Eat Colorful Foods

A simple, tasty and healthy way to increase the nutritional value of the foods you eat is to Eat Colorful Foods.  Eat foods that are rich in dark color (think fruits that stain your fingers like cherries).  Mostly the colorful foods are found in the category of fruits and veggies.

The average American diet is pretty rich in Brown, White and Yellowish foods.  We eat a ton of potatoes (white originally, brown now that we consume them primarily in fried form), Apples and Bananas (white, skin color doesn't count, just the color of the fruit inside the skin), Cheese (White or Yellowish, the orange cheese is dyed, so that doesn't count), meats (typically brown or white, especially when fried).  Rice (brown or white). Take a look at your food choices today.  Are they bland (Brown, White and Yellow) or are they colorful?  You may be surprised by what you find.

Generally speaking the more colorful a fruit or veggie is the higher it is in antioxidants.  Antioxidants are highly critical in maintaining and growing a healthy lifestyle.  I won't bore myself (or you) with a science lesson here, but you can do research on the importance of eating a diet high in antioxidants.  Basically, your body is oxidizing (just sounds not good, it simply means aging or wearing out) and these antioxidants provide a defense against this process.  Vitamins and minerals are also much more likely to be found in higher concentrations in darker, more colorful foods.

Typically the more color the foods have the more antioxidants they provide.  It can be very beneficial to look at some swaps and upgrades when it comes to adding antioxidants into your diet.  Here a few that I try to take advantage of when picking out foods:

Green Tea instead of Black Tea
Spinach or Garden Lettuce instead of Ice Berg Lettuce
Whole Wheat/Grain Bread instead of White Bread
Berries (which are all packed with antioxidants) instead of a Banana
Pomegranate Juice instead of Apple or Orange
Red or Yellow Peppers instead of Green Peppers

These are just a few of the possibilities that I have tried to incorporate in my overall, healthier eating plan.  You can pick just one or two to start and see how it goes. Be aware that almost every swap above comes with a higher price tag.  These swaps will cost you more money in the short term, but will likely have very positive long-term effects on your health and therefore your wallet.

***Disclaimer - Before you get too excited and carried away with the colorful food, please remember to consider that this rule only applies to natural, undyed and  unprocessed foods.  Skittles, Reese's Pieces, Lucky Charms and Starburst Candies DO NOT count towards eating a more colorful diet.