Eat the Rainbow!!! In my opinion often times we get caught up in macro nutrient counts that we tend to forget the importance of eating a well-balanced and colorful diet. An easy way to insure that you’re getting a variety of nutrients is to add as much color to each meal as possible. We are all creatures of habit and tend to gravitate and eat similar foods every day. However by adding in new colors to your diet you can increase the number of micro-nutrients you consume on a daily basis which can have huge benefits. Here is a simple list of some foods and their colors that helps show the nutrients and benefits we can hopefully expect to receive from eating these colors. By eating the “rainbow” your diet will be much more nutrient rich and your body and mind will reap the rewards and thank you in the long run.
| Colors | Food Sources | Nutrients | Health Benefits |
| Red | tomatoes tomato sauce watermelon guava juice red peppers |
Lycopene Beta carotene Vitamin C |
Lycopene is a potent antioxidant and is one of the top ten anticancer carotenoids. It has been linked to reductions in the risk of prostate cancer. Anthocyanins have anti- cancer properties. Red peppers contain much more beta carotene (and more vitamin C) than green peppers. |
| Pink | pink grapefruit | Lycopene beta carotene |
Like lycopene, beta carotene is an antioxidant that is good for the eyes. It also reduces the risk of cancers and cardiovascular disease. Studies have also shown grapefruit can help increase metabolism. |
| Orange or Deep yellow | apricots and peaches (especially dried) sweet potato carrots pumpkin winter-squash mango yellow-peppers |
Beta carotene vitamin CVitamin A |
Some orange/yellow vegetables, such as pumpkin and summer squash, contain the phytonutrient, lutein, which helps protect against degeneration of eye structure with aging. Carotenoids, like beta carotene, are the phytos that protect plants from sun damage. Perhaps they do the same for humans. |
| Dark Green | kale, other “greens” asparagus watercress spinach broccoli parsley-fresh dill-fresh romaine lettuce zucchini green peppers |
Beta carotene
Vitamin K Folic Acid Potassium |
Dark green foods are rich in antioxidants. Help lower blood pressure, also have been shown to have some anti-cancerous properties. |
| Blue or Dark Purple | blueberries bilberries cherries grapes red wine plumspomegranatespurnes purple cabbageEgg Plant |
Anthocyanin | The pigment anthocyanin has anti-cancer properties. Heart healthy, may help support healthy blood pressure. Blueberries are considered to have the highest antioxidant activity of all foods. |
| Black or Dark Red | black beans kidney beans | Calcium Iron |
Black beans are higher in fiber and calcium; red beans contain slightly more iron. |
Resources: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/110308p34.shtml, http://www.foodinsight.org/Eat_a_Rainbow_Functional_Foods_and_Their_Colorful_Components, https://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/family-nutrition/food-colors-nutritious