"Eat the rainbow" to get as much color variety in your diet as possible, maximizing a broad range of important nutrients. By eating a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, you are guaranteed a diverse amount of essential vitamins and minerals. Colors are one small clue as to what vitamins and nutrients are included. When it comes to your health, you’ll fare best with a multi-colored diet.
Add some color to your plate with these colorful superfoods:
Pink and Red
- Health benefits: Pink and red food helps lower blood pressure, supports joint tissue, helps fight harmful free-radicals, lowers cholesterol, helps keep the heart healthy, and fights and reduces the risk of certain cancers.
- What to eat: cherries, cranberries, grapes, guava, papaya, pomegranate, radishes, raspberries, red apples, red bell peppers, red/pink grapefruit, strawberries, tomatoes, tomatoes, watermelon
Yellow and Orange
- Health benefits: Yellow and Orange food helps keep the heart healthy, maintains healthy eye sight, promotes collagen formation and healthy joints, fights harmful free radicals, builds healthy bones, lowers blood pressure, encourages alkaline balance, and works with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.
- What to eat: apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, peaches, Pineapple, pumpkins, rutabagas, squash, sweet potatoes, tangerines
All Shades Green
- Health benefits: Green food helps normalize digestion time, maintains eye health, fights harmful free-radicals, boosts immune system, supports artery health, provides beneficial effects on cholesterol and blood pressure, fights harmful free-radicals, and aids in cancer prevention.
- What to eat: avocados, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, fava beans, green beans, green peppers, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach, soybeans, watercress, zucchini
Blue and Purple
- Health benefits: Blue and purple food helps support digestion, reduces stroke and cancer, fights inflammation, promotes brain and heart health, supports artery health, improves memory, supports retinal health, lowers cholesterol, boosts the immune system, improves calcium and other mineral absorption, reduces tumor growth, and limits the activity of cancer cells.
- What to eat: beets, black beans, blackberries, black currants, blueberries, boysenberries, eggplant, figs, grapes, plums, purple cabbage, purple sweet potato
White and Off White
- Health benefits: White and off white food helps boost immune system, balances hormones, maintains healthy bones, promotes good circulation, supports the arteries, and may help reduce the risk of certain cancers.
- What to eat: black-eyed peas, cauliflower, garlic, horseradish, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, pears, turnips, white kidney beans
Savor the rainbow!
Please do not self-diagnose or self-medicate—even if with a food or herb. Trust your medical professional first and foremost in this department.
Reference: Fruits and Veggies More Matters (.org)
by Local Green Circle, March, 2010