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Go For Color!
Fruits and vegetables come in all colors of the rainbow. And when it comes to choosing your fruits and vegetables, the latest recommendations emphasize eating a wide variety of colors every day to get some of the more than 9,000 health-promoting plant-based substances called phytochemicals and reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Try to see how many colors you can eat in your 5 A Day.
RED
Red fruits and vegetables are rich in lycopene and are a good source of anthocyanins. Lycopene is an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Anthocyanins also appear to help control blood sugar and protect against diabetes-related circulatory problems.
| Cherries |
Raspberries |
Red Grapes |
| Guava |
Red Apples (with skin) |
Strawberries |
| Pink Grapefruit |
Red Pears (with skin) |
Tomatoes |
| Red Cabbage |
Red Peppers |
Watermelon |
BLUE/PURPLE
Blue and purple fruits and vegetables are rich sources of anthocyanins and phenols. Both of these phytochemicals are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
| Beets |
Blackberries |
Plums & Prunes (dried plums) |
| Blueberries |
Eggplant |
Purple Grape Juice |
| Black Currants |
Elderberries |
Purple Grapes |
ORANGE/YELLOW
Orange fruits and vegetables are high in beta-carotene; an antioxidant converted in the body to vitamin A that helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, maintains eyesight, and helps boost the immune system. Bioflavonoids, which work with vitamin C to help reduce the risk of cancer, strengthen bones and teeth, heal wounds, keep skin healthy and lower the risk of heart attacks are also present in orange fruits and vegetables.
| Acorn Squash |
Papaya |
Mangos |
| Apricots |
Peaches |
Nectarines |
| Butternut Squash |
Pears |
Oranges |
| Cantaloupe |
Pineapple |
Sweet Potatoes |
| Carrots |
Pumpkin |
Tangerines |
| Lemons |
Yellow Pepper |
Yellow/Golden Raisin |
GREEN
Green fruits and vegetables are among the best sources of lutein; an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, which can cause loss of vision. Green vegetables are also a rich source of indoles, which help to reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer. One recent study found that men who ate vegetables rich in indoles three times or more a week had 42 percent less prostate cancer.
| Arugula |
Cucumbers |
Mustard Greens |
| Bok Choy |
Green Beans |
Romaine Lettuce |
| Broccoli |
Green Leaf Lettuce |
Spinach |
| Brussels Sprouts |
Green Peas |
Swiss Chard |
| Cabbage |
Kale |
Turnip Greens |
| Collard Greens |
Kiwi |
Zucchini (with skin) |
WHITE
The white foods below are rich sources of allicin, which helps control blood pressure and cholesterol and seems to increase the body’s ability to fight infection.
| Chives |
Garlic |
Leeks |
Onions |
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