Eat a rainbow of foods for better health

Women and child working on cutting board

Nature offers vegetables and fruits in an incredible array of colors. There are the vivid reds of berries and beets, the brilliant yellows of squashes and citrus fruits and the deep purples of eggplant, cauliflower and cabbage. Finding your favorite color should be a breeze.

With the bold colors come important phytonutrients that give plants their rich hues, distinctive tastes and aromas.1

Phytonutrients strengthen a plant's immune system. They protect the plant from threats in its natural environment, such as disease and excessive sun.

When we eat plants, their phytonutrients also protect us. Research suggests that eating fruits and vegetables helps our immune systems protect us from many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers.1

Fruit and veg servings, daily

Rainbow nutrients

The more colors you eat, the better. Each hue offers different nutrients and benefits, so be generous when assembling the rainbow on your plate. And leave the skins on. In foods like apples, peaches, potatoes and eggplants, the skin contains beneficial nutrients and fiber.

Rainbow of vegetables with attributes

Improve your microbiome

Eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits helps keep your microbiome healthy. This collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your intestines influences your body’s physiology, metabolism, immunity and nutrition.3

Fruits and vegetables, especially the high-fiber ones, feed this organ and keep it healthy.

Fermented foods give your body probiotics and work to maintain the balance of the microflora in your digestive system. Consider naturally fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi as supercharged veggies and add them to your daily diet. Other probiotic foods with live active cultures include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, miso and some cheeses.4

Taste the rainbow in the following recipes. Your body will thank you.

Spicy pickled vegetables

 

These spicy pickles are inspired by escabeche, a cooking technique from the Mediterranean and Latin America.3 This quick fermentation method leaves the vegetables crispy. Feel free to substitute in your favorite veggies.

Makes 8 servings | Prep: 15 mins | Total: 3-5 days

Ingredients

  • 2 cups filtered water
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 jalapeño or a few small hot chilies, sliced
  • 1 large carrot cut into ¼-inch rounds
  • 2 cups chopped cauliflower or small cauliflower florets
  • 3 small celery stalks, cut into 1-inch sticks
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cabbage leaf, rinsed

Preparation

  • Warm the water. Stir in sea salt until it dissolves completely. Set aside to cool.
  • Add the vinegar just before using. This brine can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed glass jar on the counter to use when ready to pickle.
  • Set a quart-size canning jar in the sink and fill it with boiling water to sterilize.
  • Empty the jar and tightly pack the vegetables and bay leaf inside. Leave one to two inches from the top of the jar.
  • Pour the brine over the vegetables, stopping one inch from the top of the jar. Wedge the cabbage leaf over the top of the vegetables and tuck it around the edges to hold the vegetables beneath the liquid.
  • Set the jar on the counter and cover it with a fermentation lid. (Alternatively, use a standard lid. Loosen it a bit each day for the first few days, then every other day, to allow gasses to escape.)
  • Let pickle for three to five days, depending on the indoor temperature.
  • Check the taste after a couple of days using clean utensils. Vegetables will pickle faster in warmer rooms. Make sure the vegetables stay packed beneath the level of the liquid. Add salted water (two tsp sea salt dissolved in one cup warm water) as needed.
  • When the vegetables are pickled to your liking, seal the jar with a regular lid and refrigerate. Vegetables will continue to slowly pickle in the refrigerator.
  • Taste for saltiness before serving and, if desired, rinse gently to remove excess salt. They will keep for about one month.

Nutrition

Serving size: 1/8 of container

Calories: 12 | total fat: 0 g | saturated fat: 0 g | sodium: 707 mg | cholesterol: 0 mg | total carbs: 2 g | fiber: 1 g | sugars: 1 g | protein: 0 g | potassium: 135 mg

Korean avocado kimchi salad cups

This handheld salad offers the double benefit of fermented vegetables and good fats in one delicious bite.5 If you’re looking for more protein, add shredded chicken, salmon, tofu cubes or edamame.

Makes 8 servings | Prep: 15 min

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados (diced)
  • 2 cups kimchi, prepared
  • 1 large head butter (bibb) lettuce, leaves separated
  • 1 large carrot (grated)
  • 1 cup red cabbage (shredded)
  • 2 green onions (sliced)
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 lemon (quartered)

Preparation

  • In a medium bowl, mix the diced avocado, kimchi and carrot.
  • To serve, top butter lettuce leaves with avocado-kimchi mixture.
  • Top with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve with lemon wedge.

Nutrition

Serving size: ½ cup

Calories: 65 | total fat: 4 g | saturated fat: 0 g | sodium: 200 mg | cholesterol: 0 mg | total carbs: 5 g | fiber: 3 g | sugars: 1 g | protein: 1 g | potassium: 292 mg

Get your personal meal plan today

Did you know June is Pride Month? Celebrate your LGBTQ+ friends by toasting them with rainbow sangria. Click here for a delicious recipe.

1https://fruitsandveggies.org/stories/what-are-phytochemicals/
2https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/add-color/fruits-and-vegetables-serving-sizes
3https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fermented-foods-for-better-gut-health-2018051613841
4https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/prebiotics-understanding-their-role-in-gut-health
5https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/hcm-korean-avocado-kimchi-salad-cups

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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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