Eat the Rainbow: 5 Food Colors You Should Eat Daily for Better Health

Looking for an easy way to improve your health this year? Resolve to eat more colorfully! Here are 5 colors you should eat every day – and why…

That’s right – eating healthy can be as simple as choosing whole, natural foods of all different colors. While it can be easy to just eat your favorite couple of fruits and veggies all the time, the truth is that humans were designed to eat a wide variety of foods. And one of the best ways to include more variety in your diet is to eat more colorful fruits and veggies!

Without having to think about all of the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals you need for good health, you can eat healthier just by eating more colors.

This is because each color is created by specific phytonutrients, so when you eat a fruit or vegetable in that color, you are ingesting all of the wonderful healthful properties that come along with those nutrients.

Unfortunately, “According to a 2009 phytonutrients report (based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys), 8 out of 10 people in the US are falling short in virtually every color category of phytonutrients.”(1)

Here are a few ways to get more colorful foods into your diet this year, according to the Food Revolution Network:

• Eat a beautiful breakfast. Instead of boring bagels, eggs, or yogurt, start your day with a green smoothie, oatmeal topped with red berries, or a scramble filled with red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, or other colorful veggies.

• Enjoy exciting salads. Large, colorful salads are the perfect way to incorporate lots of colorful veggies (and fruits!) into your diet. Eat them for lunch or dinner. And try to have at least one per day.

• Liven up your lunch. Veggie sandwiches and wraps (including lettuce wraps) and soups, stews, and chili can help your get a balanced selection of colorful foods for lunch.

• Make vegetables the main dish. Try new recipes for dishes, such as tempeh vegetable stir-fries, vegetable curries, and Buddha bowls.

• Make a rainbow meal. Try creating a meal that uses every color — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, and brown. (If you have kids, they may love this idea.)

And here are some colorful foods to eat more of, plus some of the important health benefits you can get from different colors of fruits and veggies:

Source: Swissotel Hotels & Resorts