Colorful plant foods—like scarlet beets and inky purple blackberries—contain phytonutrients that help protect us from disease by fighting inflammation, heart disease, certain gastrointestinal diseases, and many other chronic conditions. The problem, however, is that most of us are not getting enough of those healthy plant foods in our diets. In 2014, I wrote a book called Eating in Color, in which I emphasized the importance of eating colorful fruits, veggies, and other plant foods to promote overall health. Eating healthier can start with making your plate a little more colorful.
The Link Between Healthy Eating, Inflammation, and Mortality
Colorful and antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies are the answer to fighting inflammation (cutting back on red meat, sugar, and booze helps too), but we all struggle to eat enough to make a difference—even nutrition professionals like me. Sure, it’s not always convenient or cheap to eat them, but the evidence that getting more fruits and veggies into your day actually matters is just so compelling.
A 2021 study of over 100,000 people done by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University looked at the relationship between fruit and veggie intake and mortality, and found that eating an average of five servings of fruits and vegetables daily lowered mortality risk by 13 percent. Most American adults only get one serving of fruit and one and a half servings of veggies daily, meaning we have so much room to improve.
My Best Tip for Fighting Inflammation—and Eating Healthier
The one foolproof way I’ve found to actually eat five to seven servings of fruits and veggies each day is to make it so simple and basic that it’s really hard to screw it up. I just add color to every snack and meal. For example, if I’m having a bowl of yogurt, I’ll add a cup of berries. If I’m enjoying a bowl of pasta for lunch, I’ll throw in cherry tomatoes and peas or any cooked veggies I have on hand.
Registered dietitian and cookbook author Dana Angelo White, MS, RDN, ATC, agrees that this “just add color” approach can actually work. “It’s such an easy strategy to adopt, and it’s scalable,” she says. “If your baseline is no color, start with one meal or snack per day and work your way up. Adding that pop of color to foods you already enjoy—such as arugula on that slice of pizza—is an instant visual and [nutritional] upgrade.” Dana also explains that while fresh is fabulous, using frozen, dried, and even canned produce all count as a win. If you need a little reminder of what counts as a serving (according to the USDA), consider this your cheat sheet.
For fruit:
- 1 cup of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit
- ½ cup of dried fruit
- 1 cup of 100% fruit juice
For vegetables:
- 1 cup of raw, cooked, frozen, or canned vegetables
- 2 cups of raw leafy salad greens
- 1 cup of 100% vegetable juice
15 Easy, Clever Ideas to Add More Color to Your Plate
- A handful of arugula on a slice of pizza
- A cup of blueberries mixed into yogurt
- Strawberry slices on peanut butter toast
- Cherry tomatoes halved and added to a tuna sandwich
- Pomegranate arils (seeds) sprinkled over oatmeal
- A handful of baby spinach tossed into your serving of pasta
- Chia pudding or overnight oats topped with raspberries
- Homemade trail mix made with dried cherries, dark chocolate, and walnuts
- Avocado toast sprinkled with a combo of pepitas and leftover roasted veggies, like Brussels sprouts
- A wedge of aged cheddar with a side of dried apricots
- Having rice as a side dish? Add frozen peas to the final minutes of cooking
- Diced bell pepper stirred into scrambled eggs
- Canned or packaged beets mixed into any salad you’re having
- A little snack bowl with pretzels, apple slices, and raisins—trust me, it’s delicious!
- A bunch of grapes paired with your afternoon granola bar
Hopefully these ideas help you feel more confident in reaching that elusive five servings a day. If a big old salad suits you best, that’s great. But as Dana reminded me, taking advantage of smaller doses of produce throughout the day makes getting more in less daunting. Here’s to a colorful plate!
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