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A rainbow diet essentially means incorporating a colourful and vibrant array of fruits and vegetables into your diet to fulfil all your nutrition requirements. What the rainbow diet signifies is basically a plate full of diverse foods that work towards enhancing holistic wellness. The idea then is to balance different foods in every day meals instead of completely doing away with certain food groups altogether. The colours of the diverse fruits and veggies symbolise an assortment of nutritious foods that can have a tremendous impact on strengthening gut health, losing excess calories, warding off infection and boosting the body's disease-fighting abilities.
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Such a rainbow diet rich in fibrous foods and other nutrients also means lowered food cravings, quick feelings of satiety and reduced overstuffing which inadvertently contribute to maintaining a lean body and help in healthy fat loss. Sticking to a rainbow diet in every day meal plans is made easier by adding at least one or two different coloured fruits and veggies at every meal or during snack time.
These colourful veggies can be served raw or cooked with reduced spice content to extract maximum nutrition. Try to include as many colourful veggies and fruits in your diet over the week as possible for wholesome nourishment. Read on below for all the different colours that go into the rainbow diet and some of the fruits and veggies that can be part of your VIBGYOR plate:
Red
Foods with a vibrant red hue contain lycopene, an antioxidant that can boost the body's cancer-fighting response. The flavonoids in these foods reduce oxidative stress and help to curb free radical damage.
Add red foods to your meals with: tomatoes, watermelons, amaranth, cherries, red bell peppers.
Orange
Fruits and vegetables with orange hues are a rich source of beta carotene which is absorbed by the body to be converted into vitamin A. This helps to boost vision, keep cell damage at bay and lowers the risk of heart disease.
Add orange foods to your meals with: oranges, carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, grapefruit.
Yellow
Rich sources of electrolytes like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, foods with vibrant yellow hues can help to maintain pH levels in the body and protect the heart from issues like high blood pressure.
Add yellow foods to your meals with: bananas, lemons, mangoes, yellow peppers, yellow zucchini.
Green
Deep green hues of vegetables rich in fibres and antioxidants are markers of foods great for boosting gut health and for detoxification which cleanses the system of harmful bacteria. Incorporating green veggies into the diet can help to promote blood cell production and reduce the risks of age-related degeneration.
Add green foods to your meals with: broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, fenugreek, cabbage, cucumbers.
Purple
Add purple foods like beets to your diet for enhancing the response of neurotransmitters which in turn fortify brain function. Purple foods also help to boost the cardiovascular system and reduce a risk of age-related heart disorders.
Add purple to your meals with: beets, purple cabbage, figs, plums, raisins.
Blue And Indigo
Much like foods with a deep purple hue, blue-coloured fruits and vegetables are also rich in antioxidants and flavonoids that contain anti-inflammatory properties. This essentially helps to reduce tissue swelling by boosting the immune system's response to fight infection and harmful bacteria.
Add blue to your meals with: blueberries, grapes, raisins, seaweed, quinoa.
White And Brown
Although these colours may not be apparent in a rainbow, adding deep browns and near perfect white hues to your diet helps to strengthen the heart, boost gut health and provide the body with essential nutrients to improve muscle recovery and rejuvenation.
Add white and brown to your meals with: garlic, mushrooms, beans, potatoes, rice and brown rice.
