USA Today: Boost your diet with a rainbow of fruits, vegetables

Boost your diet with a rainbow of fruits, vegetables
By Darla Carter, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal

If fruits and vegetables aren't the stars of your meals or at least strong supporting characters, it's time to recast with an eye toward diversity.

That's according to the American Dietetic Association, which is encouraging the public to "eat right with color."

That means choosing a rainbow of hues each day to infuse the diet with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

"We're talking about eating foods with different colors — red, green, blue, white, yellow, orange — because all these different foods and all these different colors provide different nutrients for our bodies," said Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a spokeswoman for the association.

Think about your own diet. Sure you eat your potatoes, corn and iceberg lettuce. But when's the last time you had kale, jicama, beets, blackberries, avocado, squash or kiwi fruit?

"I don't know if we think about different things like blueberries and blackberries and strawberries and raspberries and kale and spinach and red peppers and orange peppers and yellow peppers and broccoli and cauliflower — all these good things," said Jamieson-Petonic.

Especially when it comes to vegetables, "many people are stuck in a rut, and they're scared to try something new," said Dee Sandquist, also a registered dietitian and ADA spokeswoman.

Increased intake

The latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which were released in January, advise consumers to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables.

One trick suggested by dietitians and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.

An overnight change isn't expected, though.

"Just gradually work up to that," said Sandquist, a certified diabetes educator. "One week just add a few more, and pretty soon you'll notice that half your plate is vegetables and you'll be just as full and probably more comfortable."

Today's fast-paced, fast-food lifestyles can get in the way of better eating, said Deborah Eck, a registered dietitian at Norton Brownsboro Hospital in Louisville

But there are shortcuts, such as using frozen or canned vegetables, to make it easier to add color to your diet. (If canned, choose the reduced-salt or no-added-salt versions, Sandquist said.)

Taking a cooking class or searching for new recipes also can be helpful, especially if you're intimidated at working with unfamiliar foods.

For example, butternut squash may look daunting, but "you can probably Google it and get a recipe for it and make it one day," Eck said.

You can also get techniques and ideas from cellphone applications, such the Whole Foods Market Recipes app, and cookbooks, such as "Power Foods" (Clarkson Potter, 2010).

Try something new

Eck, a certified nutrition support clinician, encourages consumers to be adventurous at the supermarket.

"Just taking one kind of leap of faith at the grocery store every visit to try something new is a good idea," she said. "It'll probably help your children to be more ready to try new things and to expand their diet, because I think potatoes are probably a large staple as a vegetable in many children's diet in the form of french fries."

Eck suggests buying some fruits and vegetables that you don't usually eat and conducting a taste test with your family.

The advantages of consuming more fruits and vegetables are numerous, Jamieson-Petonic said. "They're very low in calories, they're high in dietary fiber," they're often fat-free and cholesterol-free, and they can give you more energy.

And "we know there's many protective components" against diseases, Sandquist said.

The American Cancer Society suggests eating at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day. A colorful assortment may lower your risk of many cancers, including cancers of the lung, mouth, esophagus, stomach and colon.

Jamieson-Petonic suggests giving vegetables and fruits prominent display in your refrigerator and home. She recommends keeping a bowl of fruit on your table and storing sliced fruits and vegetables in baggies in the fridge.

Get the kids involved in cooking — maybe even taking a class with them — and take them out to the strawberry patch or other places where food is grown.

"I talk to kids who think that fruits and veggies were born in the supermarket," Jamieson-Petonic said. "It's great to show them where the food comes from."

Healthy colors

The American Dietetic Association is encouraging the public to eat a rainbow of foods, such as these fruits and vegetables:

• Green: Avocados, apples, grapes, honeydew, kiwi fruit, limes, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green peppers, spinach.

• Orange and deep yellow: Apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit*, mangoes, papayas, peaches, pineapple, carrots, yellow peppers, yellow corn, sweet potatoes.

• Purple and blue: blackberries, blueberries, plums, raisins, eggplant, purple cabbage, purple-fleshed potatoes.

• Red: Cherries, cranberries, pomegranates, red/pink grapefruit*, red grapes, watermelon, beets, red onions, red peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb and tomatoes.

• White, tan and brown: Bananas, brown pears, dates, white peaches, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, white-fleshed potatoes, white corn.

Check with your doctor about potential drug interactions with grapefruit if you're on medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin). Also, some people have food sensitivities or allergies to various foods.