Eat the Rainbow
Nutritional wellness is the practice of making healthy food choices, and educating ourselves on the physical and mental impact of food on our bodies and mind. A better understanding of what should ideally go on one’s plate helps build a happy, healthy and healing relationship with food.
A balanced plant-based diet can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Simply put, it’s a diet made of foods derived from plant sources. This includes fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, and meat substitutes such as soy.
‘Eat the Rainbow’ is an excellent way to inculcate good eating habits. Different coloured fruits and veggies have different nutrients. We can start by making different coloured meals throughout the day, and then aim to have more variety in every meal as well. The following table will help you understand the concept.
| COLOUR | NUTRIENT | BENEFITS | FOOD |
| Reds | Lycopene | Helps reduce breast and prostate cancer risk; boosts heart, brain, eye and bone health. | Beets, Raspberries, Cherries, Apples, Watermelon, Red Pepper, etc. |
| Greens | Chlorophyll | A powerful antioxidant that helps aid weight loss, boosts immunity and overall health. | Broccoli, Cabbage Spinach, Avocado, Cucumber, Grapes, etc. |
| White | Anthoxanthins | Help keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check. Aid heart and muscle health. | Cauliflower, Ginger, Garlic, Chickpeas, Radish, Potatoes, etc. |
| Yellow | Vitamin C | A strong antioxidant that strengthens immunity, and aids the production of collagen. Collagen is a protein that serves as the main building block for bones, skin, hair and more. | Mango, Lemon, Pineapple, Yellow Pepper, Corn, Banana, etc. |
| Orange | Beta carotene | Supports healthy vision, strengthens the immune system and helps reduce inflammation. | Papaya, Pumpkin, Carrots, Orange, Peaches, Sweet Potato, etc. |
| Purple | Anthocyanins | Contain anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Boost brain health, and help destroy free radicals. | Blueberries, Blackberries, Figs, Eggplant, Plums, Onion, etc. |
For example, in a day you can enjoy the greens (avocado, baby spinach) and the reds (cherry tomatoes, strawberries) in the morning. Followed by browns, yellow, and orange (breads, rice, bell peppers, sweet potato) for lunch. Try purple for your evening snack (blueberries, plums, black grapes), and then enjoy a white dinner (cauliflower, mushroom, garlic, chickpeas). You can consider these criteria to plan happy, and healthy meals:
- use local fresh produce (whatever is easily available in your part of the world)
- use seasonal produce
- include some foods which you enjoy eating
- include foods which your body might be deficient in
Portion Control
The quantity of food is as important as the quality of food. It’s great to enjoy a healthy bowl of salad or smoothie, but it doesn’t make sense to binge on it and stuff ourselves just because it’s ‘‘healthy’’. So, watch what you eat and watch how much you eat!
It’s always a good idea to leave the table a little hungry. Many cultures have rules that encourage you to stop eating before you get full.
In Japan, food is served on small plates and you stop when you are 80% full. In Germany, the popular eating sentiment is ‘tie off the sack before it’s full’. Some Islamic cultures also follow very similar rules. Ayurvedic science also favours easy eating. The rule is to eat till you’re half full. One-fourth of the stomach should be filled with water (to be drunk before the meal), half of the stomach should be filled with food, and the rest of the one-fourth with air.
Eat with Love
Traditionally, families always ate together. Meal times were fixed and sacred. They would gather around a table and not a TV set. Try to enjoy mealtimes as a way to connect with the people you love, and soon you’ll observe the happy, emotional effects of your healthy plate. If you live by yourself, then enjoy your meals in silence and not with a gadget.