces aside.

When I don't have time to bake bread at home, I like to buy sourdough rye bread. Sourdough has many advantages over regular yeast bread, but I'll save that topic for another article.

Place one slice of bread in the pan, then spoon the sautéed pepper mixture into the opening. Beat an egg and pour it over the peppers. Top everything with a slice of yellow cheese, then cover it with the bread "window" you saved earlier.

Once the underside is golden brown, carefully flip the toast and cook the other side until crisp and beautifully browned.

And just like that, you have another quick, nutritious, and delicious dinner that's perfect after a busy day.