EAT A RAINBOW
Do you pay attention to the colour of your plate? If not, you might want to start! Sadly, I don’t mean rushing to your nearest Kmart and buying rainbow dishes and bowls. I’m talking about food. Fruits and vegetables to be exact.
Most of us know we need to be eating more fruits, vegetables and plant foods in general. But, this is a) easier said than done, and b) most beneficial when we choose a variety of colours.
Simply aiming to eat a more colourful meal actually has a flow on effect on increasing our overall fruit and vegetable intake. More colour also means more variety, and more variety of plant foods directly boosts the diversity of bacteria in our gut which boosts our immunity and production of the feel-good hormone serotonin. Say bye bye to sick-days and hello to a happy mood.
Adding to that, different colours have unique nutrients with unique health benefits. Take red for example. Red plant foods like tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a potent antioxidant known to protect males specifically from prostate cancer. Or anthocyanins, which give deep blue and purple hues to blueberries and beetroots. Anthocyanins keep our arteries flexible so protect against heart disease. If I’ve sparked your interest, click the colour wheel below for more colour-specific nutrients and bonus recipes to increase the colours on your plate. If an entire new recipe is too much commitment for you, scroll down for our quick hacks to a colourful plate.
Top your morning oats or cereal with a handful of berries. For a zero-effort berry compote, defrost a packet of mixed frozen berries in your fridge overnight and enjoy all the jammy goodness for breakfast the next day. Two ticks for red and purple berries.
Making guacamole with just avocado? Amp up the colour and flavour by adding chopped purple onion, capsicum and tomato. Tip, healthy fats in avocado boost the absorption of Vitamin A from capsicum and tomato.
Grab a packet of mixed kale-slaw instead of your usual bag of green leaves next time you’re at the supermarket. Mixed slaws have at least green, purple and orange vegetables pre-shredded for your convenience.
Put down the peeler when eating apples, the skin contains extra colour! Try also alternating between red and green apples when doing your grocery shop.
Add some fun to your water by infusing with different herbs, vegetables and fruits. Some ideas include strawberries with basil and sliced lemon or cucumbers combined with ginger, mint and lemon.
