Terms such as eat the “rainbow” or color up your plate may leave people confused or guessing..
It simply means include a variety of vegetables and fruits of different colors in your regular meals.
Reason being, These colorful benefits can strengthen your immune system, promote a healthy heart, create radiant skin, and even help you live longer.
Fruits and vegetables are best when items are in season or at their brightest and ripest. That's when they have the highest concentrate and nutrient availability.
Even mixing food groups helps, iron needs Vit C for better absorption and Calcium needs Vit D.
What’s in a colour?
RED
Red fruits and vegetables are coloured by a natural plant pigment called lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of cancer and keep our heart healthy.
PURPLE /BLUE
The plant pigment anthocyanin is what gives blue/purple fruits and vegetables their distinctive colour. Anthocyanin also has antioxidant properties that protect cells from damage and can help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.
ORANGE/YELLOW
Carotenoids give this group their vibrant colour. A well-known carotenoid called Betacarotene is found in sweet potatoes, pumpkins and carrots. It is converted to vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes. Another carotenoid called lutein is stored in the eye and has been found to prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness.
GREEN
Green vegetables contain a range of phytochemicals including carotenoids, indoles and saponins, all of which have anti-cancer properties. Leafy greens such as spinach and broccoli are also excellent sources of folate.
BROWN/WHITE
White fruits and vegetables contain a range of health-promoting phytochemicals such as allicin (found in garlic) which is known for its antiviral and antibacterial properties. Some members of the white group, such as bananas and potatoes, are also a good source of potassium.
[http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/eat-rainbow]
Fruit and vegetable colour chart
|
Red |
Purple/Blue |
Orange/Yellow |
Green |
Brown/White |
|
Tomato Red capsicum Radishes Strawberries Rhubarb Cherries Red grapes Raspberries Watermelon Red apples |
Beetroot Red cabbage Eggplant/ Brinjal Purple asparagus Blackberries Blueberries Purple grapes Plums |
Carrots Lemons Sweet potato Pumpkin Pineapples Mangoes Corn Oranges Peaches Apricots Grapefruit |
Spinach Asparagus Avocados Broccoli Peas Green apples Green grapes Limes Kiwifruit Green beans Cabbage Cucumber Green capsicum |
Cauliflower Mushrooms Garlic Bananas Potatoes Dates Onions Ginger Turnip |
Deepa K
(Dietitian)