It's no easy task trying to get all the vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis. First of all, I understand that it's easier to order tikka masala takeout than to chop up all those veggies and sautee them (but many of us also know that the aftermath of tikka masala is not always worth the convenience).
Try to think of your diet in terms of colors -- a fun visual approach to covering all your bases. In a perfect world where all the Golden Girls would still be alive, you should be eating a few servings of leafy green veggies every day. If you can do that and also incorporate a few different colors (balancing out veggies, fruits, whole grains, fats, meat/poultry/fish, appropriately), there's a great chance you'll be averaging out a diverse intake of different vitamins and minerals. Variety is k.e.y. to a good diet and rainbowfying it gives you a big kangaroo leap in the right direction.
An example of how this might happen:
Morning: Red, Brown (Oatmeal with strawberries)
Snack: Orange, Brown, White (Orange, handful of almonds, glass of milk)
Lunch: Green, Protein (Salad w/ assorted greens/veggies and chicken)
Snack: White, Purple, Yellow, Green (Yogurt with sliced up banana and blueberries and cup of green tea)
Dinner: Tan, Green, Red, Protein (Couscous mixed with steamed broccoli and chopped up red bellpepper and salmon)
With this menu, you have achieved balance, moderation, and variety -- the 3 fundamentals of a healthy diet.
Whole grains (oats, couscous)
Fruits (strawberries, orange, blueberries, banana)
Vegetables (salad greens/assorted veggies, broccoli, red bellpepper)
Nuts (almonds)
Dairy (milk, yogurt)
Protein (chicken, salmon)
...........and you covered the whole rainbow too. Sorry to insert fratastic lingo, but... you deserve a pound.
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Here are some suggestions for fruits, veggies, and "others" -- broken down by color. Try picking a few different items within each color to brighten up your intake.
REDS
Fruits: Apples, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, pomegranate, watermelon
Veggies: Red bell pepper, tomatoes
Other: Kidney beans
ORANGES/YELLOWS
Fruits: Oranges/grapefruits, papaya, bananas, cantaloupe, apricots, lemons, pineapple
Veggies: Squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes/yams, orange/yellow bell pepper, carrots, corn
Other: Egg (with yolk)
GREENS
Fruits: Honeydew, green apples, pears, grapes
Veggies: Spinach, kale, broccoli, swiss chard, brussel sprouts, green bell pepper, sprouts, green beans, peas, cabbage
Other: Green tea
PURPLES
Fruits: Blueberries, blackberries, plums, figs, grapes
Veggies: Beets, purple cabbage
TANS/BROWNS
Fruits: Bosch pears
Veggies: Chickpeas, lentils
Other: Whole grains (barley, oats, quinoa, couscous, farro, cereals), sesame seeds, nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans), ginger
WHITES
Veggies: Mushrooms, jicama, garlic, onions
Other: Milk, tofu, soymilk
BLACKS
Veggies: Black beans, avocados
Other: Black sesame seeds, chia seeds, black tea
For a few great resources on benefits and properties of healthy foods, check out these websites:
