Why 5 a Day the Color Way

Eating 5 or more servings of colorful fruits and vegetables a day is part of an essential plan for healthier living. That’s because deeply hued fruits and vegetables provide the wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals your body needs to maintain good health and energy levels, protect against the effects of aging, and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.*

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

Choose the Colors of Health

It’s all about color – blue/purple, green, white, yellow/orange, and red – and the power of colorful fruits and vegetables to promote good health. So when you're grocery shopping, planning your meals or dining out, think color.

And for variety, make it 5 A Day The Color Way:

BLUE/PURPLE

Boost the level of BLUE/PURPLE in your low-fat diet to help maintain:

A lower risk of some cancers Urinary tract health Memory function Healthy aging

Beat the Effects of Aging

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. Get blue/purple every day with foods such as:

GREEN

Add GREEN to your low-fat diet to maintain:

A lower risk of some cancers Vision health Strong bones and teeth

Green fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of potent phytochemicals such as lutein and indoles, which interest researchers because of their potential antioxidant, health-promoting benefits. Go green every day with fruits and vegetables like these:

WHITE

Working WHITE into your low-fat diet helps maintain:

Heart health Cholesterol levels that are already healthy A lower risk of some cancers

 White for Wellness

White, tan, and brown fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of phytochemicals of interest to scientists. These include allicin, found in the onion family. Get all the health benefits of white by including foods such as:

YELLOW/ORANGE

Make YELLOW/ORANGE a part of your low-fat diet to help maintain:

A healthy heart Vision health A healthy immune system A lower risk of some cancers

Orange and yellow 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. Every day, include orange and yellow fruits and vegetables like these:

RED

Be sure to include RED in your low-fat diet to help maintain:

A healthy heart Memory function A lower risk of some cancers Urinary tract health

The specific phytochemicals in the red group being studied for their health-promoting properties include lycopene and anthocyanins. Get your reds every day by eating fruits and vegetables such as: