Why You Should Eat a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables
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Don't wait for the weather to comply; make your own rainbow on your plate. Filling your meals with a selection of richly pigmented fruit and veggies not only brightens gloomy winter days but also ensures that you're consuming a wide variety of nutrients. Beautiful hues come from various phytonutrients, each with health-promoting benefits. Here are the colours to incorporate into your diet every day.
*Radiant red*
Think:
• Watermelon
• Tomato
• Pink grapefruit
• Pink or red guava
• Red-fleshed papaya
Benefits: Rosy fruit and vegetables get their flush from lycopene, a carotenoid with powerful antioxidant properties that may help keep your heart healthy and may protect against cancer.
Cooking tip: Warm up on chilly nights with lycopene-rich tomato soup. In a large pot, saute onions and garlic in olive oil, then add low-sodium chicken broth, canned stewed tomatoes, tomato paste and your favourite herbs. Simmer for several minutes, then puree.
*Vivid yellow and orange*
Think:
• Carrot
• Apricot
• Orange-fleshed sweet potato
• Cantaloupe
• Peach
• Squash
Benefits: Orange and yellow produce get their bright colour from beta-carotene, which is a nutrient that's converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is an antioxidant essential for your skin, bones and teeth.
Cooking tip: Get your beta-carotene and comfort-food fix by baking squash in the oven. Before baking, cut acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds and add a little butter, maple syrup and spices such as ground cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
*Cool green*
Think:
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Collard greens
Benefits: Dark-green leafy vegetables get their colour from chlorophyll, which some natural-health practitioners believe may help detoxify the body. These veggies are exceptional sources of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. (They're more nutrient-dense than paler ones.)
Cooking tip: Nutrient-packed collard greens make great wraps. For a delicious green burrito, remove the stems and fill the leaves with cooked brown rice, black beans, salsa, avocado and low-fat sour cream. Roll up the leaves and enjoy.
*Bright purple and blue*
Think:
• Blueberries
• Red cabbage
• Raspberries
• Concord grapes
• Black currants
• Plums
• Red cranberries
Benefits: Purple and blue foods get their beautiful hue from anthocyanins, which act like antioxidants to help protect cells from damage. Emerging evidence also suggests that anthocyanins may improve brain function and may help protect your heart.
Cooking tip: Braised red cabbage is a tasty way to get anthocyanins in the winter. To make it, saute onions with honey, salt, pepper and caraway seeds for a few minutes, then add chopped cabbage, chopped apple, apple-cider vinegar and a bit of water; cook until cabbage is soft and liquids have reduced.