Did you know nature highlights beneficial nutrients in fruits and vegetables by giving them their vibrant color? I read an article today on my Yahoo Home-screen explaining why your diet should be colorful and what colors you should be eating. I found it incredibly interesting!
Every vegetable color represents different benefits and nutrients, which means you should try to eat a wide variety of colors. Every wonder why eggplant and blue berries are blue, purple, and deep red? It’s because they contain anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, which are two antioxidants that have been associated with keeping your heart healthy, and your brain functioning optimally!
According to the USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we should concentrate on eating three specific colors: dark green, red, and orange. The article says you should try to aim to eat this much of eat color per week:
You should eat 1.5-2 cups of dark green vegetables weekly.
Benfits:
- Good source of Lutein and seaxanthin, which are phytochemicals that fight blindness by accumulating in the eyes, preventing age-related macular degeneration
- Rich in beta carotene
- Provide indoles and isothiocyanates, compounds that may help prevent cancer by increasing production of enzymes that clear toxins from the body.
You should eat 5.5-6 cups of red and orange vegetables weekly.
Benefits:
- Red foods contain a phytochemical called lycopene. It may help to protect your body from that prostate and breast cancers.
- Carrots and sweet potatoes are so vibantly orange because they contain Alpha and beta carotene. Our bodies take these compounds, turn them into an active form of vitamin A, helping our eyes, bones and immune system stay healthy.
Healthy Living in Austin, Texas 
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