How Colorful is Your Plate? (part 3 of 5)

Now moving on to a color that not only provides amazing health benefits, but it can be used in many ways to create healthy meals (and tasty treats to satisfy your sweet tooth!) You can find blue and Purple foods almost anywhere, but watch out for the artificial color and flavor! It's best to stick with natural food when it comes to decorating your plate with color.

What's in blue and purple foods?
Anthocyanin: very powerful antioxidants that can suppress the growth of tumors.
Flavonoids: they play a big role in cancer prevention, can help reverse short-term memory loss, and also helps improve motor skills.

What kind of foods have these benefits?

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Dried plums/prunes
• Raisins
• Purple cabbage
• Eggplant
• Purple potatoes

Try incorporating these foods into your daily meals! mixing blueberries into your oatmeal in the morning, mixing in purple cabbage with regular lettuce... you can't go wrong with these delicious fruits and vegetables!

How Colorful is Your Plate?

If you like to decorate your meal with bright foods (and who doesn't?!), chances are you are receiving plenty of nutrients that provide some great health benefits! There are 5 groups of 'colors'... I'll give you the first one today and list the benefits, the actual food, AND easy ways you can prepare them!

What's In YELLOW and ORANGE foods?
beta-carotene! this nutrient is responsible for giving certain foods their bright colors. alpha-carotene is also present in these colorful and tasty foods....your body converts these nutrients into vitamin A!

Why is Vitamin A important?
Vitamin A maintains the linings of your organs (eyes, respiratory tract, urinary tract, intestinal tract). Bacteria has a difficult time growing when these tissues are healthy, and it prevents viruses from attacking your body!

Diets rich in alpha- and beta-carotenes have been linked to lower risks of certain types of cancer... and best of all?

They may help slow the aging process! These orange and yellow foods get MY vote for sure! Below is a list of common foods that may be the real fountain of youth!

• Cantaloupe
• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Mangoes
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Peaches
• Bananas
• Butternut squash
• Yellow peppers
• Yellow summer squash
• Yellow wax beans

For an easy summer snack, cut up some fruit and keep in in the refrigerator- where you have access to it all the time. You can also cut up yellow peppers to make a nice topping for any salad!

Check Back Soon for the Next Color and Benefits!