Dine on a gorgeous rainbow of fruits and vegetables, nutritionists like to remind us, and we’ll net nature’s full spectrum of health-promoting nutrients. But what does an “eat-your-colors” diet look like after the first few salad bar creations? We’ve come up with a handful of inspiring dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that taste as vivid as they look.
Resveratrol
Good Sources: red wine, red grapes
Benefits: The wonder-working polyphenol neutralizes free radicals and may inhibit inflammation.
Cooking Tip: For a quick hit, roast whole grapes with garlic and fresh thyme. Add frozen grapes to fruit salad (bonus: they’ll keep the dish chilled).
Capsaicin
Good Source: Chili peppers
Benefits: Hot stuff, indeed: This helps stave off hunger and even burns some calories. It also relieves pain.
Cooking Tip: Add minced chiles to scrambled eggs and stir-fries.
Lycopene
Good Sources: tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, bell peppers
Benefits: A diet rich in this carotenoid may reduce the risk of prostate cancer by as much as 35 percent.
Cooking Tip: The body best absorbs lycopene when combined with fat: Toss tomatoes and watermelon with olive oil and feta. Canned tomatoes are a smart staple during the fruit’s off-season; lycopene content may even increase in foods processed at high temperatures.
