If the fable is right and you are what you eat, then is it really any wonder that a plate filled with bland, sludgy stew will make you feel…uhhh…bland and sludgy yourself?
Instead, liven up your diet with vibrantly-hued foods, which generally tout more nutrients per pound than their paler counterparts. For example, iceberg lettuce is really nothing more than water with a small amount of fiber, whereas spinach, which boasts darker, richer green leaves, is an excellent source of iron and folate.
To ensure your meeting your quota of full-color foods, try these eight easy tricks to add more color into your daily diet.
* Break out of your breakfast rut—and stave off the morning munchies—by opting for an omelet filled with red and green peppers, onions and spinach and turn up the heat with a spicy tomato salsa.
* Sub out your daily mocha for a vegetable juice made with carrots, cucumber, beets, celery, apple, pear and rhubarb (talk about packing it in!). Even though you are losing some of the fiber benefits associated with eating the whole vegetable, it’s still more nutritious (and cheaper!) than a trip to your local coffee shop!
* Add a cup of vegetable soup—either as a meal or a savory snack. It’s an easy—and low calorie way—to pack more beta-carotene-infused carrots, peas, onions (which although pale, are a good source of chromium, vitamin C and numerous flavonoids) and other nutrient-rich veggies in to your diet.
* Take a cue from Crayola and pack as many colors as you can in one carton by taking a run-of-the-mill spinach salad and adding rich radicchio, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, sliced strawberries and a handful of blueberries. Top with raspberry vinaigrette for the full berry experience!
* Fortify a good cut of fish by topping it off with a mango salsa made with ½ cup of chopped mango, ½ cup of chopped onion, ½ cup of chopped pineapple, a tablespoon of lime juice and ½ cup of fresh cilantro.
* Jonesing for a slice of pizza? Do the next best (or even better) thing by thinly slicing an eggplant lengthwise, broiling on one side, flipping and topping the uncooked side with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, green and red peppers, onions and mushrooms. Add garlic salt, pepper and oregano to taste.
* Power up some plain ol’ poultry by topping broiled filets with bell pepper rings and diced tomatoes or take thin slices, fill with jalapeno peppers and pepperjack cheese, roll up securing with toothpicks, bake and top with salsa.
* Hot weather have you jonesing for ice cream? In a blender, mix sliced strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, a ¼ cup of orange juice and ¾ cup of yogurt. Pour into paper cups, freeze for three hours and enjoy!
At the end of the day, the changes don’t necessarily need to be dramatic to make a difference. Switching white potatoes for sweet potatoes, for example, will not only change up the flavor but will also punch up the amount of color in your diet. In addition, you don’t need to be a chef to add a few slices of tomato to your sandwich, a slice of red onion to your tuna salad, or even throw a few sliced raw veggies into a baggie!
ladnlins Flickr Photo (CC)
Further Reading:
Antioxidants: Fighting the Good Fight
Could Cocoa Improve Cognition?
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