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Eat a Colorful Diet
Tips for adding color - and nutrition - to your meals
Food
If you're looking for a way to make your meals more vibrant, look no further than your grocery store's produce aisle. There, you'll find a rainbow of fruits and vegetables - from the palest white to the brightest orange to the deepest purple.
Fruits and vegetables get their coloration from phytochemicals, natural bioactive compounds which, in addition to giving many fruits and veggies their eye-catching hues, also promote good health.
In fact, the most vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables are the richest in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
Get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables
According to the food pyramid, you should be eating up to nine servings of vegetables and fruits each day.
Clinical dietitian Jennifer Ventrelle, MS, RD, LDN, recommends filling at least three-quarters of your plates at lunch and dinner with vegetables.
And instead of rich, sugary treats after your meals or for between-meal snacks, use whole fresh fruits to satisfy your sweet tooth.
What do the colors mean?
But which veggies and fruits you eat is as important as how often you eat them. That's because different colors have different health benefits:
Red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, strawberries and red beans, are packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and antioxidants.
Yellow/orange fruits and vegetables, including carrots, peaches, squash and pineapple, are also loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium. They can also boost the immune system and enhance vision.
Mushrooms, bananas, onions and other white fruits and vegetables are good for the heart and help to control cholesterol levels.
Green means lots of heart-protective potassium and vitamin K, which aids the blood clotting process. Green fruits and veggies also help to maintain vision health and strong bones and teeth. Dark green, leafy vegetables have the highest concentration of antioxidants and fiber.
Blue/purple fruits and vegetables, including such favorites as cranberries, purple grapes, raisins and eggplant, boost urinary tract health and memory function and promote healthy aging.
"As often as possible, choose fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber," says Ventrelle. "They will fill you up more, leaving less room for foods that are high in calories and fat."
An added benefit: High-fiber diets have been associated with decreased risk and recurrence of cancer.
Ventrelle also recommends eating fruits and vegetables that are highest in antioxidants, which boost the body's immune system, protect blood cells from free radicals, promote the growth of healthy cells and may help to lower the risk of