The healthiest foods are those that are most colorful- so eat foods with colors from the rainbow

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No wonder there's a pot of gold at the end!

The two fundamental aspects of the lush color in foods is "balance & variety" which seduce our palate with taste, appeal and nutrition.
Did you know that the colors found in various foods represent 25,000 chemicals that are beneficial?

Buy foods in vivid shades of green, orange, yellow, purple and red, for not only are they visually enticing they are also packed with health-benefiting properties. Even the foods that have lighter colors -- garlic, onions, leeks, cabbage, celery etc. -- offer many benefits.

So, what's in the color?
A piece of trivia to note - the compounds that give fruits and vegetables their bright color are also responsible for giving them their unique health promoting properties. They are bio-active compounds occurring naturally in foods that provide more than just nutrition. Some studies have shown that these plant-based chemicals, or phyto-nutrients help prevent one or more chronic, debilitating and often deadly diseases by boosting immunity or ridding the body of damaging free radicals.

It's easy to add color to your diet! Toss up fruits vegetables raw, steamed, grilled or baked - Make your plate a canvas and paint each meal with life giving colors.

The trick is to include as many plant-based foods in your daily diet as possible, always including their colorful skins which often have the richest sources of protective phyto-nutrients, with the paler flesh. Try to avoid peeling foods like apples, peaches and eggplants because peeling removes their most concentrated source of beneficial nutrients.

Make sure to wash the food item well before consuming.

Balancing Tips:

Get at least 6 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. 1 serving of fruit or veg = 1 extra small banana = 1 small orange = 1 small apple = 1 small guava = ½ cup of cooked vegetable.
Freshly prepared fruit juice (not more than 4 oz and no sugar added)
One glass of tomato juice supplies 50 percent of the recommended lycopene.
Add fruits to your breakfast cereal, salads, yogurts and desserts
Drink fruits milkshakes, smoothies.

COLOR	FOODS	BENEFITS
PURPLE	Beets, eggplant, purple grapes, red wine, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples	They may delay the aging of cells in the body. They may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and urinary tract health
GREEN	Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage or bok choi, kale	Which help to promote strong bones and teeth, vision health and may lower the risk of some types of cancer
RED	Tomatoes, pink grapefruit, strawberries watermelon, beets, red peppers, radishes	Helps rid the body of free radicals & protects against prostate cancer, heart lung & Alzheimer's diseases.
YELLOW	Pineapple, peaches, papayas, yellow corn, potatoes, sweet lime, lemon honeydew melon	Reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration
WHITE	Scallions

Find your treasure = Maximize benefits = Be nutrition rich!

By. Kanchan Saggi Dietitian, NutritionVista.com

Tags: Bright colors / colours, fruits, vegetables, rich in nutrition, anti-oxidants, phyto-nutrients, boost immunity

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User Comments

13 February, 2012 | neetu sharma | Reply

THERE IS NOT ANY BETTER CHOICE SHOULD BE GIVEN OTHER THAN FRUIT,THEY ARE PERFECT CHOICE FOR SNACKIN........EVEN SOMETIMES WHEN HUNGER PANGS FEEL, AT THAT TIME FRUITS ARE BEST CHOICE IT WILL SATISFIED THE APPETITE AS WELL AS PROVIDE GOOD NUTRIENTS TO BODY.

25 April, 2011 | Vijayalakshmi Iyengar | Reply

Another take on why colorful veggies & fruits are important in our daily diet.
People are getting more and more conscious on looking younger and delaying wrinkles.Any amount of money spent on anti-ageing face creams and serums will not serve the purpose unless it is backed by healthy nutrition.
So what better support than eating a plate half full of phyto nutrients ? Think about it!!

25 April, 2011 | Parul Bhatnagar | Reply

Hi All,
Fruits and Vegetables are rich in antioxidants which gives you power to fight with diseases and increase your overall stamina.
Add as much color in your plate in form of healthy fruits and veggies for healthy living.

17 August, 2012 | naresh | Reply

i agree that colourful fruits and vegetables are very rich in variety of minerals,enzymes,vitamins,the deeper the color the better it is for the consumer

28 September, 2010 | Sangeetha Narayana Swamy | Reply

It is advised to choose vegetables and fruits of different colors everyday to make the meal look more appealing. By choosing different color and variety we are also consuming a variety of nutrients everyday which is very important.

28 September, 2010 | Vijayalakshmi Iyengar | Reply

You know Sangeetha, the problems lies with adults/parents. If a child is taught from the very beginning about benefits of eating different coloured fruits & veggies, they are setting the foundation to good health. Most often parents themselves have problems eating them and pass on their whims to their kids or what is most commonly observed is , they give up too easily if kids fuss. A little patience goes a long way and if people persist be it adults or kids, we can make great headways to healthy colourful eating. Do you agree?

29 September, 2010 | Sangeetha Narayana Swamy | Reply

Yes Viji Ma'am, completely agree with you. The foundation for healthy eating should be laid from childhood. The adults have to make sure that the child finishes his veggies and fruits in every meal. Giving the child extra time to eat and being patient goes a long way. May be parents have to cook up stories too along with veggies to make the child understand the importance of colorful and healthy eating.

04 June, 2010 | Kanika Jain | Reply

Fruits and vegetables are not only visually appealing but packed with nutrients. They are perfect choice for snacking too…Have an apple instead of going for chocolate bars or namkeens or burgers for reviving your dipping energy levels in evening!

Kanika Jain
Dietitian
NutritionVista

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