Vegetables and fruit provide your body with a combination of vitamins that can’t be replicated in a supplement.
Each color serves a different role in the body, so aim to get at least three colors at every meal. Whole vegetables and fruits are best, but frozen and canned can offer health benefits at a reduced cost. Limit fruit juice consumption as they do not have the fiber needed to keep your blood sugar balanced.
- Yellow foods like squash, corn, yellow peppers, and star fruit help optimize brain function.
- Green vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, leafy greens, limes, kiwis and avocados assist in building and maintaining healthy bone and musculature.
- Orange foods support skin and mucosal tissues and include oranges, carrots, pumpkin, peaches, and cantaloupe.
- White foods like bananas, garlic, ginger, apples, onions, and mushrooms enhance the immune and lymph system while promoting cellular recovery.
- Red foods such as beets, cherries, strawberries, red onions and tomatoes support the heart and circulatory system.
- Purple foods promote microcirculation and include blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, grapes, and purple cabbage.
Work to increase the variety of colors in your diet, and also seek variety within each color group. Look for seasonal and local produce when possible for even more benefits.