Is Your Diet a Rainbow? Diabetes and Colorful Food.

     This last week, a friend told me the rule in his house was that “Everyone had to have two colors at a meal.”  Now while one could argue that meat and potatoes are two colors, obviously he was talking about having different colored vegetables and fruits.  At East Penn Foot & Ankle, we think that this is another excellent way to introduce healthier habits to our patients.  It is an interesting way to put it for the young and easy to remember as for anyone who struggles with what the food groups are. Healthier eating tips for all age groups include more fruits and veggies on our plates.  What about the diabetic that has to watch the sugars and starches that are in fruits and veggies?  One tip to remember – green is good – most of your green veggies are lower in sugar and starch than the red or yellow veggies – so load up on those and use the red or yellow veggies to make your food taste fantastic.  Additional tips for diabetics, you want to make sure that you don’t overload on the sugary fruits, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a healthy load of these colorful, good for you treats.

     If you think about it, many fine restaurants strive on presentation, seeking their food to look delicious and desirable for all to eat.  How do they do this though?  They add more color.  A few tips for presentation and to give your food more flavor -  throw green herbs on top of food to make it pop.  Just remember, herbs can make food taste better but they aren’t a main source of nutrition.   

     So if you don’t have a well colored diet, there’s no better time to start than right now.  Make sure of course that you are going for the bright colors of the rainbow, you know the greens, yellows, oranges, and reds, etc.  If you don’t know what veggies or fruits would fit in those colors, you should take a trip down to your local supermarket, you will catch on pretty quick as you look at all the different fruits and veggies.  So next time your preparing dinner, throw a quick salad together – you can use already premixed packs at your local supermarket that work great.  If you are wondering how to do this at breakfast, throw a banana in, cut up an apple, or throw a cup of different berries into your Cheerios.  And as you send your children off to school this fall, help combat childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes by making sure that your children are eating a healthy, well rounded meal at lunch.  If you are concerned about their willingness to eat healthy, have them get involved in the shopping and preparation of their lunchtime ingredients.  Every meal should be a bright, colorful display of deliciousness – here is to a happy healthy way of life!  For more information on the correct eating habits for diabetics take a look at http://www.diabetes.org/ or our website http://www.eastpennfoot.com/diabeticfootandanklecenter.