Many people think a healthy diet simply means boring meals, cutting down carbohydrates or reducing your total food intake. However, that is not the complete truth. You can tell an enjoyable meal by how it smells, how it tastes and how it looks. For a healthy diet, what you see is what you get and appearance speaks volumes. A colourful plate helps to remind us to include more vegetables and fruits in our daily meals. By adding more colour to your plate, you can ensure that you do not miss out on essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
Know Your Nutrients By Their Colours
Have you ever wondered why fruits and vegetables have different colours? It is because of natural compounds present in plants called phytochemicals. Knowing what each colour means when you look at your plate is an easy way to improve your overall health.
White foods
Plants such as mushroom, garlic, onion are rich in nutrients such as allicin and flavonoids. They boost immune function and reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
Orange and yellow foods
The colour yellow is visually appealing. In a plate, it can also indicate a rich source of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene helps to improve vision, skin health and immunity. It is found in fruits such as mango, carrots and pineapple.
Red foods
For many people, the colour red means danger. But when it comes to food, it means healthy. It is an essential colour which represents good sources of lycopene and anthocyanin. These nutrients are important for a healthy heart and brain. They also help prevent cancer.
Red foods include tomatoes, bell peppers, watermelon and cherries.
Green foods
Spinach, avocado, waterleaf and pumpkin leaves are common green foods. They are rich in chlorophyll, fiber and folate. Eating green food has many health benefits including getting rid of harmful stances in the body, better vision, improved digestion and brain health.
Purple foods
Purple foods are rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are antioxidants which help to protect healthy cells from damage and reduce the risk of cancer. Common food sources include egg plants, etc.
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How To Add More Colour To Your Plate
Many people argue that it is too expensive to eat healthy. If you also consider that fruits and vegetables may perish quickly, you may be discouraged. In spite of these arguments, you can create a colourful plate filled with nutritious, enjoyable and appealing food by using some of the tips below:
- Combine vegetables, whole grains, proteins and fruits
- Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season to reduce cost
- Do not forget proteins such meat, fish or beans
- Consider options such as canned tomatoes, fish, peas or corn to reduce food waste
- Spice up your foods with ginger, garlic, pepper or curry leaves.
- Embrace natural colours such as turmeric to improve the appearance of your food
- Make a shopping list and use it as a guide to choose more fruits and vegetables
The Bottom Line
A colourful plate is all about nutrients. As recommended, every adult should eat about 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits every day. To improve your nutrition, it is important to add more colour to your plate. You can also explore your creativity to create meals that are visually appealing and enjoyable.
As you plan your next meal, remember to choose more colour to achieve better health.
