SPECTRUM (aka EAT A RAINBOW)

Why is it important to eat different-coloured fruits and vegetables?  An increasing body of scientific research suggests that various compounds such as antioxidants, flavonoids, etc. may play an important part in your body's ability to withstand the various potentially harmful effects of our modern lifestyle.  In particular the risk of contracting many of the so called 'lifestyle diseases' - cardiovascular problems, diabetes and cancer - appears to diminish notably with the regular intake of these compounds.  In some cases studies have shown that your body may also be better able to cope with pre-existing diseases with the help of these compounds.  Your immune system is also likely to work better with a good supply of these compounds, which may have an impact on your overall health and well-being.

In a food context this means that you should try to eat as wide a variety as possible of different coloured foods (fruit and vegetables, that is – eating pink frankfurters with yellow mustard doesn't count!).  The reason for this is that different colours contain different compounds with different beneficial effects.  Ensuring that you eat as many colours as possible on a regular basis maximises your chances of getting sufficient quantities of these compounds, which in turn can help reduce the risk of different illnesses.

Consequently, various scientific and health-related organisations such as The Stroke Association now endorse the idea of eating different coloured foods for health benefits: http://www.stroke.org.uk/media_centre/press_releases/eat_a_rainbow_.html

Even some commercial organisations are now recommending eating as many colours as possible in your five-a-day; see for example the Co-op group's campaign at http://www.co-operative.coop/food/Good-With-Food-Roadshow/5-A-DAY/

At its simplest you can simply divide foods into the main colour groups, and try to ensure that you eat at least one portion every day from each group. (This is exactly what our ingenious tracking chart is designed for!)  It is true that some foods don't fall neatly into any one group (for example, blackcurrants are neither red nor purple, but somewhere in between) while some may fall into two or more (different parts of avocado can be dark green, light green or yellow), but the point isn't to split hairs about where to draw the line between yellow and orange – the point is to include as many different colours as possible in your daily diet, and not to rely for your intake of a particular colour group on only one food to the exclusion of others.  For simple everyday use this approach certainly more than serves the purpose.

Below are listed the main colour groups with examples of fruits and vegetables in each, and how consuming them can help you.

PS:  If you're interested in learning more about some of the best sources of colours as well as of course vitamins and other nutrients, check out the 'SuperBerries' page!

How to Easily Get Your Daily Colours

First and foremost, think about colours when doing your food shopping:  by buying a range of different-coloured fruits and vegetables (in other words, if you're already buying strawberries, then rather than also buy raspberries why not get some blueberries instead?) is the easiest way to ensure you get a range of colours throughout the week.  As you become more aware of colours, you will probably also notice the seasonal variations better:  green asparagus is in season in May, red beetroots come out in June, and so on – fresh, in-season produce is no doubt the tastiest, healthiest and most exciting way to improve your diet.

Get into the habit of having at least one portion of mixed salad every day.  A big bowlful of different salad leaves and/or shredded cabbage (ideally alternating between red, white and green), with your choice of salad vegetables such as cucumber (green), tomato (red), grated carrot (orange), and perhaps some beans or sweetcorn (yellow) not only ticks just about every colour box but also ensures a good supply of vitamins and other nutrients.  Not to mention that it tastes great, without piling on the calories (assuming you keep away from the mayo and other oily dressings, that is).

High quality juices such as the Twisted Juice range are both delicious and convenient, and each portion of different-coloured juice counts towards your colours intake (although they can collectively only count as one portion of your 'five a day' target).  By keeping a few different juices in your fridge you can easily supplement your daily diet with the 'missing' colour. Premium smoothies such as Innocent or PJ's offer the added nutritional advantages of whole fruits/berries, and can count as additional portions towards your 'five a day'. (Just make sure to always check that the juice or smoothie is made of real natural ingredients without any added sugars, additives or other rubbish.)

Similarly, vegetable soups are an easy way to get your daily fix:  whether you make your own soups – it really is easier than you think, very quick and inexpensive, and you know exactly what went into the soup – or buy fresh premium soups such as The New Covent Garden range, you can easily keep a couple of different colours in your fridge, and you're never more than a few microwave minutes away from a delicious and satisfying lunch or supper.  (Again, if you're buying ready-made soups, check the nutritional information to make sure the product is made of real vegetables and doesn't contain extra fat, sugar, salt or additives.)