While shopping for veggies and fruits, balance your cart with these various colors. Eat two servings in the morning with breakfast, two in the night and two at lunch time. Daily consider having about six cups of colorful produce in different forms. Moreover, consider buying local produces and seasonal colorful produces. Prepare salad, soup, curry, mix with sprouted grains, prepare smoothie or just consider eating cut fruits, raw vegetables.

Phytonutrients are good for health and they represent in different colors in fruits and vegetables. Consider including varieties of colorful produces in your summer diet for following reasons.

Red: is rich in carotenoid lycopene. It destroys free radicals and helps in protecting heart and lungs from serious conditions. It is good for prostate health. Vitamin A and C, manganese and fibers are present in red colored produces. It is present in cranberries, tomatoes, cherries, apple, beet, black and red grapes, red pepper, raspberries, strawberries.

Green: Green fruits and veggies are rich in isocyanate, indoles, sulforaphane and inhibit carcinogens. Greens contain folate substances that aides in cell reproduction and lutein for improving eyesight. These substances are present in mustard family -broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, alfalfa sprouts, kiwi, spinach and other greens, green tea, herbs such as mint, basil, cilantro, rosemary etc.

White: Quercetin and kaempferoal are two antioxidants present in white produces. They have anti-cancer, anti-tumor properties. Present in cauliflower, leeks, turnips, mushroom, radish, white onions,

Orange: Orange contain alpha and beta carotene that helps in intracellular communication and good for circulatory system and  prevent heart disease. In addition they contain antioxidants that destroy disease promoting free radicals that keep our bones, eyes and immune system in order.  These are present in oranges, pineapple, mango, pumpkin, peach, yellow peppers, yellow squash, corn, sweet potato, carrots.

Purple, blue: Anthocyanins and proanthocyanins pigments are present in purple and blue fruits, vegetables. They are helpful in antiaging process, helps in blood circulation and cell regeneration. These are present in blueberries, blackberries, black grapes, eggplant, figs, purple cabbage etc.

Eating such varieties of colors that includes bright citrus fruits to leafy greens ensures we get variety of minerals and vitamins that our body demands for good health.

Image credit: Image by LoggaWiggler from Pixabay