Color Your Diet with Fruits and Vegetables
So you want to start eating “healthy” & “clean?” Do you know where to start? What should you include in your diet? What should you start limiting? Are you ready for the change that occurs with altering your eating habits? Clean up your diet by using this Fruit and Vegetable Guide to assist you with your next meal prep! Below is a quick guide to start cleaning up your diet and lead to a healthier you.
Eat your Fruits and Vegetables!
Fruits and Vegetables
I’m sure you’ve heard this time and time again growing up, but it’s true, Fruits and Vegetables are important. But why? Because they are full of PHYTONUTRIENTS (vitamins & minerals in plants) that help your body function & fight disease. Being deficient in a vitamin and/or mineral can lead to many different symptoms such fatigue, pale skin tone, chipping nails, weakness, cramps, etc (1).
It’s safe to assume that no one wants to feel less than spectacular due to a deficiency, so let’s make the change in our daily habits and eat more veggies & fruits!
Where to begin? Well, Fruits and Vegetables all come in a variety of colors. Each color is an indicator of the certain phytonutrients that are present. The different groups of colors are green, red, yellow & orange, purple & blue, and white.
Your goal: Eat at least 1 cup of Fruits and Vegetables from each color every day.
Colorful Fruits and Vegetables
If you eat 1 cup from each color group, you would be getting 5 servings of fruits/veggies! While everyone needs a different amount of vegetables and fruits depending on their size, physical activity, age, and sex...it’s an awesome start.
If you want to know how many servings you should be eating for your unique self, click here.
Examples of Fruits & Vegetables for each color group:
Green: broccoli, green beans, parsley, spinach, sugar snap peas, brussels sprouts, and kale
Red: tomato, red cabbage, grapefruit, cherries, walnuts, chili powder, and watermelon
Yellow&Orange: mango, squash, sweet potato, yellow/orange pepper, turmeric, and pineapple
Purple &Blue: Blueberries, cocoa, eggplant, wine, strawberries, grapes, and peanuts
White: garlic, onions, parsnips, coconut, black tea, green tea, and apples.
Fruits and Vegetables
Ways to include at least a cup of each color to your day:
Green:
Make a salad with a type(s) of leaf - kale, spinach, arugula, collard, romaine.
Recipe: Grilled Steak Salad
For a fresh snack, chop up some broccoli or a cup of sugar snap peas.
Red:
Chop up some red cabbage, tomato, red onion and add it to your salad mix
Chop up some tomato, red onion, & some other veggies (from other colored groups) with some eggs for breakfast...and then sprinkle with some chili powder.
Make chili
Yellow&orange:
sweet potato fries
Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole
fruit salad with pineapple, mango, orange
Smoothie with pineapple, mango, orange, carrot (I promise you won’t taste the carrots)
Breakfast skillet: sweet potato, red/yellow pepper, yellow onion
Purple &blue:
Fruit salad or smoothie: blueberries, strawberries...and fruits/veggies from other color groups
Recipe: Berry Parfait Yogurt Popsicle
Recipe: Chocolate Malt Oatmeal Smoothie
Add blueberries to oatmeal
Drink a glass of wine with dinner
Roast some eggplant with a variety of other veggies
Eat a handful of peanuts for a snack
White:
Add garlic to a pan and sautee it with some onion & mushrooms - eat it with some steak (yum!)
Mix up your coffee and drink some tea
Mashed pasnips
Snack on apples
These are just a few ways to include each of the color groups into your daily eating and there are plenty more. Just remember, the more the colorful the better!
Consult your trainer for more information that is specific to your fitness goals, routine, and body!