Republic Day: Nutrient-Dense Tricolour Foods You Must Add To Your Diet

A rainbow diet is a popular concept that can offer multiple nutrients. Adding different colours to your diet not only makes it visually appealing but also adds a wide variety of essential nutrients. Fresh fruits and vegetables are best colourful choices to add to your diet. On the occasion of Republic Day 2020, here are some healthy tricolour foods you should be consuming. On this day one should also take a step ahead for their healthy and fit lifestyle and free themselves from bad habits and practices, which take a toll on their health. Therefore, add the goodness of tricolour foods in your diet that are loaded with essential nutrients.

Tricolour foods you should add to diet

1. Orange

The orange colour of food consists of a powerful antioxidant beta carotene, which is essential for healthy skin, hair and vision. Hence, it is important to have some orange food on your plate every day to maintain the balance of beta carotene in your body. Orange colour food that one can add on their daily diet are:

Pumpkin

The famous 'Halloween' food Pumpkin is loaded with antioxidant lutein, vitamin C, vitamin E, and iron, which helps in strengthening the immune system and plays a major role in keeping the skin and eyes healthy.

Apricots

Apricots are rich in fibre as well as potassium which protect the body against life-threatening illness such as diabetes and heart disease.

Also read: Dried Apricots Can Be Your Healthy Snack This Winter: 5 Health Benefits You Cannot Afford To Miss

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is a juicy food item related to watermelon and honeydew melon. These food items are an excellent source of Vitamin A and C that keeps the body hydrated and balances body fluids.

Carrots

Widely used and consumed as a salad, carrot is a low calorie vegetable which is sweet to taste. This veggie lowers the cholesterol level in the body and improves the eye health. Besides this, it is also weight loss friendly food and hence, one can grab a carrot whenever hungry!

Carrots are loaded with vitamin A that is beneficial to your eyes
Photo Credit: iStock

Oranges

Being a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant beta-cryptoxanthin, oranges protects the cells from damage. This citrus fruit is full of fibre and fulling for the human gut.

Sweet potatoes

This veggie is full of vitamin A and C as well as potassium and is surely a 'health' food.

2. White

Although a plate full of colourful veggies tempt our taste buds, food items that are not so colourful also have quiet an importance in our diets. Following are the white diet that might not be as tempting, but holds a major importance in maintaining a healthy body:

Mushroom

The antioxidant level and Vitamin D content in mushrooms boosts the immunity and lessen the risk of developing serious health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower has many similarities to its other colourful cruciferous cousin, broccoli. These cruciferous vegetables are the largest source of phenolic compounds in the human diet.

Also read: Cabbage Health Benefits: Boost Immunity, Control Blood And Much More With This Winter Vegetable

Oatmeal

The perfect breakfast that makes one feel full for a long time is oatmeal. Oats consist of the soluble fibre that binds the bad cholesterol and keeps heart diseases at bay.

Milk

Milk is the best source of proteins containing all the essential amino acids required for the healthy body. Along with this, tryptophan in milk causes the secretion of brain chemicals serotonin and melatonin that induce a sound sleep. Besides this, calcium and magnesium in it have a calming effect on muscles.

Milk is a powerful source of calcium and protein
Photo Credit: iStock

Tofu

Tofu is a good source of proteins and contains all the essential amino acids, which not only helps to cut down the cholesterol level of the body but also decreases the risk of cancer.

3. Green

Green coloured fruits and veggie are full of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant compounds that help the body to fight diseases). Green food one must include in their daily diet are:

Peas

Good things come in small packages, and peas are perfect example to it. Pea is a protein rich food and a good source of iron and zinc that helps reducing inflammation and lowers the risk of chronic health conditions.

Kiwi

This bright green gem is one of the richest source of vitamin C, has phytochemicals lutein, and anthocyanin that provides immunity to the body to fight with diseases.

Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables such as Kale, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, etc. are low in calories and fat, but a rich source of vitamin C and K, dietary fibre, and folate. Such veggies reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and mental decline.

Green leafy vegetables offer you a wide variety of nutrients
Photo Credit: iStock

Grapes

Green grapes are excellent source of antioxidants and are packed with flavonols that plays a crucial role in preventing cell damage.

Also read: Grape Juice Health Benefits: Fight Skin Issues, High Blood Pressure, Weak Immunity And Much More With Grape Juice

Beans

Beans are proven to have anti-cancer properties due to the chlorophyll content in it. It serves to be a good source of iron, folic acid, and vitamin K in them which also promotes bone health.

(Garima Goyal is a Ludhiana-based Dietician)

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