Can You Eat Too Many Sweet Peppers?

Other than gas or the rare allergic reaction to eating nightshade foods, there aren’t many downsides to consuming more bell peppers. So because this vegetable-like fruit has few negative side effects, their bounty of health pluses are likely enough to encourage you to keep eating them.

We like growing sweet peppers in the garden because the plants tend to be rather prolific. When harvest time comes around, it’s a lot easier to offload these peppers to our friends and family than spicy varieties. We freeze any peppers that we can’t gift or use right away.

This is one of our favorite ways to eat mini sweet peppers. Wash, slice, and de-seed the peppers before using them in place of chips. We like to make “pepper nachos.”

While sweet peppers may not be as exciting as some of the super-spicy varieties, they always have a place in our garden. We eat sweet peppers several days out of the week. They’re versatile and delicious in so many recipes. How do you like to use up your sweet peppers?

Why do we grow sweet peppers in the garden?

We like growing sweet peppers in the garden because the plants tend to be rather prolific. When harvest time comes around, it’s a lot easier to offload these peppers to our friends and family than spicy varieties.

Wash, slice, and de-seed the peppers before using them in place of chips. We like to make “pepper nachos.”. Simply coat the pepper slices in olive oil, then top the sweet peppers with your favorite nacho filling and bake them in the oven. The peppers will soften up a bit, but remain perfectly crunchy. You can also slice up mini sweet peppers and …

Dehydrated bell pepper! You can make your own paprika by slicing the mini sweet bell peppers, dehydrating them, and grinding them into powder. While the flavor may not be too intense, the powder adds a lovely color to certain dishes and acts as a garnish. You can also bottle up your own and give it away as a gift.

You can pickle mini sweet peppers just as easily as you would pickle banana peppers or jalapenos. Try one of our easy pickling methods here. For those who do not care for hot peppers, pickled sweet peppers may be exactly what you’re looking for. Pickled sweet peppers taste delicious on top of sausage and sandwiches.

Roasted sweet peppers make for a tasty side dish when you’re tired of broccoli and brussels sprouts. We like to pair them with chicken for a complete meal.

Sometimes you don’t want to chop up an entire bell pepper. Other times, you’re looking for a slightly sweeter crunch. Enter… the mini sweet pepper! Mini sweet peppers are becoming easy to find at any grocery store. They’re a staple in our kitchen because they’re easy to work with and typically don’t have too many seeds.

They’re crunchy, sweet, and flavorful. Not to mention, they’re a great source of vitamin C. You certainly do not have to cook mini sweet peppers to enjoy eating them. Because of their bright colors, these peppers made a wonderful addition to any veggie platter or salad.

What color peppers are good for you?

“Peppers are an anti-inflammatory superfood—but go red to reap the most benefits,” says Mike Zimmerman, author of The 14-Day Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Of all the colors of bell pepper, red peppers contain the highest amounts of beta-carotene, quercetin, and luteolin, according to research in the Journal of Food Science. Luteolin has been found to neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation.

A compound in green peppers may elevate your resting metabolic rate and boost fat burn, according to a rodent study in Nutrition Research. Dihydrocapsiate is a substance similar to capsaicin, which is found in chili peppers and is known for its thermogenic properties. In the 12-week study, researchers orally administered dihydrocapsiate to mice on a high-fat diet and found that the supplement reduced weight and fat gain, increased glucose metabolism, and improved the rodents’ gut microbiome. A human study in The American Journal of Nutrition, however, concluded that dihydrocapsiate had just a small 50-calorie-per-day thermogenic effect, which is in the range of resting metabolic rate variability. Capsaicin, one of the naturally occurring chemicals in red peppers, has been shown to have an effect on satiety or energy intake, reducing body weight, fat mass, and waist circumference. In an analysis of 19 scientific studies published in 2014 in Appetite, researchers found that people who took capsaicinoid supplements prior to a meal reduced their caloric intake by 309 calories.

For one, their crunchy, fibrous texture helps scrub away food particles and bacteria. Secondly, peppers are loaded with water which stimulates the flow of saliva.

Stuff ’em, slice ’em, dice ’em—whichever way you like to eat them, bell peppers are a versatile and delicious addition to any diet, especially since they come in at least four different colors (yes, there are also mixed color versions), each with its own unique flavor profile and health benefits.

Here’s another thing about bell peppers no matter which color you choose: they are low in calories, just 31 per medium bell pepper. That’s because, like a lot of vegetables, they are made up of mostly water and dietary fiber.

Reduced cravings. If it has been more than three to four hours since your last meal, eating a balanced snack by combining a serving of carbs with a protein can fend off hunger until mealtime, says certified diabetes educator Lori Zanini, RD. “I eat red bell peppers nearly every day,” she says.

An Australian study published in 2019 in Proceedings of the Third International Tropical Agricultural Conference found that orange bell peppers contain the highest levels of zeaxanthin while yellow peppers are high in lutein. For more, check out 6 Best Supplements For Your Eyes, According to Experts. 2.