Imagine having a dinner plate with no color I am sure that will not be appealing to you. Good looking food is the secret to increased appetite and is also a key to a nutritious diet.
We often underestimate the importance of color in our foods and create boring and dull meals consisting of browns(meat) and white(rice and bread). However, such food is not tempting to adults and kids, which is why most people face difficulty making their family eat the food they eat.
If your family comes running down to the dinning table at meals and make it a wholesome experience then add rainbow foods to your meals. To know more about rainbow foods and get a handy rainbow food chart, make sure to read the article below!
What are the rainbow foods?
Rainbow foods are the food groups that are colorful such as fruits and vegetables. Their color signifies the valuable nutrients they possess. A darker pigment of a particular color in fruits and vegetables represents a higher level of a nutrient leading to higher benefits. 💪
The Rainbow diet is a recent trend that doesn’t starve you to lose weight, instead it promotes eating colorful fruits and vegetables. Most people hate dieting because it usually involves eating less and suffering more. Rainbow diet has a different mantra!
You need to add more red, orange, yellow, green and purple foods to your diet in a rainbow diet. The good news is you don’t have to cut down on carbs, fat, gluten and meat but add color to your diet in the form of fruits and vegetables.
Benefits of eating your rainbow?
Various rainbow foods have unique micronutrients that are beneficial for your health. There are also specific anti-inflammatory molecules and antioxidants related to different colors that help lower the biological stress.
The rainbow foods induce the production of antioxidants to increase the body’s ability to reduce oxidative stress. There are various other benefits of consuming rainbow foods that we will be discussing shortly but a notable one would be that plants are a source of fiber and other plant nutrients. The fiber and plant nutrients improve our gut health and act as prebiotics to keep the body healthy. 🤸
Eating a colorful plate of rainbow foods has a synergic effect on our body that helps promote good health and prevent diseases. ❤️🩹 Let’s have a look at rainbow foods list and find its benefits.
Food groups by color
Each color refers to a unique phytochemical and nutrients that benefit the body in a special way. The following foods are highly pigmented which represents the phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals present in them.
In the following section we will be looking at the rainbow fruits and vegetables and how they benefit the body.
Red Foods group
Red fruits and vegetables have lycopene, which is an antioxidant that helps protect against cancer. Such foods also have antioxidants that help lower the risk of heart diseases.
| Tomatoes | Pink guava | Prickly pears |
| Beets | Tomato sauce | Red cabbage |
| Grapefruit | Watermelon | Red onions |
Yellow and Orange foods group
Yellow fruits and vegetables have beta carotene that supports the skin, eyes and immune system.
| Carrots | Corn | Yellow peppers |
| Bananas | Tangerines | Turmeric root |
| Pineapple | Pumpkin | Squash |
Green colored foods group
Green fruits and vegetables are rich in lutein which offers defense against diseases, strengthens the immune system and has many more benefits.
| Spinach | Kale | Asparagus |
| Green peppers | Celery | Cabbage |
| Kiwi | Avocado | Cucumber |
Blue and Purple foods group
Fruits and vegetables that are blue or purple have flavonoids and anthocyanins that provide various benefits to the body. SUch foods boost the brain power and protect the body against various diseases.
| Blueberries | Purple potatoes | Black rice |
| Purple cabbage | Purple carrots | Olives |
| Aubergine | Purple grapes | Blackberries |
White and Brown foods
Various brown and white foods have essential nutrients that are vital for the body. Such nutrients are usually missing in other foods.
| Mushrooms | Turnip | Lentils |
| Onions | Garlic | Cauliflower |
| Dragonfruit | Coconut | Nuts |
How do you eat 5 colors a Day?
I am sure you are convinced how crucial a rainbow diet is but you might be wondering how to plan a healthy rainbow food diet. Most rainbow foods have a strong and unique flavor which most people may not like.
A smart way to add such foods into your diet is to combine such foods with interesting and delicious rainbow foods. This way you can reap the benefits of most rainbow foods without being difficult on your stomach.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee also offers a rainbow chart with various rainbow foods you can choose from and add to your diet as per your mood.
You will get the rainbow food choices and the days of the week mentioned in it. All you need to do is get it printed, and you are ready to design your meals.
“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.”
You can also consult a nutritionist to design a meal plan for you that will include most rainbow fruits. You can let them know about your health condition if you have any and they will design your rainbow food meals accordingly.
Final Words
A famous health practitioner Ann Wigmore stressed her concerns for choosing the right diet. She said that the food we eat can be either the safest or most powerful form of medicine or a form of slow poison that we are feeding ourselves.
Adding color to our diet is not only pleasing to the eye but is also beneficial for the body in several ways. This is where our rainbow food charts can help you design your meals to help you eat right.
Consuming a rainbow food diet will also allow you to unleash your true energy potential and help you stay and feel active. If a colorful diet prevents you from taking medications for possible diseases then it’s a chance anyone would want to take.