Eat your greens...

Eat your greens...

I'm sure you've all heard the good old saying 'eat your greens' and, of course, you should. But what about all the other colours? Red, purple, orange, yellow, white! There is no doubt, that having a bowl of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes is slightly boring, but it doesn't have to be that way and here's why.

Having a diet full of different colours, tastes and textures provides variety whilst ensuring your body is receiving a huge amount of different phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are chemicals found in plants, providing them with protection against fungi, insect attacks and so on. These nutrients then get passed on to those who ingest them. These chemicals cause enzymes to be produced in the body which then boost the immune system, create strong tissues, fight off any foreign antibodies and much much more.

So, where can you get all this goodness?

Red

Raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate, watermelon, tomatoes, radish, cherries, peppers and grapefruit.

Orange

Oranges, peppers, papaya, carrots, pumpkin, squash and sweet potatoes.

Yellow

Banana, peppers, pineapple, lemon and peach.

Green

Avocado, spinach, rocket, peas, broccoli, kale, kiwi, melon, herbs (basil, parsley etc) and cucumber.

Blue/purple

Blueberries, blackberries, aubergine, plums, blackcurrants and grapes.

White

Onion, garlic, leeks, celariac, mushrooms, beans (cannelini), turnip and cauliflower.

As you can see, there are a huge amount of different fruits and vegetables to try. So why not add them to curries, casseroles, soups or even smoothies?