I never thought much about it at the time, but as a child I was always turned off by Superman ice cream.
“Who would want to eat blue ice cream?” I remember thinking.
I suppose there was something about the color blue that appealed to most kids, but to me, it just didn’t seem natural to eat blue food. Vanilla ice cream was the color of cream, chocolate ice cream was brown, and strawberry ice cream was pink. Those made sense. But blue? I just didn’t get it.
As it turns out, I was on to something, even as a kid.
March is National Nutrition Month®, an annual campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), focusing attention on healthy eating. This month, ADA is encouraging Americans to “Eat Right with Color.”
“Eat Right with Color” may sound simple, but choosing what you eat based on color alone does not always lead to the best choices (i.e. Superman ice cream). The key to healthy eating with color is to choose the most colorful fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans and to include a variety of colors on your plate at each meal.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends filling at least two-thirds of your plate with colorful vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans, and one-third or less with animal foods. Research shows that a diet rich in colorful plant-based foods may protect against many types of cancer and may even slow down cancer progression after diagnosis.
Stay tuned to our weekly posts this month to see how you can better incorporate this concept into your own diet – even during the challenges of cancer treatment. In the meantime, stock up on these colorful cancer-fighting foods on your next trip to the grocery store:
| Red | tomatoes, pomegranate, watermelon, cherries, red apples, cranberries, beets, red onion, red pepper
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| Orange / Yellow | sweet potatoes, carrots, mangos, apricots, cantaloupe, pineapple, yellow bell peppers, cauliflower, corn
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| Green
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dark leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, collards, asparagus, kiwi, lime, avocado, green apples
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| Blue / Purple | red grapes, blueberries, eggplant, red cabbage, raisins, blackberries, plums |
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