5 A Day The Color Way Links • The Colors of Health • Why Are Scientists So Excited? • What's a Serving? • 5 or More the Easy Way • Building a Healthy Lifestyle

"For optimum health, scientists say, eat a rainbow of colors. Your plate should look like a box of Crayolas."

- Janice M. Horowitz, TIME, January 12, 2002

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.

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

* Low-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.

Get blue/purple every day with foods such as:

Blackberries
Blueberries
Black currants
Dried plums
Elderberries
Purple figs
Purple grapes
Plums
Raisins

Purple asparagus
Purple cabbage
Purple carrots
Eggplant
Purple Belgian endive
Purple peppers
Potatoes (purple fleshed)
Black salsify

back to top

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

* Low-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.

Go green every day with fruits and vegetables like these:

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*

* Low-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.

Get all the health benefits of white by including foods such as:

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*

* Low-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.

Choose Yellow/Orange fruits and vegetables like:

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

* Low-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors.

Include RED fruits and vegetables in your diet such as: