We all know that we should ‘eat our greens’, but it’s just as important to eat our reds, oranges, yellows, blues and purples, too.
What colours were in your last meal? A really easy way to improve your diet is to minimise the amount of beige food you eat (biscuits, pastries, chips, white bread, white rice, pasta) and focus on eating the rainbow every day.
Here's a handy tracker you can use to chart your progress http://www.personal-nutrition-guide.com/support-files/rainbow.pdf
And here are some more ideas for foods of each colour and some of the reasons why they are good for you
Red
Choose from: raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, cherries, pomegranates, apples, grapes, rhubarb, pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, radicchio and potatoes.
Why they are good for you: Tomatoes, watermelon, guava and pink grapefruit are a good source of lycopene, which may help protect against some cancers, especially prostate cancer. Anthocyanins, found in red fruits, may help fight cancer, keep the heart healthy, improve vision and memory and avoid urinary tract infections.
Choose from: raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, cherries, pomegranates, apples, grapes, rhubarb, pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, radicchio and potatoes.
Why they are good for you: Tomatoes, watermelon, guava and pink grapefruit are a good source of lycopene, which may help protect against some cancers, especially prostate cancer. Anthocyanins, found in red fruits, may help fight cancer, keep the heart healthy, improve vision and memory and avoid urinary tract infections.
Green
Choose from: asparagus, avocado, rocket, spinach, lettuce, watercress, cucumber, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leafy cabbage, spring greens, beans, peas, sugar snap peas, mangetout, cress, courgette, peppers, spring onions, leeks, apples, grapes and kiwi fruit.
Why they are good for you: Research shows that lutein and zeaxanthin which are in green foods act as ‘natural’ sunglasses and filter out harmful light that can damage the eyes. A good intake of these antioxidants may help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, and may help protect against cataracts. Green vegetables may also help protect against cancer.
Purple/blueChoose from: blackberries, blueberries, grapes, blackcurrants, plums, prunes, raisins, red cabbage, red onions, and aubergine.
Why they are good for you: Blue foods may help to keep the heart healthy and reduce the risk of strokes, and prevent urinary tract infections. They have also been linked to improving balance, co-ordination and short-term memory in old age, as well as better vision.
Why they are good for you: Research shows that lutein and zeaxanthin which are in green foods act as ‘natural’ sunglasses and filter out harmful light that can damage the eyes. A good intake of these antioxidants may help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, and may help protect against cataracts. Green vegetables may also help protect against cancer.
Purple/blueChoose from: blackberries, blueberries, grapes, blackcurrants, plums, prunes, raisins, red cabbage, red onions, and aubergine.
Why they are good for you: Blue foods may help to keep the heart healthy and reduce the risk of strokes, and prevent urinary tract infections. They have also been linked to improving balance, co-ordination and short-term memory in old age, as well as better vision.
Orange/yellowChoose from: apricots, cantaloupe and Galia melons, mangoes, peaches, papaya, oranges, satsumas, grapefruit, pineapple, nectarines, carrots, swede, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, yellow and orange peppers, pumpkin and sweetcorn.
What they contain: As well as being a good source of vitamin C, yellow and orange fruits contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin.
Why they are good for you: A good source of vitamin C, most yellow and orange foods are also packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A – good for vision in dim light and maintaining the skin and cells that line the airways and the digestive and urinary tracts. Beta-cryptoxanthin – in mangoes, nectarines, peaches, peppers and citrus fruit – may also maintain the respiratory tract, reduce the risk of lung cancer and ease inflammation associated with arthritis.
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