The foods that are found in nature that are the most vibrant also provide the highest nutritional worth for our bodies. There are very few “white” foods that offer much nutrition, cauliflower and jicama are the only remarkable exceptions. Orange, red, purple, green and even brown foods offer the most nutritional significance. White flours and white rice are exceptionally empty of nutrition.

Many years ago, in an endeavor to conserve foods for a longer interval of time, white flour was invented. The traditional whole grain flour, which tends to be a range of shades of brown, comprises all of the very healthful and fiber-rich parts of the seed including the external bran layer and the germ. However, whole grain flour has a inclination to spoil faster and it also attracts weevils.

So flour that was made from only the endosperm of the seed was developed. This flour was white and it was and still is frequently lightened with chemicals in order to make it more white. An interesting side note is that whole grain flour will appeal to weevils; insects cannot live on white flour because it does not have enough food value. White flour is a natural insecticide.

This vastly refined white flour became a big hit. People enjoyed the lightness of it and the pretty white fare that it made. However, it was soon discovered that this appealing white flour contained almost no dietetic value so in an effort to regain some of the food value that had been lost, the flour was enriched by adding back in 4 vitamins and minerals. However, this made little difference because 15 vitamins and minerals had been lost and none of the fiber was added back in.

It is regrettable but even today the greater part of the breads and baked goods on our store shelves is made from this nutritionally devoid flour. Even the so-called “wheat” breads often list enriched flour as the foremost factor. If you want to get the peak dietetic value from breads and baked products you need to make sure that the first ingredient listed on the label is not enriched flour but whole grain flour.

The more processed a food is the less nutritious it tends to be. White foods tend to be deficient in all of the key nutrients. White rice is similar to white flour in its dietary value. Whole grain foods, with all of the innate fiber and nutrients, are the most healthful and these foods are never white but always shades of brown.

All of the multicolored foods are critical when it comes to food. Orange fruits and vegetables include beta-carotene, purple vegetables and fruits include anthocyanins and resveratrol and the green fruits and vegetables supply an array or other notable antioxidants and crucial vitamins and minerals. The most multi-colored diets are the most healthy.

In order to maximize your nutrients, have multi-colored foods and purge all white foods with the exclusion of cauliflower and jicama. Include some lean protein sources such like fish, poultry or lean meats or if you are a vegetarian make sure and include a mixture of beans and legumes for vegetarian protein. And make sure that the bread that you eat is prepared from whole grain flours and not enriched flours.