By Carin Clegg, Accredited Practising Dietitian
We know eating a range of foods gives us the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need. But, did you know that the colour in foods offers additional positive functional effects when we eat them. Let’s look at the rainbow of colours.
Red, orange and yellow pigments give us carotenoids such as betacarotene, beta cryptothanxin and lutein. Betacarotene converts to vitamin A, helping to maintain healthy mucous membranes and healthy eyes. Lutein prevents cataracts and age–related macular degeneration. These pigments also support intracellular communication, growth, development, immune response and have anti–cancer and anti–inflammatory properties.
Lycopene, the red pigment, is a powerful antioxidant, reducing our risk of cancer and keeping our heart healthy.
Green provides sulforaphane, isothiocyanates, indoles and carotenoids, providing anti–cancer properties. Chlorophyl has been shown to reduce allergic rhinitis. We all know our green leafy salads are a great source of folate, important for DNA.
Blue and purple are anthocynans, powerful antioxidants, delays cellular ageing, protect cells from damage and can help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.
White and brown provide the antioxidants quercetin, kaempferol and allicin, the latter in the onion family providing antiviral and antibacterial in addition to anti–cancer properties.
Most of us fall short of the recommended 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit daily for optimal health. There are many reasons for this:
Learning to eat fruit and vegetables as a child is not easy.
- Fruit and veggies come in lots of different varieties with varying colours. They can be made into a huge variety of shapes and sizes with varying textures and tastes, which also change depending on the season, when it was picked and how ripe it is.
- As children, with a short eating experience, we tend to prefer a limited range of foods, very much in contrast to our ‘foodie culture’ today and how our grandparents grew up eating.
- It can take over 14 exposures to learn to like a new food when it is presented in exactly, the same way. If prepared in different ways i.e. cooked, raw, cut up or grated, they can appear to be a totally different foods with a different taste, texture and eating experience.
- Vegetables are physically difficult to eat. The tough fibres need good jaw strength to grind them down during the eating process. From 3 years old we develop this good jaw strength, to help us eat vegetables better.
Vegetables are often thought of a dinner time food.
- At the end of a hard day of play or school having the concentration, let alone energy to eat something a bit unfamiliar can be difficult.
Fruit and vegetables are not advertised as much as other non–nutritious foods
- I think, if the amount of product research and money went into promoting fresh wholesome fruit and vegetables, we might not even know what diabetes or eating disorders are.
- Our relationship with fruit and vegetables needs to change.
Cost
- We all know eating seasonally is cheaper.
- There are many produce delivery boxes available at reasonable prices and some of them even help to reduce food waste: Box Divy, Good and Fugly, Farmer’s Pick.
- Grow your own: Get inspired from your local community garden, Permaculture Central Coast, and even the Edible Garden Trail.
Time consuming
- Yes, cooking vegetables can be time consuming, but prioritising your time and sharing the workload helps.
- Building a good relationship with vegetables, such as growing your own or buying from a farmer’s market, makes the experience totally different and the effort worth it.
Eat a rainbow over your whole day
Breakfast
- Top toast with tomato, avocado, baked beans, hommus or a veggie dip.
- Add a side to eggs with leek, capsicum, zucchini or asparagus.
- Try a Spanish omelette with peas, corn, mushrooms and onion.
- Add berries to your cereal or porridge.
Snacks
- Sticks and dips. There are so many fantastic vegetable dips to choose from. Match them with sticks of carrot, beetroot, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower florets or stalks of different coloured capsicum.
- Try corn on the cob or roasted chickpeas.
Lunch and dinner
- Offer at least 3 different types of vegetables. Offering more variety will increase exposure and bump up the range accepted over time.
- Place food in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves.
- Cook veggies in bulk for a few days of eating.
- Opt for soft cooked vegetables or soup if it has been a big day and energy levels are low.
- Offer fruit in addition to vegetables at meal times.
Add more colour to your day with a rainbow of foods and feel happy, healthy and vibrant!
Carin Clegg is the Director of Bright Diets, is a Paediatric Dietitian and Fitness Professional with an interest in sustainability. Carin wants everyone to be clever about their eating to feel happy, healthy and vibrant! Reach out at 0413 77 44 11, www.brightdiets.com.au or on the socials.