Healthy Eating – All the Colors of the Rainbow

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plumandjello / Foter /Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Healthy-Eating

plumandjello / Foter /Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Healthy eating is one of the most important components of leading a healthy life. The problem is that ‘eating healthy’ is harder than it sounds. Nowadays, grocery stores are filled with processed foods, preservatives, and empty calories.

There are a few tips and tricks to putting a healthy meal on the dinner table each night. According to MyPlate (the replacement to the food pyramid) the guidelines for a balanced meal should be the following:

  • 30% grains
  • 30% vegetables
  • 20% fruits
  • 20% proteins

In addition to this, a meal should include a small serving of dairy, like a glass of milk or fruit cup.
When choosing the foods that you will use to follow these guidelines, remember this – use all the colors of the rainbow!
Foods get their colorings in part from the nutrients that they contain, so eating some of each color will help to ensure that you get a balanced diet of nutrients that will improve the function of many parts of your body. For more information about which nutrients come in which color, see the information below:
Red
Foods: Tomato, Apple, Watermelon, Strawberry, Cherry, Red Pepper
What they Help: Some red foods contain possible nutrients such as flavonoids, lycopene, vitamin C, and folate. These help memory and promote heart health.
[selfie] Yellow and Orange
Foods: Carrot, Lemon, Orange, Peach, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Mango
What they Help: Most orange and yellow foods contain beta-carotene, as well as vitamin A and vitamin C. These aid in eye health, heart health, and support immune functionality.
Green
Foods: Asparagus, Broccoli, Cucumber, Kale, Peas, Spinach, Cabbage
What they Help: Green foods have been a side dish favorite for decades. They are full of nutrients, including vitamin K, omega-3 fatty acids, chlorophyll, and much more. These help many parts of the body, most notably the bones, teeth, and eyes.
Blue and Purple
Foods: Blueberry, Blackberry, Grapes and Raisins, Plums and Prunes, Eggplant, Beets, Beans
What they Help: The delicious foods in blue and purple hues have antioxidants like anthocyanins and proanthocyanins. These are associated with improving heart health and improving brain function.
White
Foods: Onions and Garlic, Potato, Mushroom, Parsnips and Turnips, Banana, Jicama, Ginger
What they Help: White isn’t technically a part of the rainbow, but it is still an important part of the diet – they contain flavanoids and potassium for heart health and improved cholesterol.
If you need ideas on how you can prepare new dishes that include more color, you don’t have to run out and buy a new cookbook – just check out one of the many recipe resources online, such as allrecipes.com or myrecipes.com.
If you want to see more health tips from Vargas and Vargas Insurance Agency, subscribe to our posts. In addition to offering impeccable health insurance policies, we also provide information regarding exercise, seasonal health concerns, and foods.
Photo credit: plumandjello / Foter /Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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