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5 A Day The Healthy Way

Colorful fruits and vegetables provide the wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals your body uses to maintain good health and energy levels, protect against the effects of aging, and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Many of the phytochemicals and other compounds that make fruits and vegetables good for us also give them their color. That?s why it?s essential to sample the complete color spectrum every day to get the full preventive benefits of fruits and vegetables. The colors to keep in mind are:

BLUE/PURPLE, GREEN, WHITE, YELLOW/ORANGE and RED.

BLUE/PURPLE

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. Include BLUE/PURPLE in your low-fat diet to help maintain:

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

Get blue/purple every day with foods such as:
Blackberries,Blueberries, Black currants, Dried plums, Elderberries, Purple figs, Purple grapes Plums, Raisins.

And purple vegetables such as:
Purple asparagus, Purple cabbage, Purple carrots, Eggplant, Purple Belgian endive, Purple peppers Potatoes (purple fleshed) and Black salsify.

GREEN

Green vegetables contain varying amounts of phytochemicals such as lutein and indoles, which interest researchers because of their potential antioxidant, health-promoting benefits. Include GREEN in your low-fat diet to maintain:

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

Go green every day with fruits and vegetables like these:
Avocados, Green apples, Green grapes, Honeydew, Kiwifruit, Limes and Green pears.

And green vegetables such as:
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, Green pepper, Sno Peas, Sugar snap peas, Spinach, Watercress and Zucchini.

WHITE

White, tan, and brown fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of phytochemicals of interest to scientists. These include allicin, found in the garlic and onion family. The mineral selenium, found in mushrooms, is also the subject of research. Including WHITE in your low-fat diet helps maintain:

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

Get all the health benefits of white by including foods such as:
Bananas, Brown pears, Dates, White nectarines and White peaches.

Try also white vegeables such as:
Cauliflower, Garlic, Ginger, Jerusalem artickoke, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips Potatoes (white fleshed)*, Shallots, Turnips and White Corn.

YELLOW/ORANGE

Yellow and orange 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. Including YELLOW/ORANGE in your low-fat diet helps maintain:

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

Choose Yellow/Orange fruits and vegetables like:
Yellow apples, Apricots, Cantaloupe, Cape Gooseberries, Yellow figs, Grapefruit, Golden kiwifruit Lemon, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Papayas, Peaches, Yellow pears, Persimmons, Pineapples, Tangerines and Yellow watermelon.

Yellow vegetables include:
Yellow beets, Butternut squash, Carrots, Yellow peppers, Yellow potatoes, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Yellow summer squash, Sweet corn, Sweet potatoes, Yellow tomatoes and Yellow winter squash.

RED

Specific phytochemicals in the red group that are being studied for their health-promoting properties include lycopene and anthocyanins. Include a variety of RED fruits and vegetables in your low-fat diet to help maintain:

• A healthy heart
• Memory function
• A lower risk of some cancers*
• Urinary tract health

Include RED fruits and vegetables in your diet such as:
Red apples, Blood oranges, Cherries, Cranberries, Red grapes, Pink/Red grapefruit, Red pears Pomegranates, Raspberries, Strawberries and Watermelon.

Also use vegetables such as:
Beets, Red peppers, Radishes, Radicchio, Red onions, Red potatoes, Rhubarb and Tomatoes.

Source: 5 A Day - http://www.5aday.org

Adapted by Editorial Staff, April, 2006
Last update, August 2008