Fruits and vegetables get their colour from phytochemicals (phy·to·chem·i·cal), which help keep us healthy. It is recommended that we should eat a minimum of five portions (roughly a handful so a child’s portion will be smaller than an adults) of fruits and vegetables per day. By eating a variety of different colours, we are more likely to get all the essential vitamins and minerals from our diet.
Blue/purple
Aubergines, blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes and red cabbage all get their purple colour thanks to anthocyanins (an·tho·cy·a·nin), which help protect cells from damage.
Dark green
Darker green foods like kale, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Savoy cabbage and peas are all high in lutein (lu·tein), which is only made by plants and helps with eye degeneration.
Light green
As well as giving us some of the benefits as the dark green vegetables, light green ones like celery, cucumber, lettuce, courgette and pears are full of water and keep us hydrated.
White/beige
Bananas, parsnips and mushrooms are good sources of potassium (po·tas·si·um), which is important for heart and muscle function. Celeriac, garlic, onions, turnips and cauliflower also sit in this colour group.
Yellow
Yellow fruits and vegetables such as lemons, papaya, peaches, swede and yellow peppers converts our bodies antioxidants (an·ti·ox·i·dant) into Vitamin A, which is very important for eye health.
Orange
Citrus fruits like oranges are high in Vitamin C that helps to fight infections. Other orange foods like orange peppers, pumpkin and sweet potatoes help us make hormones and keep our eyes healthy.
Red
The red colour in foods like cherries, cranberries, radishes, tomatoes, red peppers and watermelon comes from lycopene (ly·co·pene), which may reduce our risk of heart disease and some cancers.
