Taste the rainbow

As I'm majoring in Food Science & Nutrition, it made sense to have this blog assignment done on what I know and everyone loves best- food. I'm pretty sure everyone has a favorite food; there will be a taste, a smell, or a particular texture of that food which a person would be fond of. Of course, looks and appearances count too.. sometimes too much.

Pretty to the eyes..

... Yummy to the mouth, not?

By now, any health-conscious person would know to stay away from foods that come in unnaturally bright and neon shades. After all, it is an obvious sign that that lots of food coloring was added, and quite probably loaded with artificial flavorings and sweeteners along with it. Gone are the days when, as children, we would be entranced by the brightly-colored candies and snacks and the extreme sweetness that comes with them.

Until the first toothache appears.

So now you're probably thinking about eating healthy. When most people think about healthy food, what comes to mind is usually bland, or boring, maybe both. This is true in a way. Good, wholesome food are usually only minimally processed, and part of that is to preserve the nutrients that the food contains. Additives are added mainly to stabilize the nutrient compounds and to lengthen the food's shelf life, and whether the food is palatable is often of second importance. Also, adding flavorings and sweeteners would be the opposite of producing a healthy food, so that is not done. 

This is good for you, but so boring.

But wait! If you are resigned to the fact that you will have to be content with healthy, but plain boring food,     fret not. Did you know that plants and vegetables that are naturally colored, are in fact, good for you? These nature-made pigments aren't just for aesthetics. Besides giving the plants' their color, these pigments often play an important part in maintaining the plants' growth. Different pigments have different properties, most of which are beneficial to us in various ways when included in our diets.

So read on to find out how eating a rainbow, the healthy way, can be good for you. These colors are natural and pleasing to the eye, with a wider variety of interesting tastes and textures instead of just sugar. And yes, they look a lot less scarier than those multicolored neon cupcakes.