What color are your groceries?

Vibrant Life, March-April, 2003 by Susan Keiffer-Barone, Marian Wilson

Hey, Mom! We still need a blue and a green!" shouted Katrina across the green bean display, measuring six fistfuls. "We've got to get to my soccer practice," chimed in 7-year-old Kirsten as she chose a box of blueberries. From her seat in the shopping cart, toddler Kelsey showed her siblings that her box of crayons was full, and our task was completed. All Mom did was hand Kelsey a crayon the color of each food that the kids selected, until five shades were accounted for.

Buying groceries with three children on a tight schedule may sound like a nightmare, but it doesn't have to be. It could be a way to make nutritious meals a family affair.

Healthful meals can be found at the end of the rainbow.

Recent research in education and nutrition points to the importance of building strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is especially critical to do as kids are developing eating habits that may last a lifetime. Kids learn best when they participate and are able to make choices for themselves.

"We've come to think of learning that lasts as an apprenticeship," said Suzanne Wegener Soled, cognitive psychologist at the University of Cincinnati. "Kids learn by doing, with mentoring and guidance."

This idea works not only in the classroom but also in the grocery aisle and kitchen. Researchers at Tufts University have found that the bright colors of fresh foods are indicators of the nutrition they provide. Parents can help children adopt healthy habits by using a color strategy.

Can your kids say "phytochemicals"? These are plant chemicals, the natural substances in our foods that protect against the effects of aging and disease. The colors on the grocery shelves indicate a range of phytochemicals that may help ward off maladies from memory loss to heart disease.

Start talking to your family about the following color categories and how our diets are related to health. Then take the kids and their crayons to the grocery store to choose a rainbow of foods.

Radical Red

Science now stands behind the old adage about apples keeping the doctor away. The bright red peels contain chemicals that have inhibited the growth of cancer cells at Cornell University research labs. When you see red in the produce aisles, think of free radicals. These are unstable oxygen molecules in our body that are associated with disease and aging. Some plant chemicals are antioxidants that zap free radicals and help spare healthy cells from damage. Lycopene is one of the red phytochemicals that has been linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer. By choosing "radical red," you could spare a family member from cancer and other ailments in the future.

Red Tips: Kids of all ages love to mix, so hand them the spoon! Mix red bell peppers into macaroni and cheese. Let them combine tomatoes, olive oil, and grated mozzarella cheese with spices for a salad. Kids can stir a can of whole cranberry sauce into baked beans. For dessert, wash and serve fresh strawberries and raspberries.

Blues Are Best

If you choose only one thing to change about your family's diet, make it the addition of blueberries. Of the fruits and vegetables tested by Tufts University, blueberries took the prize for antioxidant activity. This means that adding blueberries may be your smartest move to help fight illnesses. Tufts experiments showed that a diet rich in blueberries protects against age-related memory loss and declining motor skills. Anthocyanin is the phytochemical responsible for this deep blue pigment and can be found in other darkly colored foods, such as plums and purple grapes.

Blue Tips: Blueberries are so easy! No need to peel, cook, or plan. It's simple to color cereals blue with a handful of berries. Kids can warm them in the microwave and toss them into frozen yogurt for a guilt-free dessert. Prunes travel well in lunch boxes and come in citrus flavors that kids enjoy. Have children lightly bread eggplant that you've sliced for a meatball substitute in spaghetti sauce.

Go for the Green

Rich green foods, such as spinach and kale contain lutein, the chemical linked to prevention of blindness and improved vision. Your children don't like spinach? They may be surprised to learn that you've added frozen greens to their favorite pasta sauce or stir-fry. The Food and Drug Administration has concluded that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good as fresh, and some may even retain nutritional value longer.

Beans and peas are loaded with plant chemicals linked to lower cholesterol and cancer prevention. By inhibiting the growth of small blood vessels that allow tumors to grow, these chemicals may lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Green Tips: Don't forget the edamame, which is the Japanese name for these bright-green soybeans still in the pod. After cooking the frozen variety for five minutes, kids can shell them to add to salads or casseroles. Break up broccoli tops to put in cheddar cheese soup. Sugar peas and snap peas are a great raw snack for after school.

Sunshine: Oranges and Yellows