How to Eat Rainbow Fruits and Vegetables

Want to slow aging, stave off heart disease and cancer, and protect your brain? Pile your plate with colour and here’s how.

Yellow & Orange

Fruits and vegetables such as carrots, mangoes, peaches and corn are rich sources of carotenoids, a class of phytochemicals that includes beta carotene and lutein. Carotenoids, like so many of the substances in fruits and veggies, have been shown to fight cancer. They’re also important for the health of your eyes. Carotenoids decrease the risk of macular worsening, an age-related eye disease. Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are loaded with vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system.

Green

Goodies like kale, broccoli, avocado and cabbage contain chlorophyll, which recent research suggests may also protect against cancer. Dark green chlorophyll is often a cover-up for additional pigments like the yellowy carotenoids. Spinach, for example, is very high in lutein. Broccoli contains a number of cancer-fighting compounds and is good for your heart to boot.

Blue & Purple

Fruits, for example, blueberries, blackberries, concord grapes and plums is packed with phytochemicals in a class called anthocyanins that are very powerful antioxidants. They have been linked to helping slow down the development of cancer by destroying free radicals. The blueberry also has the ability to defend our brain cells. The concord grape is simply as mighty with its 31 different types of anthocyanins.

Red

Fruits and veggies include beets, tomatoes, red bell peppers and watermelon. They get most of their colour from anthocyanins. But you need only look at all the different shades of red in these foods to appreciate the variety of pigment combinations they contain. Tomatoes are predominantly high in lycopene and have been shown to protect the prostate from cancer. Strawberries are thought to guard the brain against aging and reduce risk of heart disease. Cherries can help reduce joint pain from arthritis.

White

Pale-coloured produce like garlic and cauliflower should also be on your sensor, because many phytochemicals are colourless. The vitamins, minerals and fibre contained in all fruits and veggies, including white ones, only add to their strength.

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