Rainbow Plate
Want to make your meals more exciting and nutritious? Try adding colors to your plate, like a rainbow plate! Including lots of colorful fruits and veggies not only makes your food look pretty but also gives you all the important nutrients your body needs.
Colorful Food
By incorporating a plate with rainbow of fruits and vegetables into your meals, you can ensure you’re getting a diverse range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants necessary for optimal health, all while keeping your calorie intake in check. Nutrients in vegetables and fruits work together to protect against cancer, heart disease, vision loss/problems, hypertension, and other diseases.
Here’s a breakdown of the benefits and nutrients associated with different colored foods:
Five Shades of Nutrients (5 Color Rainbow)
1. Orange and Yellow: –Orange and yellow fruits and veggies are like little nutrient powerhouses! They’re full of vitamin C and carotenoids, which are like superheroes for your eyesight and help your cells grow strong. Plus, citrus fruits, like oranges and lemons, have something called hesperidin, which keeps your blood flowing smoothly and can even help prevent strokes. Some awesome examples of these colorful foods include pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, pineapples, starfruit, papaya, cantaloupe, apricots and peaches. So, next time you’re at the grocery store, grab some of these vibrant goodies to keep yourself feeling healthy and happy!
2. Red: – Red fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals like lycopene and ellagic acid, which have cancer-fighting properties (lycopene is a bright red carotenoid hydrocarbon found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables). They also contain antioxidants that support heart health. Watermelon is higher in lycopene than tomatoes. Examples include red pepper, tomatoes, red onion, strawberries, cranberries, watermelon, cherries, red apple, reddish red beans, and pomegranate.
3. Green: – Green fruits and vegetables are loaded with lutein, isoflavones, isothiocyanates, and vitamin K, which are essential for overall health and blood. Leafy greens are also rich in iron, and they are loaded with antioxidants and folate, crucial for pregnant women. Examples include kale, broccoli, spinach, green beans, peas, avocado, and kiwi. Kale has as much calcium as milk, and broccoli helps enhance or boost the immune system.
4. Blue and Purple: – These foods contain anthocyanins, antioxidants that protect cells from damage and may reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Vegetables such as beetroot, radish, and purple cabbage naturally lower blood pressure. The darker the fruits, the better they are at containing phytochemicals known to repair damage caused by stress and inflammation. Examples include eggplant, purple cabbage, black olive, blueberries, purple grapes, plums, and dark cherries.
5. White and Brown: – Cauliflower, garlic, onion, and mushrooms offer a variety of health benefits. Cauliflower is a type of cruciferous vegetable that’s packed with a healthy compound called sulforaphane. Garlic and onion belong to the allium family of vegetables and contain strong compounds like allicin and quercetin, which help reduce the risk of cancer and have anti-inflammatory properties. Mushrooms contain selenium, which is essential for supporting the immune system.
So, next time you’re putting together a meal, think about creating your very own Rainbow Plate. Not only will it look beautiful, but it’ll also make you feel amazing from the inside out. Go ahead, give it a try – your body will thank you for it!
-Dietitian Shafquat, with a master’s in nutrition, passionately crafts healthy diet plans and recipes. Freelancing at thenutriofit.com, promoting wellness for all.
