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Colour yourself healthy

 Colour yourself healthy

When talking fruit and veg, the government advises that we eat ‘Five a Day’. That’s certainly a good start, but if I was the Prime Minister I’d change that to ‘Five Colours a Day’. That way we’d hopefully find ourselves eating more than five different kinds of fruit and vegetables daily, but it would mean we’d also benefit from the additional health-promoting properties of eating naturally pigmented food.

 

Natural food pigments, known technically as carotenoids, are one kind of an important class of disease-fighting biochemicals with a very suitable (but coincidental) name: phytochemicals! Acting as antioxidants and immune response boosters, these chemicals are believed to be very important in providing protection against cancer and heart disease.

 

Listed below are some commonly available colourful fruit and vegetables and some of the benefits associated with their pigments.

 

 

 

Pigmented Fruit & Vegetables

Benefits

Red

Beetroot, cranberries, pomegranate, tomatoes

These foods are a source of Vitamin A and the antioxidant lycopene.

Yellow / White

Parsnips, turnip, celeriac, chestnuts, garlic

These foods are a good immune boosters and sources of calcium and iron.

Green

Cabbage, pears, leeks, Brussels’ sprouts

These contain chlorophyll, which is very important in cleansing the blood.

Orange

Butternut squash, pumpkin, oranges, swede, peaches

These are great sources of vitamins A and C.

Blue / Purple

Blackberries, blueberries, aubergine, ‘red’ cabbage

These foods provide folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C.

 

 

If you’d like to try an exceptionally colourful, extremely health-promoting recipe, you’ll just love the following one for Roasted Vegetables.

 

Ingredients

 

Garlic

1 clove

Rosemary

1 large sprig

Olive oil

2 tablespoons

Parsnips

x2

Chestnuts

x8

Leeks

x1

Butternut squash

x1

Carrots

x2

Potatoes

x4

Red onion

x2 (cut into eighths)

Orange

Grated zest

Ginger

½ teaspoon, grated

 

Directions

 

Cut all vegetables into chip-sized pieces and place in a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, crushed garlic, rosemary, orange zest and grated ginger. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180ËšC to 200ËšC and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

 

If you’d prefer the convenience of using Nutrichef’s award-winning sports training or diet meal delivery service, then book your meal plan today – you’ll soon be savouring the wide range of colourful and nutritious ingredients in your meals!

 

Copyright © 2004-2009 Nutrichef Limited

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