The goal of a rainbow diet is to consciously incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Although colours do not necessarily impact us directly, it is an attempt to diversify what we eat.
A rainbow diet is full of nutrients and has many health benefits
A rainbow diet as the name suggests is a diet that includes a colourful array of foods. The goal of a rainbow diet is to consciously incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Although colourfulness does not necessarily impact us directly, it is an attempt to diversify what we eat. Most junk foods and processed foods lack these colours as they oftentimes do not contain fruits or vegetables altogether. In this article, we must discuss how can design a rainbow diet for ourselves and the various benefits of a rainbow diet.
How to design a rainbow diet
Although the name suggests a rainbow looking diet, there is no hard and fast rule on your diet always containing 7 colours of the rainbow. In fact, the benefits you gain from one colour might be very different based on what fruit or vegetable you are eating. The goal is to incorporate as many fruits and vegetables as you can. Here's how you can design a rainbow diet:
- Red: Red is a very common colour in everyday fruits and vegetables. Some of the examples of easily available red vegetables are tomatoes, red bell peppers, beetroot, sweet potato, red cabbage, red radish, and red chillies. A combination of just 2-to 3 of these vegetables a day can provide you with various nutrients and antioxidants such as vitamins, iron, lycopene, manganese, and so on. Some examples of red coloured fruits are strawberries, watermelon, plum, raspberry, apples, cherries, pomegranate, and so on. These fruits also provide us with the above-discussed nutrients along with fibre and ample hydration.
- Green: Green-coloured vegetables are another popularly consumed vegetable, especially in Indian cuisine. Some of the most common green coloured vegetables are spinach, broccoli, peas, green beans, kale, cabbage, capsicum, cucumber, coriander, avocados, lettuce and so on. Many of these vegetables are cruciferous vegetables. Means, they belong to the same family of vegetables and are often very high in iron. An iron-rich diet helps us maintain adequate levels of haemoglobin in our bodies among many other benefits. They are also considered among the most nutritious vegetables. Along with these, you can also incorporate some green fruits into your diets such as pears, kiwi, green apple, green grapes, guavas, and many more.
- Yellow: Incorporating yellow foods into your diet increases their nutritious value and also gives a vibrant and bright colour to your diet. Some of the common yellow vegetables include yellow bell peppers, corn, lemon, squash, and many more. Along with these, some of the yellow-coloured fruits you can add to your diet are bananas, pineapple, mango, papaya, yellow pear, passionfruit, etc. These fruits and vegetables are high in potassium, vitamins, and better your body's ability to digest food.
- Blue/Purple: This group of fruits and vegetables gives a dark hue to your diet and is also a very nutritious addition to your diet. Some of the more common purple vegetables are eggplant (brinjal), onions, purple cabbage, red leaf lettuce, purple cauliflower, etc. A few examples of purple/blue-coloured fruits are blueberry, blackberry, purple grapes, raisins, and so on. Although eggplant and onions are the only commonly available and consumed purple vegetables, you can try incorporating onions into your diet. Onions are considered a superfood which means, it has a great nutritional value.
- Orange: Just like red fruits and vegetables, most orange fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants. Some of the most common orange-coloured vegetables are orange bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, etc. Along with these, some orange-coloured fruits you can incorporate into your diet are oranges, apricots, peaches, cantaloupe, and so on. They are a great source of vitamins, antioxidants and other helpful nutrients.
- White: Finally, the last colour group in the rainbow diet is white. Although white is not a colour found in the rainbow, it is an essential part of the rainbow diet. One of the most prominently consumed white vegetables is garlic. Garlic is another superfood and is full of nutrients and antioxidants. It has an endless list of benefits for the body and is also commonly used as a flavouring in Indian cuisine. Some of the other white vegetables are mushrooms (although is not exactly vegetable), onions, cauliflower, radish, and so on. Along with this, some of the common white fruits are coconut, litchi, etc.
Benefits of a rainbow diet
- Helps avoid junk food
- Helps avoid processed foods
- Adds ample nutrients to your diet
- Provides antioxidants
- Boosts weight loss
Following a rainbow, diet is a great way to incorporate various fruits and vegetables into your diet. This will help you widen your food choices along with providing you with a variety of nutrients, minerals and antioxidants.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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