Including different COLORS in your plate – coming primarily from nutritious vegetables and fruits - is an easy and fun way to maximize the nutritional benefits of your meals (and make them more visually appealing!). Eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and veggies will help to increase your immunity, strengthen your muscles and bones, slow down your aging, improve your skin, and more!
This is why I always say, “eat the rainbow” if you want to be healthy. Don’t count calories, count colors!
Why? Because every nature-derived color of the rainbow has different health boosting properties. These colors (found in fruits, veggies and other plant based foods) come from their phytochemicals – natural chemicals (such as carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and others) -containing amazing immune-regulatory and antioxidant properties.
There are 6 main colors, and I suggest having at least 3 colors present in each meal, ideally always some green plus 2-3 other colors. And switch it up so that you’re having all 6 colors every day if possible.
This goes hand in hand with a recommendation that I give my clients, which is to include at least 2 to 3 different veggies in each meal, and at least one other fruit, seed, grain or legume per day. And aim to make your plates colorful!
As a general rule of thumb, in any gven day, you want to aim for having 5+ servings of veggies, 1-2 servings of fruit, 1-2 servings of nuts/seeds (and 1 grain or legume if your digestion permits).
Here are the benefits of each color, and some healthy foods in each category:
GREEN
Benefits: Green foods contain chlorophyll and are high in essential nutrients such as folate, carotenoids and vitamin K. These are great for your eyes, bones and teeth, and reduce risk of disease. Chlorophyll-rich leafy greens in particular are also great for liver detoxification and boosting your metabolism.
Best Green Foods include: all dark leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, bok choy, kale, arugula, swiss chard, dandelion greens,…), lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, peas, brussels sprouts, celery, cucumber, zucchini, honeydew melon, limes, avocados, kiwi and olives.
RED/PINK
Benefits: Red foods contain lycopene and anthocyanins, heart-healthy compounds which eliminate free radicals that damage genes. So they play a big role in helping to prevent cancer.
Best Red Foods include: red cabbage, beets, tomato, red bell pepper, red onion, red apples, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelon, pomegranate, pink grapefruit, goji berries, radishes and red beans (such as kidney beans).
ORANGE
Benefits: orange and yellow foods tend to be high in antioxidants such as alpha- and beta-carotene, which are great for maintenance of healthy skin, wound healing, stronger bones and teeth. Research shows diets rich in alpha- and beta- carotene (vitamin A) also help to lower risk of some stomach cancers.
Best Orange Foods include: orange bell pepper, butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, oranges, apricots, nectarines, cantaloupe, mango, papaya and turmeric.
YELLOW
Benefits: Similar to orange, yellow foods are high in antioxidants such as Vitamin C. Many yellow foods also aid in digestion and liver cleansing.
Best Yellow Foods include: yellow bell peppers, spaghetti squash, yellow summer squash and yellow zucchini, lemons, pineapple, bananas, ginger, organic corn and popcorn!.
BLUE/ PURPLE/ BLACK
Benefits: Blue/Purple foods contain a phytonutrient known as anthocyanins, some flavonoids and ellagic acid, which help to improve your memory, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and fight cancer. Purple foods containing resveratrol also help promote healthy aging and support both brain and bone health.
Best Blue/ Purple/ Black Foods include: purple cabbage, eggplant, grapes, purple potatoes, purple carrots, purple kale, plums, raisins, blackberries, blueberries, prunes, black rice, chia seeds and black sesame seeds.
TAN/ WHITE
Benefits: White and Tan foods often contain nutrients such as allicin to promote heart health and reduce risk of disease. Many white foods (ex. garlic) also contain antiviral properties that fight infections and strengthen your immune system. They also tend to be some of the highest fiber foods!
Best Tan/ White Foods include: garlic, onions, cauliflower, mushrooms, bananas, jicama, pears. daikon radish, flaxseeds, walnuts, cashews (and other nuts/seeds) as well as tahini and hummus.
Start experimenting with different fruits and veggies, aiming to have colorful plates at each meal. This is one of the easiest ways to boost your nutrition, keeping you younger and more beautiful, inside and out.
Love and Colorful Foods,
Mariana