Colors!

A fun and easy way to eat healthfully is to choose foods by color and eat a rainbow everyday. Each color in plant food corresponds to different phytonutrients (the nutrients in plants). Phytonutrients are micronutrients (we need them in small amounts) that pack a big punch: we need them to maintain health and avoid disease. Most Americans are overnourished in macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) while being undernourished in micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients). That's why we look like we're getting enough nutrition yet the incidence of chronic, preventable disease is going up.

Here's what some of what the different colors contain:
Red: Lycopene - an antioxidant that is being shown to be protective against certain cancers.
Orange: Beta-carotene - this converts in the body to Vitamin A which as we all know is important for eye health.
Yellow: Carotenoids and Lutein - good for the eyes and also helps prevent certain cancers.
Green: Lutein and Zeaxanthin - antioxidants which are important to eyes, bones, and teeth; also protect against cancers.
Blue and Purple: Anthocyanins and Phenolics - these flavonoids are good for the brain, memory, and cardiovascular health.
White: Allicin and Selenium: good for the heart and are anti-cancer agents. And, just to be clear here, we're not talking white bread, pasta, or sugar. We're talking cauliflower, garlic, mushrooms, and potatoes (also bananas and brown pears, but that'll just confuse things).


Do you need to know all of the above information? Nah, I just thought the post needed some details. Actually, it's more complicated than what I wrote - many plant foods contain many phytonutrients and since the field of nutrition is a relatively new science, with phytonutrients having been discovered quite recently, there are surely many that haven't even been isolated yet - which is a very good reason for eating whole foods - since we still don't know all the nutrients in food, it's hubris to think that when we extract out parts we know we're not leaving a crucial part behind - or a part that works synergistically with the rest! 

All you really need to remember is to try to eat a wide variety of colors every day. A great way to find them is to shop at your local farmer's market. 

So, what's for dinner tonight? Here it's the purple potatoes (shown above), roasted in a light olive oil drizzle with carrots, sweet onion, garlic, and kale (thrown on in the last few minutes). I have a pot of black-eyed peas boiling to mix in as well. So, the colors on our plates tonight will be purple, orange, green, and white. I'll slice the tomatoes shown above as well, so add red and yellow and we get to eat a rainbow!