Red – Contain antioxidants including lycopene, anthocyanins, ellagic acid and astaxanthin.
Lycopene gives red fruits their colour. It is thought to have antioxidant properties that may help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
Cherries, cranberries, radishes, red apples, red grapes, red peppers, tomatoes, watermelon
Orange – High in carotenoids, such as alpha-carotene and beta-carotene.
Beta-carotene gives yellow and orange fruits and vegetables their colour and is converted to vitamin A in the body, where it helps us make hormones and keeps our eyes healthy.
Carrots, cantaloupe melon, mangoes, nectarines, orange peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes
Yellow – Contain carotenoids including beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin.
As with orange fruit and vegetables, beta-carotene gives yellow varieties their colour. Like beta-carotene, our bodies can convert beta-cryptoxanthin into vitamin A.
Butternut squash, honeydew melon, lemons, papaya, peaches, persimmons, swede, yellow peppers
Blue/Purple – Anthocyanins, giving blue and purple foods their rich colours are powerful antioxidants, which may have a role in protecting cells from damage. Nitrates are also present in many blue and purple foods as well as others.
Aubergines, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, purple grapes, red cabbage, purple beetroot, purple lettuce
Green – Chlorophyll gives green fruits and vegetables their colour, but many green vegetables are rich in other nutrients such as sulforaphane, glucosinolate, lutein and zeaxanthin.
May slow the progression of age-related macular ddegeneration and help protect against blood-vessel damage and certain cancers.
Researching whether sulforaphane could help protect against the damage caused by heart attacks, stroke and gestational diabetes.
Leafy green vegetables, apples, asparagus, avacados, celery, courgettes, cucumbers, limes, mange tout, sugar snap peas
White/Beige – Anthoxanthins are the pigments that create white or cream colours. Some studies have suggested that anthoxanthins may reduce the risk of Cardiovascular Disease and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, but there is not enough evidence for these to be recommended over other colours.
Bananas, celeriac, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms, onions, turnips, white peaches
