Why Do We Need to Eat a Colorful Diet?

You may have heard that colorful fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants (aka cancer-fighting nutrients) and it’s important to include them in our diet. Walking into a grocery store, you may be overwhelmed trying to decide which fruits and vegetables you should choose. Are there ones that are better than others? Can I eat less of a certain kind and still get all the antioxidants and other nutrients from it? This post is designed to help break it down for you.

According to Harvard Medical School¹, in order to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory disease, and/or death, an individual should consume 4-5 servings of fruits/vegetables per day. A serving of fruit is defined as one medium-sized fruit, ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit, and/or ½ cup fruit juice. For vegetables – 1 cup raw leafy vegetables, ½ cup raw or cooked vegetables, and/or ½ cup vegetable juice. What are the benefits of eating the rainbow? And what does each color fruit or vegetable provide?

RED – The color results from a phytonutrient called “lycopene.”

• Foods: Tomato, cherry, watermelon, strawberry, red pepper, radish, raspberry, cranberry, red onion, beet, pomegranate, red grapefruit, blood orange, red chili pepper, red dragon fruit, and more!
• Nutrients: A good source of: vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, and packed with antioxidants.
• Benefits: Reduces the risk of chronic disease, improves gut health, and may reduce blood pressure.

ORANGE/YELLOW – The color results from “alpha-carotene” and “beta-carotene.”

• Foods: Carrot, pineapple, squash, peach, sweet potato, pumpkin, orange, mango, orange pepper, tangerine, winter squash, persimmon, nectarine, kumquat, apricot, papaya, mandarin, cantaloupe, orange tomato, turmeric, kiwano melon, and more!
• Nutrients: A good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, and packed with antioxidants.
• Benefits: Boosts your immune system and helps maintain vision.

GREEN – The color results from phytochemicals called “sulforaphane,” “isothiocyanates,” and “indoles.”

• Foods: Kiwi, green pea, lime, avocado, green apple, honeydew, broccoli, spinach, green cabbage, green bean, cucumber, leafy green, artichoke, lettuce, broccoflower, zucchini, green pepper, green onion, asparagus and more!
• Nutrients: A good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, folate, fiber, and tons of antioxidants.
• Benefits: Aids in blood clotting (vitamin K), helps maintain vision, strong bones, and teeth.

LIGHT GREEN/WHITE – The color results from flavonoids such as “quercetin,” “kaempferol,” and “anthoxanthins.”

• Foods: Onion, garlic, leek, celery, white asparagus, kohlrabi, white radish, napa cabbage, fennel, turnip, and more!
• Nutrients: A good source of vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and fiber.
• Benefits: Helps control cholesterol levels and promotes heart health.

BLUE/PURPLE³ – The color results from an antioxidant called “anthocyanin.”

• Foods: Purple grape, raisin, eggplant, blueberry, ube, fig, purple potato, purple carrot, lavender, passionfruit, plum, purple pepper, beetroot, acai berry, purple corn, prune, blackberry, concord grape, purple sweet potato, and more!
• Nutrients: A good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and calcium.
• Benefits: Helps reduce inflammation, improves brain and heart health, boosts urinary tract health, and promotes healthy aging.

In order to receive all of the benefits from the rainbow of fruits/vegetables, you should incorporate each color into your diet. How can you do this? Eat a different color for each serving per day, make a colorful salad, or throw a few different colors into a smoothie. Next time you stop at the grocery, try picking out a new color of fruit or vegetables, and let us know how you prepared it.

¹ How many fruits and vegetables do we really need? – Harvard Health

³ Purple Vegetables: Why You Should Eat These 10 Powerful Veggies (foodrevolution.org)

Eat a Colorful Diet | RUSH