One may wonder whether organic food products are healthier choices than conventional food. Kathleen YAU, a dietitian, clarifies that although organic farming do not use pesticide which are harmful to the body, there is not enough evidence to suggest that organic foods are healthier than conventional foods. On the other hand, imported organic foods need to be processed and transported, thus they go against the principle of low carbon diet.

Sometimes there is limitation in supplying locally grown seasonal food. A suggestion is to follow the dietary principle of a “Rainbow Diet”, that is, to include wide variety of fruit and vegetables in each meal to ensure that one can obtain various nutrients.

Rainbow Diet

Red	Tomato, red capsicum, beetroot, strawberry, watermelon
Orange	Pumpkin, carrot, papaya, orange, mango
Yellow	Sweetcorn, yellow capsicum, yellow sweet potato, grapefruit, pineapple
Green	Broccoli, Chinese kale, French bean, cucumber, chayote, bitter gourd
Blue/Purple	Blueberry, aubergine, purple cabbage, taro, purple grape

Kathleen finally adds that we should have simple and low carbon diets under the healthy eating principles to cool down the Earth!

Pumpkin	It contains vitamin A, dietary fibre and various minerals. Pumpkin is also rich in carbohydrates which makes it a substitute for rice and congee.
Spinach	A rich source of iron, calcium and folic acid. It can be stir-fried with garlic or braised in soup.
Cucumber and long bean	With crunchy texture, they are favourable choices for salad and chilled dishes.
Aubergine	Aubergine is the source of folic acid and potassium. Since aubergine absorbs a lot of oil while cooking, it is a healthier option to steam it with garlic.
Bitter gourd	It contains vitamin B and vitamin C. Those who do not prefer the bitter taste may try white bitter gourd.