Eat the colors of the rainbow for good health

EAT THE RAINBOW!

And no, we aren’t talking about Skittles. We are talking about fruits and vegetables! Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables of every color is a great way to get all the nutrients and minerals necessary for growing bodies and keeping your immune system strong. Plants get their colors, tastes and smells from compounds called Phytonutrients. This helps the plants immune system protect itself from diseases. When we eat fruits and vegetables, the phytonutrients help our immune system to do the same.

Here are some tips that the American Academy of Pediatrics gives on how to implement more fruits and vegetables in your lives.

• Be a role model! Make eating fruits and vegetables daily a regular thing.
• Avoid buying high-calorie foods such as chips, cookies, and candy bars. You can avoid giving these unhealthy foods more often if they aren’t so easily available.
• Keep fresh fruits washed, already cut up and in plain sight.
• Visit your local farmer’s market. Let your child choose which fruit or vegetables to try that week.
• Eat as a family! A study in the U.K. children whose families always ate meals together consumed 4.4 ounces (1.5 portions) more fruits and vegetables a day compared with children whose families never ate together.

Why is it important to eat healthy?

A lot of people know it’s important but don’t really consider it important until it’s too late. You risk the possibility of obesity, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. People with chronic diseases have a hard time managing these conditions and additional complications that can arise.

Remember, it’s a group effort to offer the tools of success to our keiki. That includes offering foods that are good for the body and mind.

Resource: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition  https://www.health.harvard.edu/ https://www.everydayhealth.com/ https://www.healthychildren.org/ https://www.livescience.com/