Color Categories of Fruits and Vegetables Offer Healthy Benefits

Most people know that there are many benefits to maintaining a healthy diet. Longer lives, disease prevention and an ideal weight are all results of eating healthy.

But how can you know which foods to buy -- let alone which foods to eat? Now it may be easier than ever to decide.

Color is the key. If you know what you want to prevent or improve, there is probably a color associated with what you need.

Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals which are packed with vitamins and minerals. They can protect against things like the effects of aging, cancer and heart disease said Heather Boline, a registered dietitian at Freeman Health System.

Fruits and vegetables are categorized by color. These categories can help alert the healthy consumer of what benefits the fruit or vegetable has in store.

These color categories include red, blue/purple, yellow/orange, white and green.

Those in the white category, such as bananas, garlic, onions and potatoes, help with heart health, lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of some cancers. Cantaloupes, mangoes and sweet potatoes are all part of the yellow/orange category and help with the eye and heart health. Green grapes, kiwis, broccoli and spinach also help with vision and reducing the risk of cancer.

"Blueberries have the phytochemical anthocyanin which helps reduce age effects," said Boline.

If you are still unsure of how much of all these fruit and vegetables you need, there is a Web site that can figure it for you.

The site, created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can be found at www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov. The site considers your age, gender and activity level to measure how many cups of "fruits and veggies" you need in a day.