You may have heard nutritionists say it’s important to eat a rainbow of foods. That’s because the colours in fruits and vegetables are not just there to make the fruit look pretty. From bright red tomatoes and green beans to purple brinjal and yellow, each vibrant colour in food is also a signal it contains a particular nutrient with health benefits.
So that rojak recipe you love is not just tasty, it’s a healthier snack because it contains a range of colourful fruit and vegetables, from red jambu merah to green slices of cucumbers and yellow pineapple pieces.
Other colourful food that are good for you include tomatoes and red peppers, which get their bright red colour from the lycopene phytochemical or natural plant chemical. It tastes good, but lycopene may also help to protect you from heart disease.
Purple is often a sign of nutrients called anthocyanins. Like other phytonutrients, these help protect your cells from damage that can lead to illness and disease. Dark green leafy vegetables are very high in phytochemicals such as vitamin C and carotenoids, which help protect against cancer, plus lutein to help protect your eyes and skin from sun damage.
Plus, eating such pretty fruit and vegetables makes dining more enjoyable, so you are less likely to mindlessly overeat. You may find you lose a few kilos without struggling and feeling hungry all the time.
So to keep your family healthy, it’s important that you eat a rainbow every week.
If your kids are picky eaters, start small. Try adding a few extra spoonfuls of yellow sweetcorn, green peas, and chopped orange carrots to their favourite stirfried rice to turn it into rainbow rice. Or add extra brinjal or long beans, Jicama or carrots to their chicken curry. If they are more adventurous eaters, here are delicious and very easy rainbow diet dishes (with an Asian twist) that everyone in the family will enjoy.