For those that follow me you’ll often hear me talk about the benefits of eating lots of colourful foods, especially vegetables. We all know that we need to include veggies in our diet but indulge me a little as I expand on why it’s important and how eating a variety of different colour veg will help you feel better on a daily basis.
Rarely in the Western world are we deficient in calorie intake but we can be deficient in nutrients. Overfed and undernourished you could say!
Popular media thrive on sharing the latest advice on what we should and shouldn’t be eating which in some cases can seem to be contradictory to previous reports. Understandably this can leave you confused on what’s best for you and your family.
I always feel keeping things simple is the best formula for getting results. So in order to simplify your food choices my advice is to “eat the rainbow”.
Consuming different colour foods plays an important role in ensuring you are getting enough essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fibre and more. Eating this way can help to protect against many potential ailments and illnesses such as colds and flu, cancers, digestive problems, loss of bone density and can even help with weight management.
Eating the rainbow is also a great way to encourage kids to consume a range of colourful foods. Get them to seek out the different rainbow colours in the fruit and veg section of the supermarket or your local veg shop.
If you’re not sure where to start check out my “Eat the Rainbow” chart. It outlines which fruit and vegetables support different aspects of our health. For instance, did you know yellow plant based foods are good for healthy skin or purple fruit and veg support brain health?
Save the chart and stick it to the fridge as a reminder to try new foods. Start with one new thing each week, picking a different colour group each time. I hope this inspires you to increase the variety of plant based foods in your diet.