Addresses nutritional imbalances for optimal health, peak performance, and disease prevention
While the trees may be bare in March, there are still plenty of colorful and nutritious foods to fill your plate. During the 2011 National Nutrition Month®, the American Dietetic Association encourages everyone to add color and nutrients to your meals through this year’s theme: “Eat Right with Color.”
“Adding colorful seasonal foods to your plate makes for more than just a pretty meal. A rainbow of foods also creates a variety of nutrients, each with different benefits for a healthful meal plan,” says PriMed registered dietitian Marita Holl.
“Eating healthy involves more than counting calories or fat content. Here at PriMed our focus is on optimizing health. Consuming a wide range of beneficial nutrients from foods with a variety of natural colors will help you work towards this goal,” says Dr. Holl. “We should aim to include colorful foods on a daily basis.”
Green foods indicate antioxidant potential and may help promote healthy vision and reduce cancer risks.
• For Fruits try: avocado, apples, grapes, honeydew, kiwi and lime
• For Vegetables try: artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green peppers and leafy greens such as spinach
Orange and deep yellow fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that promote healthy vision and immunity, and reduce the risk of some cancers.
• For Fruits try: apricot, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mango, papaya, peach and pineapple
• For Vegetables try: carrots, yellow pepper, yellow corn and sweet potatoes
Purple and blue foods may have antioxidant and anti-aging benefits and may help with memory, urinary tract health and reduced cancer risks.
• For Fruits try: blackberries, blueberries, plums, raisins
• For Vegetables try: eggplant, purple cabbage, purple-fleshed potato
Red indicates food that may help maintain a healthy heart, vision, immunity and may reduce cancer risks.
• For Fruits try: cherries, cranberries, pomegranate, red/pink grape fruit, red grapes and watermelon
• For Vegetables try: beets, red onions, red peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb and tomatoes
White, tan and brown foods may contain nutrients that promote heart health and reduce cancer risks.
• For Fruits try: banana, brown pear, dates and white peaches
• For Vegetables try: cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, white-fleshed potato and white corn
“For a complete meal, instead of a plain white plate of grilled chicken with mashed potatoes, try grilled chicken topped with salsa, sweet potato, asparagus and/or spinach salad with orange slices. And for additional options in the color palette, choose frozen or dried fruits and vegetables available throughout the year. A colorful meal is not only visually appealing, it is also flavorful and contains an abundance of nutrients,” Dr. Holl says.
