X for Xanthophyll : Eat the Rainbow

Is convenience, comfort?

On one side we enjoy the convenience of home delivered vegetables and fruits, so we don't have to walk down the supermarket aisle after a long day of work. And, we truly believe that is comfort, until we spend time in nature and experience first hand what it means to see a tree in full bloom, feel the texture of freshly plucked strawberries, smell the honeyed fragrance of spring flowers. And perhaps truly experience comfort.

Driven by bare visual, biological cues, we've romanticized colour in our language, culture, cities and lives. What's really fascinating though is how we find comfort in these colours, be it on a rainbow or even on our plate!

Eat your #rainbow they say - this week we look at the why!

One of the most important steps of #mindful eating is recognising the different kinds of hunger. #Hunger can be triggered by a variety of things, not just a lack of food.

For example, you may well be eating 3 to 5 meals a day, but if your #food lacks variety, you will always feel a craving for more or feel unsatisfied.

One of the best ways to add variety is to find the most vivid coloured fruits and vegetables to add to your diet. From blues and purples to oranges, red, yellow and green, brown, white.

Each bring with them not just varied flavour but also something exciting to look forward to. Check next post for a great recipe to try that uses all the colours really well!

Here's a great way to add all the colours into a meal.

1 small red pepper

1 small yellow pepper

1 small carrot peeled and finely grated

1 small green pepper

1/4 small red cabbage

1 portion purple cabbage

For bean vermicelli

100 g rice or bean vermicelli

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 clove garlic minced

salt

black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Prepare the vegetables by washing them thoroughly and then cutting them into small pieces.

• Boil some water and add in the rice or bean vermicelli.

• Meanwhile, heat some coconut oil in a frying pan and add in a finely minced garlic clove. Once you have finished soaking the noodles, drain them and throw them into the pan with the oil and garlic. Add a bit of turmeric, salt, and pepper, and sauté all of the ingredients together for a minute or two.

• Once you have prepared all of the colored ingredients, separate them into bowls to make it easier to put the spring rolls together.

• Start placing the ingredients onto the wrapper and fold.

• Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice. I like to mix some soy sauce with a bit of lime juice and honey