While we see a lot of green this month, make note of the colors on your plate year-round.
Hopefully it’s not just green (or any one color) because the more colorful your produce, the more nutrition you are getting.
It’s recommended to “eat the rainbow” of fruits and vegetables.
That’s because of the health benefits from the different phytonutrients found in each pigment.
These phytonutrients strengthen the plant’s immune system from various dangers, such as sun damage and diseases.
And just as the phytonutrients protect the plant and keep it healthy, once we consume the plant, these phytonutrients keep us healthy, too.
Consequently, the more diverse colors you eat, the better.
Here is a breakdown of how a colorful eating pattern can protect you from various diseases (Harvard Health Publishing, 2019):
- Red fruits and vegetables have lycopene: improves heart health, decreases prostate and breast cancer risks, helps prevent stroke, and is good for brain health. Tomatoes, radishes, cherries, strawberries, beets and red peppers are examples of high lycopene food.
- Orange and yellow have beta cryptothanxin, which plays a role in preventing heart disease. Find this in sweet potatoes, carrots, oranges, pineapple, mango, pumpkin, butternut squash, peaches and more.
- The green in fruits and vegetables have cancer-blocking chemicals that hinder carcinogens. These are in foods like spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kiwi, avocado and green herbs, too, such as rosemary, basil, etc.
- Blue and purple have antioxidants that slow down aging and prevent the formation of blood clots in the heart. These antioxidants are in blueberries, blackberries, grapes, eggplant, plums, prunes, purple cabbage and more.
- The white and brown is the last subgroup of colors. While these technically aren’t rainbow colors, they are still just as important to eat thanks to their antioxidants. Foods in this group include onion, cauliflower, garlic, mushrooms, parsnips and potatoes.
So when you’re feeling hungry for a snack, you can see why choosing a peach over the cookies is a much better option.
You don’t have to completely eliminate cookies, but only have it once in a while and only after you’ve reached your fruit and vegetable amount recommendations.
Your body will thank you.
How can you make your meals more colorful? Here are some tips:
- Instead of a side dish of French fries, order a side salad or soup.
- Make your pizza colorful with veggie toppings, such as spinach, tomato, mushroom, etc.
- For a snack or dessert, have fruit or a fruit smoothie
- Look at your shopping cart to make sure you have a variety of colors
- Frozen and canned produce count, too, which can help with your grocery budget.
While the exact amount of fruits and vegetables per day depend on factors such as gender and age, a general rule of thumb is to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
In one particular study that followed 2 million people over 30 years, those that had five servings (specifically, two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables per day), saw:
- A 13% lower risk of death from any cause.
- 12% lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke.
- 10% lower risk of death from cancer.
- 35% lower risk of death from respiratory disease.
Note that this is the average servings per day.
So if you go all day without fruits and vegetables, you can make up for it for the next few days by increasing your intake (Harvard Health Publishing, 2021).
Eggplant Stir Fry (MyPlate.gov)
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants, cubed
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 cup green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 tablespoons Italian salad dressing, low fat
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Place eggplant, zucchini, green bell pepper, onions and salad dressing into a skillet.
- Stir lightly to combine and cook over low heat until tender.
- Stir in cherry tomatoes and cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve over cooked brown rice.
Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County, An Equal Opportunity Institution.