Eating a variety of foods is a great way to ensure you are getting a vast array of nutrients in your diet. Colorful foods are an easy way to make sure you are doing so. Each meal/snack, try to make it as colorful as possible! Check out some of the best options below.

Red

Tomatoes: Packed with 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C and K, which help maintain body functions like eye sight, immune defense and skin regeneration. Tomatoes have lycopene, an antioxidant necessary for preventing disease, and also make your skin look younger, and keep your heart healthy.
Strawberries: They’re loaded with ellagitannins, phytochemicals that may halt the growth of cervical and colon cancers.
Apples: There is definitely some truth behind the good old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! They contain a healthy dose of vitamin C, needed for immunity defense and the absorption of iron. Apples also contain lots of fiber to improve digestive and helps you feel fuller longer.
Red Peppers: Comprised of mostly Vitamins A, C, and B6, which help with immunity defense, brain development, and muscle strength.

Orange

Oranges (duh): Just one supplies more than 100% of the vitamin C you need in a whole day. Also, they are a great source of calcium and folate.
Squash: The squash family of vegetables is great at fighting off cancer, especially lung cancer, reducing the risk of heart disease and aiding in fighting against type-2 diabetes
Carrots: We have all heard carrots improves eyesight and you may not buy it but there is truth behind it. They also are the richest veggie source for beta-carotene, which is known as the immune booster.
Pumpkin: Aids urinary tract support and help improve kidney function. If it wasn’t for the bad experience I had as a child after I consumed two whole pumpkin pies one Thanksgiving…I’d be all about pumpkin.
Sweet Potatoes: Also rich in carotenes and an excellent source of vitamins C, B6, E and B7. Contains high amount of anti-oxidants and fiber.

Yellow

Bananas: Loaded with several kinds of fiber, including resistant starch (which helps you slim down). Bananas are high in iron, fiber, potassium, Vitamin B, etc. etc. etc. They are a natural antacid so next time you are fighting heartburn try a banana. They are also great for restoring energy after a run.
Lemon: Flushes out toxins and bad bacteria. It is a diuretic, which means its good for people with UTIs and high uric acid problems (arthritis and rheumatism).
Pineapple: Packed with calcium, potassium, fiber and Vitamin C. It strengthens bones and is a great remedy for a cold. It is also great for your oral health due to the high Vitamin C content.
Corn: Helps control diabetes, prevents heart ailments, and lowers risk of hypertension. Rich in vitamins A, B, and E.

Green

Asparagus: Just ½ cup supplies 50% of your daily bone-building vitamin K and 1/3rd of your day’s folate. Along with the lemon, it is a natural diuretic and can banish bloating.
Brussels sprouts: The vegetable many love to hate. Brussel sprouts have more glucosinolates (compounds that combat cancer and detoxify our bodies) than any other vegetable. They are also high in fiber, vitamin C and may help prevent cancer.
Avocados: Known for their ‘healthy fat’ that keeps you satisfied and helps you absorb other nutrients.
Spinach:  ½ cup provides more than five times your daily dose of vitamin K, which helps blood clot and builds strong bones. We have referred to spinach as steroids on a plate.
Edamame: One cup has 22 grams of plant protein, as well as lots of fiber, folate and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.
Kiwi: Reduces asthma-related wheezing, thanks to its high vitamin C content (one kiwi has 110% of your daily requirement).

Blue

Blueberries: They improve memory by protecting your brain from inflammation and boosting communication between brain cells. Great for a cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt addition!
Elderberries: Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis.
Blue Corn: See yellow corn.

Indigo/Violet

Radicchio: High in antioxidants, boost heart health, boosts metabolism, helps fight cell damage, high in fiber. Full of minerals and vitamins such as Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Magnesium, Vitamin C, B-6, A, E, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, and Folate.
Eggplant: Excellent source of dietary fiber and Vitamins B1 and B6. Don’t forget to eat the peel, as that is where Nasunin is found, a potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger!
Acai: Even though I do not agree with the acai cleanse or the acai diets as I believe they are scams, there are definitely benefits to the fruit. Like most other fruit acai is high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Is it a miracle fruit that will magically shed off pounds? Absolutely not.
Grapes: They’re a leading source of resveratrol, the plant chemical responsible for the heart-healthy benefits of red wine. Studies show that resveratrol prevents heart disease and cancer as it either reverses the growth of cancer cells or completely stops it. The darker the grapes, the more resveratrol it contains. Grapes also lower cholesterol, acts as an antioxidant, and contains anti-aging components.
Plum: Awesome source or fiber, potassium, lutein, Vitamins C, B and Provitamin A and pigments that protect your vision. Dried plums, or prunes, which contain high amounts of polyphenols, can restore bone mass and structure.

These are just a few benefits from a few excellent food choices to make a rainbow with your daily food intake. There are many many more superb options.

What is your favorite color/food group of the rainbow? Mine is GREEN!

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Matt

Co-Founder at Share It Fitness

Matt has been involved in the fitness industry for over 10 years and has worked with, and helped countless individuals improve their lives. After college, Matt started his fitness career working in the trenches as a personal trainer for a big corporate gym. It was here he saw how impersonal Big Fitness really was. Clients weren't people, they were just sales waiting to be made. After branching out and starting his own personal training business in San Diego, Matt soon developed the idea of Share It Fitness and started our (now highly successful) blog. A fitness junkie himself, Matt knows the importance of incorporating exercise into your life. When he isn't working at Share It Fitness, you can find Matt running, biking, taking yoga, or pumping iron around San Diego.

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