Have you ever heard the advice to eat the rainbow? It’s actually a great way to conceptualize a healthy diet – eating foods of different colors will give you a variety of nutrients that you might miss out on if your diet was more homogenous. For example, blue and purple foods (like berries, plums, cabbage) contain the highest concentrations of anthocyanins, a micronutrient that can help reduce oxidative stress and systemic inflammation.
While some nutrients do overlap across categories, keeping our diets full of varied and colorful whole foods ensures that we have the best chance of being comprehensively nourished. This is why I will always recommend casting a wide net with foods (barring intolerances and allergies, of course). Something that occurred to me recently, however, was that in the push for eating colorful foods, “neutral-colored” foods tend to get forgotten or even wrongfully demonized! Have you ever heard that you should avoid white-colored foods? While this is generally good advice when we’re talking about processed foods (think white bread, crackers, cereals, etc), some of the least colorful foods are also chock-full of nutrients!
In the interest of having a little fun, here are some foods squarely outside of the rainbow that have great nutritional profiles!
Potatoes – I’ve lost count of how many times people have asked me if potatoes are healthy. Now, maybe this is because we have so many ways to prepare potatoes that are decidedly unhealthy (fries, tots, hash browns, and so on)…but the humble potato is actually one of the most nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources! They are full of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, as well as having a protein availability profile higher than most plant-based sources (this means even though they are not high in protein, what protein they do contain is highly digestible).
Cauliflower – This is about as boring-looking of a vegetable as they come, but cauliflower is high in vitamin C, fiber, and glucosinolates (anti-cancer compounds).
Mushrooms – Both white and brown varieties are nutrient-dense, providing good amounts of vitamin D, selenium, and beta-glucans (a type of soluble fiber that can help contribute to healthy cholesterol and blood sugar regulation).
Lentils – yes, some of these are colorful (green, red), but even brown and black lentils are full of nutrition. They are a great source of vegetarian protein, fiber, iron, and folate (vitamin B9).
Chia and Flax Seeds – High in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fats and fiber.
Almonds – Nuts are calorically-dense foods and should only be eaten in moderation, but including them strategically can help boost your nutrition. Almonds in particular are high in magnesium, vitamin E, and fiber.
Milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese – While “eat the rainbow” typically refers to plant foods, dairy deserves a special mention because of just how nutritious it is for those who tolerate it. Quality dairy is high in protein, healthy fats, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, and many B vitamins.
Meat, Fish, and Eggs – The same note above applies here, but animal proteins are too nutrient-dense for me not to list them! Meat, fish, and eggs are full of highly bioavailable protein, iron, B-vitamins, zinc, choline, selenium, iodine, and creatine.
This is not a comprehensive list, and there many other neutral-colored, nutritious foods (think white asparagus, radishes, beans, other nuts and seeds, etc). I encourage you to do your own exploration if there is a beige food you love, and don’t be afraid if your dinner plate looks like this from time to time!
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