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Diversity Diet
The Often Overlooked Way to Lose Weight and Live Longer
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In the world of finance, experts advise you to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. When it comes to your diet, a similar rule exists but with this twist: avoid filling your basket with only eggs. Just as with your finances, diversity is the smartest choice around when it comes to choosing
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the foods that you eat. Applying a diversity strategy to your eating patterns can provide you with easy opportunities to lose pounds, gain years, and enjoy some of the most delicious foods on the planet.
Step inside the major food categories
You probably know all the major players in the nutrition game: vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, meat-based foods, and fats. Getting an appropriate amount of each major kind of food every day is a good start toward eating a diverse diet. But can you name five different fruits you've eaten in the past week? Within each food category is a vast array of nutrient-rich foods, each one containing hundreds of unique substances. The key is to get to know all the different powerful choices within each food category and to introduce these different foods into your diet on a rotating basis. With a little exploration, you can find hundreds of nutritious newcomers to add to your meals and make them more satisfying and more nutritious.
Take a colorful adventure
Start by taking a trip to the grocery store and spending a little more time than usual exploring the offerings. Hit the produce aisle first and while you're inspecting the offerings, focus on the range of colors. Richly colorful plant foods—bright berries, sunny tangerines, and dark green lettuces—contain important protective phytochemicals and antioxidants that help prevent disease and preserve health. Such healthful vegetables, fruits, and legumes are the items that are often lacking in most diets. Pick out four or five that you've never had before or that you rarely eat, plus grab a few of your favorites, too. Make sure you see a range of colors in your cart. The following table will help you appreciate the full range of nutritional power these different colors have to offer.
Red
Make these fruits and vegetables a regular part of your diet:
tomatoes, watermelon, cherries, cranberries, pomegranates, beets, red peppers, radishes, radicchio, red potatoes, rhubarb
These foods contain the important phytochemicals, lycopene and anthocyanins, which help promote:
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heart health |
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memory function |
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urinary tract health |
And, lower your risk of certain types of cancer.
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Blue-Purple
Make these fruits and vegetables a regular part of your diet:
blackberries, blueberries, black currants, dried plums, elderberries, purple figs, red grapes, plums, raisins, red cabbage, eggplant, purple peppers
These foods contain the important phytochemicals, anthocyanins and phenolics, which help promote:
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urinary tract health |
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memory function |
And, lower your risk of certain types of cancer.
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Yellow-Orange
Make these fruits and vegetables a regular part of your diet:
apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, persimmons, pineapple, tangerines, squash, carrots, yellow peppers, pumpkin, rutabagas, sweet potatoes
These foods contain the important phytochemicals, carotenoids and flavonoids, which help promote:
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heart health |
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vision health |
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a healthy immune system |
And, lower your risk of certain types of cancer.
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Yellow-Green
Make these fruits and vegetables a regular part of your diet:
avocados, green apples, green grapes, honeydew melon, kiwifruit, limes, green pears, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, endive, leafy greens, green onions, okra, peas, green peppers, snow peas, sugar snap peas, spinach, watercress, zucchini
These foods contain the important phytochemicals, lutein and indoles, which help promote:
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vision health |
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strong bones and teeth |
And, lower your risk of certain types of cancer.
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White-Green
Make these fruits and vegetables a regular part of your diet:
leeks, garlic, onions, chives, bananas, brown pears, dates, cauliflower, ginger, mushrooms, parsnips, shallots, turnips
These foods contain the important phytochemicals, allyl sulfides and allicin, which help promote:
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heart health |
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healthy cholesterol levels |
And, lower your risk of certain types of cancer.
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Discover new delicious foods
Continue in the same attitude of exploration as you move through other store aisles. Check out low-fat options in the dairy section; whole-grain breads, cereals, grains and pastas; fish, seafood, and lean meat options. Read product labels and learn which foods contain unsaturated fats rather than the less healthy saturated and trans fats. Whenever possible, choose fresh, unprocessed whole foods over prepared and packaged foods, which are often highly processed, low on nutrients, and potentially full of chemical additives. Chances are you'll discover quite a few new items from every food group.
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