Eating Rainbows
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
Nutritionists tell us that a rainbow of colors offers balanced nutrition and it is fun to talk with kids about the food pyramid and how eating a variety of foods and different colors is healthy! To support that idea the new food pyramid has food groups represented by six different colors:- Orange - grains
- Green - vegetables
- Red - fruits
- Yellow - oils
- Blue - milk products
- Purple - meats and beans
Foods from each group should be eaten daily because different colored food has different nutrients. For example:
- Red foods contain lycopene, which is known to reduce prostate cancer risk;
- Green foods contain antioxidants;
- Yellow and orange foods are rich in beta-carotene and strengthen our immune system;
- Blue & purple foods contain anthocyanins that may prevent heart disease; and
- White foods like garlic have anti-tumor properties.
What is cool about eating the rainbow is that you can try and find foods in different colors - orange tomatoes, yellow peppers, purple brocolli, which is usually easier at a farmer's market than your corner grocery store. Nine a day would be good, so get cooking!
Photo credit: sylvar
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