So what does colorful food have to do with diet anyway? One word: phytochemicals. These substances occur naturally only in plants and may provide health benefits beyond those that essential nutrients provide. Color (like what makes a blueberry so blue or a carrot so orange) , can indicate some of these substances, which are thought to work synergistically with vitamins, minerals, and fiber (all present in fruits and vegetables) in whole foods to promote good health and lower disease risk. According to information from the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), phytochemicals may act as antioxidants, protect and regenerate essential nutrients, and/or work to deactivate cancer-causing substances. So, including a rainbow of colored foods in your diet means you will benefit a variety of those nutrients and phytochemicals. Plant products are sources for phytochemicals of which there are thousands that have been identified. These chemicals are known to have disease-preventing properties, but the color of a food does not necessarily mean it contains one particular phytochemical class. Foods contain multiple phytochemicals, as well as vitamins and minerals, and it is not known how many other phytochemicals await to be identified and what functions they have with health.
Unfortunately, the average person is eating less than 5 servings per day of their broccoli, squash, oranges & blueberries, when it should be upward of 7 to 13 servings for most adults! Thus, missing out on the gold mine of disease preventing benefits that vegetables & fruit have to offer!! In conclusion........ pay as much attention to the number of colors on your plate as you do to the calories!
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