Eat Your Colors Everyday for Maximum Health and Fitness

One of the foundations of The Joy of A Healthy Life is eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The Produce For Better Health Foundation has made it even easier to understand the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables by identifying the predominant nutrients in fruits and vegetables by their color. So take some new ones out for a spin and work extra hard and increase the ratio of fruits and vegetables in your diet versus simple carbs, proteins and fats.

It’s all about color – blue/purple, green, white, yellow/orange, and red – and the power of colorful fruits and vegetables to promote good health. So when you're grocery shopping, planning your meals or dining out, think color.

Boost the level of BLUE/PURPLE in your low-fat diet to help maintain:

• A lower risk of some cancers
• Urinary tract health
• Memory function
• Healthy aging
  

Blue/purple fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of health-promoting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics, currently being studied for their antioxidant and anti-aging benefits. Get blue/purple every day with foods such as:

Blackberries
Blueberries
Black currants
Dried plums
Elderberries
Purple figs
Purple grapes
Plums
Raisins

Purple asparagus
Purple cabbage
Purple carrots
Eggplant
Purple Belgian endive
Purple peppers
Potatoes (purple fleshed)
Black salsify

WHITE

Working WHITE into your low-fat diet helps maintain:

• Heart health
• Cholesterol levels that are already healthy
• A lower risk of some cancers

White for Wellness

White, tan, and brown fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of phytochemicals of interest to scientists. These include allicin, found in the onion family. Get all the health benefits of white by including foods such as:

Bananas
Brown pears
Dates
White nectarines
White peaches

Cauliflower
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger
Jerusalem artickoke
Jicama
Kohlrabi
Mushrooms
Onions
Parsnips
Potatoes (white fleshed)
Shallots
Turnips
White Corn

RED

Be sure to include RED in your low-fat diet to help maintain:

• Heart health
• Memory function
• A lower risk of some cancers
• Urinary tract health

Red-hot and Healthy

The specific phytochemicals in the red group being studied for their health-promoting properties include lycopene and anthocyanins. Get your reds every day by eating fruits and vegetables such as:

Red apples
Blood oranges
Cherries
Cranberries
Red grapes
Pink/Red grapefruit
Red pears
Prickly Pears
Pomegranates
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon

Beets
Red peppers
Radishes
Radicchio
Red onions
Red potatoes
Rhubarb
Tomatoes

Add GREEN to your low-fat diet to maintain:

• A lower risk of some cancers
• Vision health
• Memory function
• Strong bones and teeth

Go Green. Go Healthy.

Green fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of potent phytochemicals such as lutein and indoles, which interest researchers because of their potential antioxidant, health-promoting benefits. Go green every day with fruits and vegetables like these:

Avocados
Green apples
Green grapes
Honeydew
Kiwifruit
Limes
Green pears

Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Broccoflower
Broccoli
Broccoli rabe
Brussels sprouts
Chinese cabbage
Green beans
Green cabbage
Celery
Chayote squash
Cucumbers
Endive
Leafy greens
Leeks
Lettuce
Green onion
Okra
Peas
Romaine
Green pepper
Sugar snap peas
Spinach
Watercress
Zucchini

Make YELLOW/ORANGE a part of your low-fat diet to help maintain:

• A healthy heart
• Vision health
• A healthy immune system
• A lower risk of some cancers

Powerful Antioxidants

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C as well as carotenoids and bioflavonoids, two classes of phytochemicals that scientists are studying for their health-promoting potential. Every day, include orange and yellow fruits and vegetables like these:

Yellow apples
Apricots
Cantaloupe
Yellow figs
Grapefruit
Golden kiwifruit
Lemon
Mangoes
Nectarines
Oranges
Papayas
Peaches
Yellow pears
Persimmons
Pineapples
Tangerines
Yellow watermelon

Yellow beets
Butternut squash
Carrots
Yellow peppers
Yellow potatoes
Pumpkin
Rutabagas
Yellow summer squash
Sweet corn
Sweet potatoes
Yellow tomatoes
Yellow winter squash