Red, purple, green, yellow, pink, white - colorful beautiful food

It was a pleasant Tuesday morning, the sun was shining. The aroma of hot tea brewed in the morning filled my clinic room, giving me a very comfortable feeling. As I looked at the list of daily patients, I saw Nimali's name. Nimali is a housewife who always cares about the health and nutrition of her family and often comes to me for advice.

Nimali came into the clinic with her usual smile, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes. She sat down in the chair in front of me, her small notebook in her hand.

"Good morning, Doctor Priya," she said slowly. "I'm trying my best to feed our family nutritious meals these days. But it's not easy, Doctor. The children think all kinds of food are boring. I'm also tired of cooking the same thing every day."

I smiled and reassured her and said, "Nimali, this is a problem that many parents face, not just you. But a healthy diet does not mean boring food. We can make colorful, tasty, and attractive dishes and encourage children to eat them. Today, we will talk about how to prepare a rainbow meal (Eat the Rainbow) filled with the colors of a rainbow."

Why is a healthy diet important to us?

Eating a healthy diet is not just about protecting against disease. It provides our body with the real energy it needs on a daily basis. Proper nutrition increases activity throughout the day, mental clarity, and mental well-being.

"Nimali, remember. A healthy diet is not about starving yourself by restricting foods. It's just about choosing delicious and nutritious foods that suit our bodies," I explained.

Five servings of fruits and vegetables a day (5 A Day)

The World Health Organization (WHO) and medical experts recommend that we include at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (about 400 grams) in our diet every day for a healthy life.

Nimali's eyes widened in surprise and she asked. "Five times? That seems a bit much, doesn't it, Doctor?"

"It may seem like that at first glance, but it's actually quite easy if we plan it," I said. The fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help destroy free radicals in the body that cause chronic disease.

Here are some simple ways to complete 5 daily portions:

• Fruit for breakfast: Add a piece of banana, papaya, or guava to your breakfast.
• Healthy Snacks: Instead of sugary drinks or biscuits in the afternoon or evening, eat some cucumber slices, pineapple, or a piece of papaya.
• Main course: Add a leafy green like gotu kola, kankung, or a fresh vegetable salad to your lunch.
• Diversify your diet: Instead of just one vegetable, prepare several types of vegetables, such as beans and carrots, along with lentils.

🌈 The colors of the rainbow and their benefits (Eat the Rainbow)

The different colors of the foods we eat indicate the different nutrients they contain (Phytonutrients):

1. Blue & Purple

• Food: Purple eggplant, purple beans, jamun, purple grapes, blueberries.
• Properties: Improves brain memory, prevents urinary tract infections, and reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer.

2. Green

• Food: Gotu Kola, spinach, bok choy, bok choy, beans, broccoli.
• Properties: Improves eyesight, strengthens bones and teeth, and strengthens the immune system against diseases.

3. White

• Food: White onion, red onion, bitter gourd, kohlrabi, banana, mushroom, radish.
• Properties: Controls bad cholesterol levels in the blood, improves heart function, and helps control blood pressure.

4. Red

• Food: Tomatoes, watermelon, red apples, strawberries.
• Benefits: Protects skin health, promotes heart health, and prevents memory loss.

5. Yellow & Orange

• Food: Carrots, pumpkin, yellow sweet potatoes, mango, papaya, oranges, pineapple.
• Properties: Rich in vitamin A, it prevents night blindness, brightens the skin, and helps repair body cells.

🚨 Red Flags of diseases that may be caused by long-term unhealthy eating patterns

Lack of proper nutrition and excessive consumption of artificial foods can lead to the following serious health conditions in the long term:

• Obesity: Abnormal increase in body weight due to high-calorie and sugary foods.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Impaired insulin function in the body due to poor diet and lack of exercise.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NASH): Liver failure due to excessive fat accumulation in the liver due to poor diet, even in the absence of alcohol consumption.
• Heart disease and high blood pressure: Blockage of blood vessels due to increased harmful fat and salt in the body.

Reading Food Labels

Nimali, if we get into the habit of reading the labels on the packaged foods we buy from the store, we can make healthy choices:

1. Serving Size: First, check to see if the nutritional information on the package is for the entire package or for one serving.
2. Calories: Check the amount of calories your body receives from a single meal.
3.Fat Content:

• Low Fat: There should be 3 grams or less per 100 grams.
• High Fat: Avoid using it if it contains more than 17.5 grams per 100 grams.

4. Sodium Levels: Consuming more than 2000 milligrams of sodium per day is harmful to the body. Choose products with a sodium content of less than 0.3 grams per 100 grams on the label.
5. Added Sugars: Choose products with the lowest amount of added sugar, as this is the most harmful factor for the body.

Do's & Don'ts

Scientific sources (References)

• 📚 5 A Day - NHS
• 📚 Should We 'Eat a Rainbow'? An Umbrella Review of the Health Effects of Colorful Bioactive Pigments in Fruits and Vegetables - PMC