- Nuts
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Legumes
- Spices
- Seeds
The compounds in these earthy coloured foods are anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. Additionally, like green foods, there are certain compounds that can assist with liver and hormone health.
Examples of white/tan/brown foods:
- Ginger
- Apples
- Cacao
- Onions
- Garlic
- Coffee
- Coconut
- Dates
- Mushrooms
- Nuts
- Beans
- Tea
Easy Ways To Eat Your Colours
Start by observing the colours you eat. Humans are creatures of habit. As such we generally tend to eat the same foods over and over again. This does our body a disservice.
In order to get more phytonutrients into your diet, you are going to have to mix things up! It has been estimated that 80% of people are missing one or more of the phytonutrient colours in their diet. Which sounds likely when you think that most people stick to eating processed foods that are brown, yellow, or white.
Think of a typical breakfast menu – waffles, pancakes, ready-to-eat cereal, sausage, and eggs. This doesn’t provide very many phytonutrients now, does it? Opting for a fruit smoothie with blueberries, peaches, raspberries and spinach would be way more beneficial. There’s four of the seven colours done for the day.
Click here for “Breakfast On The Go – Mixed Berry Smoothie” recipe.
Note: When implementing this way of eating, keep in mind that fruits contain sugar. Even though it’s a natural form of sugar, fruits can still spike insulin levels. As such, be sure to load your cart with heaps of colourful vegetables and just a few fruit.
Click here to read, “Is It Time To Stop Eating Fruit?”
Simple Ways To Jump Start A Phytonutrient Diet
First, make it your goal to try one new plant food (fruit, vegetable, nut, seed or legume) per week. Explore ethnic stores for greater variety. Second, stock up on organic frozen vegetables for easy cooking or organic berries as they tend to retain their phytonutrients well. Third, keep fruits and vegetables where you can see them. This will help you to remember to eat them.
Next, keep a bowl or container of fresh cut vegetables on the top shelf of refrigerator. Always within easy reach. If you must eat something sweet after dinner, choose a fruit for dessert (fruit kabobs, berry compotes, fruit salads, etc.) Have dishes with lots of vegetable variety (e.g., soups, stir-fry).
Try and choose darker vegetables over lighter to maximize nutrient content. Make the switch from mashed white potatoes to sliced carrots or mashed cauliflower. Also, toss in red pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, onions or broccoli to omelets.
You can also add rinds of oranges or lemons to your water. Try a little bit of every colour at a salad bar. Be generous with your use of herbs and spice. Devote some time at the start of your week to prepare your meals and recipes. This will make eating whole foods throughout the week so much easier!
Make It Easy!
To make things easier for myself, I re-arranged my fridge to emphasize the food colours. Forget separating fruits and vegetables. I now separate things by colour. It’s made preparing my meals and shakes so much easier. I open the fridge and grab at least one or two items from each group. It’s a good reminder to add variety to my dishes and it looks pretty!
It is also a great way to teach kids about the importance of healthy, colourful foods. Make them choose which colours they want to eat. Try making it into a little game. Have a colour chart that they can check off each day to make sure that they are eating all the colours of the rainbow.
Now go on, eat the rainbow. Your cells will thank you for it!