Eat Your Colors! Smart Ways To Brighten Up Your Diet

The Secret To Better Food? Eat Your Colors
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A common sense trick for eating healthy? Eat colorful foods! Think about it: what do many unhealthy foods like potato chips, white bread and fried, well, anything have in common? They tend to be a blah beige hue. The more colors in your diet, the likelier it is that you're getting all the nutrients you need. (And we're talking about naturally colorful foods, by the way -- Pop Rocks don't count!) Below, we've highlighted five foods rich in color and nutrients, along with 15 corresponding recipes for delicious dinner ideas like Chicken Tagine with Pomegranates and Fig and Goat Cheese Paninis.

Eat Your Colors! Smart Ways To Brighten Up Your Diet
Red: Pomegranates(01 of05)
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Health Benefits:Pomegranates are loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. If you eat them with the seeds, they also offer five grams of soluble fiber per half cup.Recipes:Chicken Tagine with PomegranatesPearled Barley Salad with Apples, Pomegranate Seeds and Pine NutsPomegranate-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Fennel (credit:Getty Images)
Green: Kale(02 of05)
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Health Benefits: Kale is packed with carotenoids and flavonoids, two powerful antioxidants that protect your cells from free radicals. It also provides a heaping dose of vitamin K (1327% of our daily required value in just one cup!), which has been proven to strengthen our bones.Recipes:Braised Kale with GarlicSpelt Focaccia with Kale, Squash and PecorinoLentil Soup with Kielbasa and Kale (credit:Getty Images)
Orange: Sweet Potatoes(03 of05)
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Health Benefits:Sweet potatoes may just take the cake for the most nutritious food on this list. They are packed with fiber, Vitamins A and C, and minerals like iron and copper, which help to improve brain function.Recipes:Chile-Garlic Roasted Sweet PotatoesSweet Potato And Black Bean ChiliSoy-Glazed Sweet Potatoes (credit:Alamy)
Purple: Figs(04 of05)
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Health Benefits: Figs are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. And both fresh and dried figs are high in pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower blood cholesterol.Recipes:Fig and Goat Cheese PaniniRoasted Figs with Concord Grape SauceLamb, Fig and Olive Stew (credit:Alamy)
Yellow: Butternut Squash(05 of05)
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Health Benefits: Butternut squash's yellow hue hints at the carotenoids it contains, which have been shown to protect against heart disease. The cold weather squash also has tons of vitamin B6, which is essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems.Recipes:Tofu and Butternut Squash CurryButternut Squash SoupWinter Squash Risotto (credit:Getty Images)

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