| Childhood Obesity Project |
Chew On ThisNatalie Rodakowski, BS, Dietetic Intern, Eastern Illinois University The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is pleased to announce March as National Nutrition Month®, a nutrition education and healthy eating campaign. The theme for March 2011 is "Eat Right with Color," where the focus is on meals that include a variety of color. So why is it important to eat foods with a variety of colors? The answer is phytonutrients. According to ADA, a rainbow of fruits and vegetables creates a plate full of nutrients and phytonutrients which has been linked to having qualities that will benefit your overall health. Below is a list of the health benefits for each color: Red- Red fruits and vegetables contain lycopene. Lycopene helps fight some cancers, keeps your eyes healthy, prevents heart problems, and stops you from getting sick. Tip: Try adding strawberries with your cereal and milk every morning. Yellow/Orange- Yellow or orange fruits and vegetables are filled with beta carotene which help keep your eyes and skin healthy. The deeper the orange, the more bata carotene. Tip: Try adding mandarin oranges in with your salads for a tropical taste. Green- Green foods are rich in an antioxidant that helps with your vision. It also helps build strong bones and teeth. Tip: Add low-fat cheese and broccoli to your baked potato to give it more flavor. Purple/Blue- Blue and Purple contains the most powerful of all the phytochemicals contained in the foods we eat. They help lower the risk for heart disease, helps you remember things, and improves your hand and eye coordination. Most importantly, it helps prevent aging. Tip: Add fresh blueberries in with your yogurt to boost the flavor. White - White fruits and vegetables help protect your skin from being damaged when we get older. They may also help promote a healthy heart and reduce your risk of cancer. Tip: Add onions and mushrooms to your next pizza! Challenge Yourself For the month of March, try to pay attention to the colors on your plate. Go through the colors of the rainbow to determine what you are missing and add it in throughout your meals. Eating with color is an easy way to add variety to your diet without keeping a food log or tracking your fruit and vegetable intake! For more information about this year's National Nutrition Month, go to www.eatright.org. In Motion Food is not the only way you can incorporate colors into your life. Physical fitness can be colorful too! How creative can you be at brining color in your everyday activities? Red: Put on your red dress and go salsa dancing! Just by dancing for one hour, you can burn 420 calories. Orange/Yellow: When it is a beautiful sunny day, it's a perfect time to go for a walk outside and soak up the sun. Green: Gardening is a great way to get some physical activity in. Not only that, you will also be able to grow your very own rainbow of fruits and vegetables for your colorful plate. Blue: Swimming is one of the best physical activities that helps strengthens all parts of the body. Just one hour a day, you can burn around 400 calories.
Recipe Corner: Veggie Skewers Recipe Ingredients
Directions
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 213 calories, 19 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 303 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein. Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Veggie-Skewers Article References: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=97&terms=Phytonutrients+colors |
Home > Childhood Obesity Project > Chew On This