Rainbow foods - Adding colours to your meals

To get enough amount of micronutrients, it's important to pay more attention to the choices of the foods you make by simply adding colours to your meals.

Healthy foods rich in water soluble and fat soluble vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

Eating all of the colours of the rainbow is an easy guide to achieving that..The more colours the better the variety of different phytochemicals and phytonutrients."

Phytochemicals and phytonutrients are substances produced by plants that are highly beneficial to the body. The benefits of eating foods rich in phytonutrients includes lowering rates of heart disease and cancer.

Vegetables also provide fibre, which helps prevent constipation and keeps cholesterol levels controlled.

1. Purple or Blue.

Kale has dark green leaves, but many varieties have purple .

A cup of kale gives all of your daily requirements of vitamin A, C, and K. Kale is also a good source of calcium and potassium. Calcium helps to maintain bone strength and potassium assists in the control of blood pressure.

Other vegetables that come in purple or blue varieties, are eggplant, cauliflower, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, asparagus, turnips and carrots.

2. Green

Many green vegetables are rich in the phyto-chemicals sulforaphane, isocyanate, and indoles.

A cup of cooked Swiss chard gives enough daily requirements for vitamin A and K, and half of your daily vitamin C. It is also rich in magnesium. A good source of iron, potassium, calcium, and Fibre.

Other green vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, bok choy, broccolini, salad greens, sprouts, and collards.

3. Orange or Yellow

Orange, yellow fruits and vegetables get their colours from the antioxidants alpha- and beta-carotene.

One medium baked sweet potato gives all the vitamin A you need for the day. It also has vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, iron, and potassium. Sweet potatoes are richer than bananas in potassium, which keeps blood pressure under control if you are hypertensive.

Other vegetables that come in orange or yellow include carrots, yellow and orange peppers, also different varieties of squash and pumpkins

4. Red

The phytonutrient in tomatoes is lycopene, the pigment found in red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables.

A cup of cooked tomatoes provides your daily vitamin C and chunk of your vitamin A. Also a good source of potassium and iron.

Some other vegetables that come in red varieties include beets, red peppers, radishes, red onions, and red lettuces.

5. White or Light Green

Parsnip, a root vegetable, has more nutrients than onions. White fruits and vegetables contain compounds called flavonoids, such as quercetin, kaempferol and anthoxanthins, which have health benefits.

A cup of parsnips provides about a quarter of your daily fibre, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Also contains potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and B, as well as calcium and more minerals.

Other vegetables that come in white varieties include garlic, onions, leeks, celery, asparagus, kohlrabi, radishes, Napa cabbage, turnips, squash, and fennel.

Changing your eating habits and making healthier nutritious and delicious food choices will save you from diseases and ill health.