True colours! Why you should try a more colourful diet
Juicy red tomatoes, crisp green snow peas and picture-perfect blueberries are more than just delicious, wholesome food choices. They also have special nutrients called phytonutrients, which are beneficial plant-based compounds found in all produce.
Though there are no nutrition labels found on vegetables and fruit, you can use our colour guide below to decode the nutrients in your favourites. Enjoy a variety of colourful foods every day to get a delicious mix.
The red team
All-stars: beets, cherries, red peppers, red plums, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.
Key phytonutrients: anthocyanins, betacyanins, lutein, lycopene, polyphenols and quercetin.
Summer inspirations:
The orange team
All-stars: apricots, butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, kumquats, mangoes, oranges, papayas, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and tangerines.
Key phytonutrients: alpha carotene, beta carotene, flavonoids, lutein and lycopene.
Summer inspirations:
- Eat at least one serving of an orange vegetable every day, as recommended in Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide. One large carrot or ½ cup (125 mL) of sweet potato or squash counts as a serving. Moreover, because of their concentration of beta-carotene, certain orange fruit such as apricots, cantaloupe, mangoes and peaches can substitute for a serving of orange vegetables.
- Add kumquats to your fruit platter. Resembling tiny oval oranges, this fruit has a slightly tart pulp and sweetly delicious peel, so go ahead and eat them whole (but do discard the seeds).
- Enjoy this flavourful Citrus Mango Salad, which combines the magnificent colours of mangoes, red peppers and tomatoes.
The yellow team
All-stars: corn, grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, yellow bell pepper, yellow tomatoes and yellow zucchini.
Key phytonutrients: carotenoids and lutein.
Summer inspirations:
- Make your own thirst quencher by adding fresh lemon slices to a pitcher of ice cold water.
- Visit a farmers' market and buy some fresh corn on the cob — no summer is complete without it! Add a touch of Becel Cooking and Topping Spray for added flavour without extra fat or calories.
- Thread fresh pineapple chunks on chicken, shrimp or veggie kabobs.
The green team
All-stars: asparagus, avocadoes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, cucumber, Swiss chard, green beans, green grapes, kale, kiwi, leeks, lettuce, okra, snow peas, spinach and zucchini.
Key phytonutrients: beta carotene, glutathione and lutein.
Summer inspirations:
- Eat at least one serving of a green vegetable every day, as recommended by Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide. One cup
(250 mL) of raw leafy greens or ½ cup (125 mL) of other green vegetables counts as a serving.
- Choose romaine lettuce instead of iceberg. You'll get almost 12 times more beta-carotene, 9 times more vitamin C and lutein and 4 times more vitamin K.
- Buy a bunch of kale, Swiss chard or spinach to make Braised Chicken with White Beans and Kale for supper tonight.
The blue/purple team
All stars: blackberries, blueberries, plums, prunes, purple carrots and purple cauliflower.
Key phytonutrients: anthocyanins, beta carotene and polyphenols.
Summer inspirations:
- Start your day with this heart healthy breakfast: low-fat yogurt sprinkled with low-fat granola and a handful of fresh blackberries or diced plums.
- Add a new colour to your veggie platter! Serve raw purple cauliflower florets and other veggies with a low-fat dip.
- Take 3 cups of blueberries and a cup of rolled oats to make this tasty Blueberry Lemon Crunch
The white team
All-stars: bananas, cauliflower, celery, endive, garlic, lychees and potatoes.
Key phytonutrients: flavonoids, allicin and quercetin.
Summer inspirations:
- Snack on a banana after a workout.
- Whisk together this easy Dijon Garlic Vinaigrette to dress any summer salad.
- Put a sweet twist on potato salad by adding sliced grapes and pineapple chunks mixed with low-fat mayonnaise.