By putting something of every color on your plate or in your lunch bag, you are more likely to eat the 5 to 9 recommended servings of vegetables and fruit every day.
The more reds, oranges, greens, yellows, and blues you see on the plate, the more health promoting properties you are also getting from your vegetable and fruit choices.
Nutrition research shows that colorful vegetables and fruit contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phyto-chemicals that your body needs to promote health and help you feel great.
When you add deep reds or bright pinks to your daily diet, you are also adding a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.
Lycopene is found in tomatoes, red and pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya and guava. Diets rich in lycopene are being studied for their ability to fight heart disease and some cancers.
Greens
Do you know why this color is so essential to your diet? Green vegetables are rich in the phytochemicals that keep you healthy.
For example, the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that are found in spinach, collards, kale and broccoli have antioxidant properties and are being studied for their ability to protect your eyes by keeping your retina strong.
Oranges
Orange color is a must have in your daily diet. Orange vegetables and fruits like sweet potatoes, mangos, carrots, and apricots, contain beta-carotene.
This carotenoid is a natural antioxidant that is being studied for its role in enhancing the immune system.
Yellows
Bright yellows have many of the same perks as the orange groups: high in essential vitamins and carotenoids.
Pineapple, for example, is rich with Vitamin C, manganese, and the natural enzyme, bromelain. Bromelain is great to add to a meal to aid in digestion and reduce bloating.
Blues
Blues and purples not only add beautiful shades of tranquility and richness to your plate, they add health-enhancing flavonoids, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.
Blueberries, in particular, are rich in Vitamin C and folic acid and high in fiber and potassium.
Whites
Vegetables from the onion family, which include garlic, chives, scallions, leeks, and any variety of onion, contain the phytochemical allicin which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and increase the body’s ability to fight infections.
