It’s not just a matter of eating more fruits and vegetables; consuming a variety of different coloured produce is important as well.

Why? Because different colours in fruits and vegetables tend to correspond to different combinations of nutrients and other phytochemicals, each with its own array of health benefits. Reds, oranges and yellows, greens, blues and purples — the more colours on your plate, the more health-promoting properties in your diet.

Eating at least one fruit or vegetable from each of the colour groups below is also an easy way to reach the 5-a-day goal. Colours are also an easy way to teach children about dietary variety. Here are a few suggestions:

RED Beetroot Cherries Guava Red and pink grapefruits Strawberries Tomatoes Watermelon
ORANGE/YELLOW Apricots Carrots Mangoes Melon Oranges Papaya Pineapple Pumpkin Sweet potatoes Yellow maize
GREEN Amaranth Avocado Bok choy Broccoli Cucumber Kiwi fruit Peas Spinach
BLUE/PURPLE Blueberries Dates Eggplant Grapes Passion fruit Plums Prunes Raisins
Last but not least....WHITE They may be lacking in colour, but vegetables such as garlic, onions, leeks and chives are rich sources of nutrients as well.

October 2003

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