There’s no doubt about it: a colourful plate of food is beautiful to look at, but it’s also good for your health. The colour of different foods gives your body different nutrients.
Think of it this way: the more colourful your plate, the more certain you can be that you’re getting a good and varied dose of all your necessary vitamins and minerals! Try these bright and simple recipes to up your colour quotient.
Red
Red foods are high in Vitamin A and C, and the antioxidants, quercetin and lycopene. These nutrients protect against free radical damage, heart disease and cancer.
Roasted red pepper soup
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of water.
- 2 small carrots, chopped.
- 2 sticks celery, chopped.
- 1 large red onion, chopped.
- 2 large garlic cloves.
- 4 red peppers.
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes.
- A large handful of fresh basil leaves.
- Olive oil.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:
- Remove the seeds from the peppers, and cut into quarters. Place on a baking tray and lightly brush with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and pop into the oven for about eight minutes at 180°C, until the skins start to look charred.
- Pour the water in a saucepan. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Bring to the boil and cook for five minutes.
- Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables become tender.
- Remove the peppers from the oven. Once they’ve cooled, peel off the charred skin. Chop the flesh into small pieces and add to the saucepan, along with the tomatoes.
- Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil. Whizz everything together with a hand blender. Taste and check for seasoning.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or splash of cream.
Orange
Orange foods are packed with Vitamin C and carotenoids, which act as antioxidants in your body, tackling harmful free radicals that damage your tissues. Orange foods can boost your immune system and prevent infections. They’ve also been linked to a healthy heart and reduced risk for cancer.
Butternut squash fries
Ingredients:
- 1 small butternut squash.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt.
- ÂĽ teaspoon black pepper
- ÂĽ teaspoon garlic powder.
- ÂĽ teaspoon dried basil.
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 230°C. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Peel, de-seed and slice the butternut into fries. Place in a bowl with the olive oil. Toss until all the fries are coated. Season with the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour onto the baking sheet and evenly spread out so that no pieces overlap. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn them over and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until it’s nice and crispy to your liking.
- Enjoy as is or with a dollop of plain cottage cheese.
Yellow
Yellow foods are rich in bioflavonoids, known to strengthen the collagen in your skin, tendons, ligaments, and cartilages. High in carotenoids, yellow foods also help increase immunity, and lower the risk for cancer, retinal disease, and heart disease.
Lemon garlic hummus
Ingredients:
- 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
- 1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped.
- 2 tablespoons tahini.
- ÂĽ cup lemon juice.
- 3 tablespoons water.
- ½ teaspoon salt.
- ÂĽ teaspoon pepper.
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard.
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil.
Method:
- Add all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, to a food processor and blend. Slowly stream in the olive oil and continue to blend for about three minutes until very smooth.
- Enjoy on a slice of wholewheat toast or as a veggie dip.
Green
Green foods contain Vitamins A, C and K, iron, antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids, and other nutrients including chlorophyll, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These help lower blood pressure and LDL “bad” cholesterol levels, and improve the health of your eyes, bones and teeth.
Spaghetti with spinach-avocado sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 cup wholegrain spaghetti.
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves.
- ÂĽ cup unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed and drained.
- ÂĽ cup fresh basil leaves.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind.
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
- 2 garlic cloves.
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted.
- ÂĽ cup chopped tomato.
- 2 tablespoons toasted almonds, sliced.
Method:
- Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions. Keep half a cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta.
- Combine the reserved cooking liquid, spinach, beans, basil, olive oil, lemon rind, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and avocado in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the mixture to the pasta. Toss to coat.
- Sprinkle with tomato and almonds. Bon appétit!
Blue/purple
Blue or purple foods get their colour from phytonutrients called anthocyanins and resveratrol. Anthocyanins are anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic, and can help lower the risk of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Resveratrol also functions like an anti-inflammatory, and has been shown to lower the risk of some cancers and improve brain health.
Blueberry-banana smoothie
Ingredients:
- 2 bananas, cut into chunks and frozen.
- ½ cup skim milk.
- 2ÂĽ cups frozen blueberries.
- 1 tablespoon honey.
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt.
Method:
- Place the banana chunks and ÂĽ cup of the skim milk into a blender. Blend until only a few small chunks remain.
- Add the blueberries, honey, Greek yoghurt, and remaining skim milk. Blend again until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.
- Pour into glasses, top with a few more berries and serve. Makes about three cups.
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