Colour-Free Foods To Eat

By Dr Liz Applegate

Miss summer’s colourful bounty? These 10 foods pack plenty of nutritional punch, despite their light hues.

It’s loaded with fibre and folate, which aid digestion, plus vitamin C and compounds that may prevent some cancers.

Bright idea: Steam, then mash like potatoes and top with baked fish.

Studies on runners have shown that the milk proteins in cottage cheese are particularly efficient at rebuilding muscle fibres.

Bright idea: Add to smoothies; or top with nuts, herbs, and tomatoes.

Prepared with boiling water, instant oats is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It’s also a good source of vitamin A, riboflavin, folate, calcium, phosphorus and selenium.

Bright idea: Top with blueberries, almonds, and milk for more protein.

A study from two Georgia universities found compounds in ginger can reduce muscle pain post-exercise by decreasing inflammation.

Bright idea: Grate fresh ginger into stir-fries, or serve on sandwiches.

They contain more heart-healthy monounsaturated fat than other nuts. A study found that a daily handful lowers inflammatory markers, reducing heart-disease risk.

Bright idea: Sprinkle on yoghurt and fruit. Or toast lightly and toss into a stir-fry.

A runner’s favourite, mashed potatoes supply glycogen-rebuilding carbs (about 35 grams in one cup), not to mention a quarter of your daily vitamin C needs.

Bright idea: Mash spuds, leaving skins on, and add Greek yoghurt (see No. 8 below).

Button mushrooms contain the five B vitamins, as well as the essential minerals potassium, selenium, and phosphorous; and small – but nutritionally important – amounts of iron.

Bright idea: Sauté with onions and garlic for a low-kilojoule side dish.

Teeming with good-for-you bacteria, Greek yoghurt has 11 grams of protein (about twice as much as regular varieties) and provides 15 per cent of your calcium needs per cup.

Bright idea: Use to enrich soups – stir in one cup for every six cups soup.

One cup has 48 grams of glycogen-boosting carbs, and 19 grams of fibre. Studies indicate this fibre prompts the release of an appetite-suppressing hormone.

Bright idea: Purée cooked beans with garlic and olive oil, and use as a sandwich spread.

This staple is rich in quercetin, which research has found reduces inflammation caused by strenuous workouts.

Bright idea: Sauté, broil, or roast to preserve the quercetin content.