Saturday, June 30, 2012

It's all in the COLOR!!!!

Do you ever wonder why certain foods are certain colors???????  Well, here's the 4-1-1 on what the colors mean and how they affect your nutrition choices!!

Orange and yellow foods- apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mango, papaya, peaches, oranges, pineapple, lemons, tangerines, yellow peppers, pumpkin, butternut squash, and carrots

The color comes from carotenoids, which helps boost your immune system, help you maintain sharper vision, and lower your risk of cancer.

 

Red foods- red berries, red grapefruit, watermelon, red apples, red peppers, pomegranates, beets, radicchio, red cabbage, and tomatoes

The color in red foods comes from Lycopene and Anthocyanins.  These boost heart health, increase memory capacity, keep your urinary tract clean, and lowers risk for some cancers.



Green foods- green apples, honeydew melon, green grapes, kiwi, lime, pears, avocado, asparagus, arugula, artichokes, broccoli, broccoli rabe, kale, collard greens, green peppers, green beans, lettuce, cucumbers, spinach, zucchini, and green cabbage

These foods contain lutein and indoles, which help to maintain bone strength and eye health, as well as provides many minerals and vitamins.



Blue and purple foods- blackberries, blueberries, plums, grapes, raisins, eggplant, purple potatoes, and purple asparagus

These help keep you looking younger by providing anthocyanins and phenolics to your body.



Brown and White foods- bananas, dates, cauliflower, garlic, onion, mushrooms, ginger, parsnips, potatoes, shallots, and turnips

These contain phytonutrient allicin, which has been known to help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.



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CHALLENGE:

For dinner one night this week, try to eat food from each of the categories above!!  Take a picture and post it so we can see!!!

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