Know Your Colors for Healthy Eating

Posted: Oct. 1, 2005

By eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables — green, yellow-orange, red and blue-purple — you're giving your body a wide range of nutrients that are important for good health.

Each color offers something unique, like different vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytochemicals, which work together to protect your health. Only fruits and vegetables, not pills or supplements, can give you these nutrients in the healthy combinations nature intended.

Here are some examples:

Color: Green
Vitamin K: Swiss Chard, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, Turnip Greens, Watercress, Endive, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Cabbage

Potassium: Leafy Greens, Broccoli

Color: Yellow/Orange
Beta-Carotene & Vitamin A: Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, Butternut Squash, Cantaloupe, Mangoes, Apricots, Peaches

Bioflavonoids & Vitamin C: Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemons, Tangerines, Clementines, Peaches, Papaya, Apricots, Nectarines, Pears, Pineapple, Yellow Raisins, Yellow Peppers

Potassium: Bananas, Oranges, Grapefruit, Lemons, Pineapple, Apricots

Color: Blue/Purple
Anthocyanins & Vitamin C: Blueberries, Blackberries, Purple Grapes, Black Currants, Elderberries

Phenolics (antioxidants): Dried Plums (Prunes), Raisins, Plums, Eggplant

Color: Red
Vitamin C: Cranberries, Pink Grapefruit, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon, Red Cabbage, Red Peppers, Radishes, Tomatoes

Anthocyanins: Raspberries, Cherries, Strawberries, Cranberries, Beets, Apples, Red Cabbage, Red Onions, Kidney Beans, Red Beans

Source: National Cancer Institute

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