Look to the rainbow to make healthy meal choices
By Lisa Snider 05/21/2009
Imagine a white plate filled with white food: chicken, mashed potatoes and bread. I don’t know about you, but I’m bored and my appetite is gone already. Now, take that plate and turn it into a painter’s palette. Fill it with as many gorgeous colors as you can. A multihued menu of grilled salmon atop wilted spinach with a black bean, corn and red bell pepper relish not only looks more pleasing to the eye, but flavors bursting with freshness will make you look forward to preparing a colorful, healthy meal. Color not only makes mealtime more interesting and fun, it also makes for a more healthful way of dining.
Colors are most vibrant in the produce aisle. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) replaced the familiar “Five a Day” program (calling for five daily servings of fruits and vegetables) with “Fruits & Veggies, More Matters,” which recommends various amounts of produce intake based on age, gender and physical activity level. According to the program’s Web site, the CDC said that encouraging five servings of fruits and vegetables is no longer an accurate recommendation for most people.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) current food pyramid looks like a rainbow, with the stripes running up and down instead of across. It also takes the approach that one size does not fit all, and has developed dietary guidelines based on the individual. I entered my data into the MyPyramid planner, and the site recommends I eat close to five cups per day of fruits and vegetables, combined.
Eating more fruits and vegetables is key to preventing disease (cancer, heart disease and stroke), staying and looking youthful, managing and losing weight, having a healthy pregnancy, keeping the immune system strong, fighting inflammation and giving the brain a boost. Color also brings a sense of well-being and pleasant emotions, from the flavors you experience as well as the visual appeal, so you could say it’s good for your mental health, too.
Fruits and vegetables are usually the best sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, potassium, folic acid and antioxidants — all the nutrients a healthy body needs to thrive and ward off disease. When shopping for your meals and snacks, head to the farmers market and seek inspiration from the colors of the rainbow as I’ve done with this list:
Red: red bell peppers, strawberries, cherries, beets, pomegranates, tomatoes and watermelon
Orange: citrus, carrots, yams, apricots, cantaloupe and salmon (not a fruit or vegetable, but a colorful and tasty protein with good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids)
Yellow: corn, squash, bananas, pineapple, whole grains, nuts and oils (Look for healthy oils that are highest in monounsaturates and lowest in saturated fat, like olive and canola.)
Green: herbs, asparagus, spinach, peas, edamame, kiwi, avocados, broccoli and zucchini
Blue/Purple: blueberries, grapes, raisins, eggplant, figs, plums and black beans (Beans are an excellent source of fiber and protein.)
White: there is nothing colorful here, but low-fat and nonfat milk and dairy products are high in calcium and shouldn’t be overlooked.
For more, including recipes and personal intake calculators, go to www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov and www.mypyramid.gov.
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