Rainbow diet

The saying,Variety is the spice of life holds true for your diet. Eating a variety of foods ensures your body gets all the nutrients it needs.

The saying,Variety is the spice of life holds true for your diet. Eating a variety of foods ensures your body gets all the nutrients it needs. The food pyramid divides foods into five groupscereals,pulses,fruits,vegetables,dairy,fish,poultry,meat,nuts,seeds, fats,oils or sugar.

A survey conducted in the 1970s had asked 10,000 people between 25 and 74 years of age the number of food groups in their diet. Fourteen years later,researchers found that those who ate the least variety,including only one or two food groups only,were 50 per cent more likely to have died.
No single group can supply all nutrients. Milk provides various nutrients but lacks vitamin C and iron,which can be made up for by taking citrus fruits and dark green vegetables. Choosing a variety of foods within each group is also important. Some vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamin C (citrus) and vitamin A (papaya) while others are high in calcium (figs) or iron (water melon).

Our search for the best fruits/vegetables/grains/oils/nuts is thus unwarranted. But we should eat a variety of nutrient-dense,low-calorie foods.
*Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins,minerals and fibre,and low in calories. Eating them controls your weight and blood pressure.
*Unrefined,whole-grain foods contain fibre that can help lower your blood cholesterol and manage your weight.
*No single oil provides all the fatty acids in appropriate amounts. Combining oils,nuts and seeds helps achieve dietary recommendations.
*Eat fish at least twice a week. Eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon,black pomfret,hilsa,mackerel,trout and herring) helps lower the risk of death from coronary artery disease.

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The plate method helps you visualise what your meal should look like. Fill half of the plate with vegetables and fruits,such as broccoli,carrots,cucumbers,tomatoes,and cauliflower; and the remainder with a combination of whole grains or starchy vegetables,such as pasta or corn, pulses and low-fat protein such as lean meat,fish,poultry,tofu and low-fat dairy (curd,paneer,milk).

A recent study revealed that eating a variety of healthy foods and drinks lowers cardiovascular disease risk and helps in long-term maintenance of weight loss. Varying colours,flavours,textures,shapes and temperatures of foods helps make eating more enjoyable.

Vary the colour: Think about how foods will look on the plate together. Is everything beige?
Vary the flavours: A balance of sweet,sour and salty tastes is far more appealing than a single taste.
Vary the texture: Contrast crunchy foods with soft foods. For example,add crunchy raw vegetables to rice.
Different ingredients from different cuisines do help. The principle of variety makes healthy eating fun. Unfortunately,the simplest things appear to be the hardest to follow.