Monday, January 11, 2016

Eat the Rainbow

A good start to better nutrition is to add healthy options. “Eating the rainbow” isn't really a ticket on its own from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one, but it is a step in the right direction, especially considering the focus on fresh produce.

The first color in the rainbow is red: fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, pomegranates and apples; and vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, and red cabbage. Many red fruits and veggies are loaded with powerful, healthy antioxidants -- such as lycopene and anthocyanins -- that may do everything from fight heart disease and prostate cancer to decrease the risk for stroke and macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and older). Antioxidants soak up damaging free radicals. Lycopene-rich foods also have been shown to decrease symptoms of wheezing, asthma and shortness of breath in people when they exercise.

Flash frozen fruits and vegetables are budget friendly and preserve more nutrient than fresh produce that has spent time in trucks, warehouses and supermarkets. Canned and cooked tomatoes have more lycopene than fresh.


The entire rainbow in a list and some tips to engage the family. 

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