Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables everyday is a great way to make sure you’re getting plenty of nutrients in your diet.
Make eating the rainbow easy with our free rainbow eating guide.
One of my favorite things to teach people, as a nutrition coach, is how to maximize the magic of their food by understanding the nutritional qualities of certain food groups.
Pointing out the common nutrients among foods of certain colors is one of the easiest and funnest ways to explain this to people:
Oftentimes, the color of a fruit or vegetable indicates the presence of a certain nutrient that is actually causing the pigmentation of the ingredient.
You can take this information and either: eat a rainbow a day to maintain balanced nutrition, or intentionally eat higher amounts of a specific color of fruit or vegetable to increase supplementation of its related nutrient.
Whatever you choose to do with it, having this information is empowering and will afford you the opportunity to take better care of your body.
My goal is that after you read this, you are able to see and feel confident in using the magic in your food to accelerate your health and fitness journey.
In this blog I will be talking about the predominant nutrients within foods of the following colors:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Purple
This article just goes over basic nutrient information but you can get more in-depth dietary information using the links at the bottom of this article!
Red Fruits and Vegetables
Notable nutrients
Red fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in the following nutrients:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Manganese
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that is primarily known for it’s impact on eye health. It is also beneficial to your reproductive and immune health.
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that immediately makes most people think about boosting immunity, but it is even better at detoxifying the body.
Manganese is a mineral that the body only needs in small amounts, but is very helpful to sexual hormone health, bone health and even blood health.
The recommended daily value of each of these nutrients varies from person to person-please see a nutrition professional to assess your personal needs.
Food sources
Here’s a list of red fruits and vegetables:
- Beets
- Red Chard
- Cherries
- Pomegranate
- Chili
- Grapes
- Bell Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Rhubarb
- Raddish
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Cranberries
There are even more but these are some common examples!
How to use
A good number of red fruits and vegetables are good to be eaten raw or just slightly cooked.
That can mean adding a cup of fresh raspberries to your morning oatmeal or some chopped tomato and bell pepper cooked into your omelet.
The nutrients that are prevalent in red fruits and vegetables are known to be very good for inflammation and detoxifying the body so pay extra attention to these ingredients to reap these benefits.
Orange Fruits and Vegetables
Notable nutrients
Orange fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in the following nutrients:
Vitamin C
Vitamin B6
Potassium
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that immediately makes most people think about boosting immunity, but it is even better at detoxifying the body.
Vitamin B6 is a water soluble vitamin that is critical to brain and nervous system health.
Potassium is a mineral that is known for being an electrolyte that is essential to healthy muscle function and hydration.
The recommended daily value of each of these nutrients varies from person to person-please see a nutrition professional to assess your personal needs.
Food sources
Here’s a list of orange fruits and vegetables:
- Kumquats
- Oranges
- Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
- Peaches
- Papaya
- Carrots
- Pumpkin
- Persimmons
- Orange Peppers
- Apricots
There are even more but these are some common examples!
How to use
Usually orange fruits are good to eat raw and the veggies may need some light cooking.
For example: sweet potatoes, pumpkin and carrots are often eaten after being baked due to being starchy and fibrous.
The nutrients found in orange fruits and vegetables are helpful to keeping even energy levels throughout the day so they make great lunch and snack foods!
Yellow Fruits and Vegetables
Notable nutrients
Yellow fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in the following nutrients:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc
Potassium
Magnesium
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that is primarily known for it’s impact on eye health. It is also beneficial to your reproductive and immune health.
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that immediately makes most people think about boosting immunity, but it is even better at detoxifying the body.
Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is often associated with skin health, but is also very good for brain health and reproductive health.
Zinc is a trace mineral that plays an essential role in healing and growth.
Potassium is a mineral that is known for being an electrolyte that is essential to healthy muscle function and hydration.
Magnesium is a superhero mineral that plays a significant role in the health of multiple bodily systems from the cardiovascular to the nervous system and more.
The recommended daily value of each of these nutrients varies from person to person-please see a nutrition professional to assess your personal needs.
Food sources
Here’s a list of yellow fruits and vegetables:
- Lemon
- Pineapple
- Squash
- Banana
- Corn
- Mango
- Eggfruit
- Passionfruit
- Pear
- Yellow Beets
There are even more but these are some common examples!
How to use
Most yellow produce can be eaten raw because they tend to be on the softer side.
The few yellow vegetables that exist may need to be at least lightly cooked.
The abundance of nutrition inside of yellow fruits and vegetables are known to be especially good for healing and cleansing so they are great for recovery!
Green Fruits and Vegetables
Notable nutrients
Green fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in the following nutrients:
Vitamin C
Folate
Potassium
Calcium
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that immediately makes most people think about boosting immunity, but it is even better at detoxifying the body.
Folate (Folic Acid) is a water soluble vitamin that is especially important to pregnant women due to its role in fetal development.
Potassium is a mineral that is known for being an electrolyte that is essential to healthy muscle function and hydration.
Calcium is another powerful mineral: it’s most known for its significance to bone health but also contributes to cardiac and muscular.
The recommended daily value of each of these nutrients varies from person to person-please see a nutrition professional to assess your personal needs.
Food sources
Here’s a list of green fruits and vegetables:
- Peas
- Leafy Greens
- Broccoli
- Kiwi
- Grapes
- Asparagus
- Green Beans
- Cabbage
- Pear
- Avocado
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Limes
- Green Peppers
There are even more but these are some common examples!
How to use
Pretty much all of the green vegetables will need to be cooked at least lightly but the fruits can easily be eaten raw.
The nutrients common in green fruits and vegetables are known to be especially good for detoxifying and reducing inflammation so they are great for healing!
Green veggies will help clean you out after a wild weekend!
Blue Fruits and Vegetables
Notable nutrients
Blue fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in the following nutrients:
Vitamin C
Phytochemicals
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that immediately makes most people think about boosting immunity, but it is even better at detoxifying the body.
Phytochemicals are basically plant-made chemicals that help protect the body’s cells from cancer.
The recommended daily value of each of these nutrients varies from person to person-please see a nutrition professional to assess your personal needs.
Food sources
Here’s a list of blue fruits and vegetables:
- Blue Corn
- Blueberries
- Blue Algae
- Blackberries
- Huckleberry
- Blue Tomatoes
There are not many blue fruits and vegetables, but most of these can be found easily.
How to use
Most of the blue produce can be eaten raw with the exception of the corn and the algae which will need some form of processing.
The phytochemicals in blue fruits and vegetables are proven to have anti-aging and cancer prevention benefits so they would be great to add to your daily nutrition!
Purple Fruits and Vegetables
Notable nutrients
Purple fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in the following nutrients:
Vitamin K
Manganese
Phytochemicals
Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin that plays a large role in both blood and bone health.
Manganese is a mineral that the body only needs in small amounts, but is very helpful to sexual hormone health, bone health and even blood health.
Phytochemicals are basically plant-made chemicals that help protect the body’s cells from cancer.
The recommended daily value of each of these nutrients varies from person to person-please see a nutrition professional to assess your personal needs.
Food sources
Here’s a list of purple fruits and vegetables:
- Plums
- Grapes
- Purple Cabbage
- Eggplants
- Figs
- Purple Potatoes
- Acai
- Purple Carrots
There are also not a lot of purple fruits and vegetables but again, these are easily accessible for most.
How to use
The purple fruits are easy (and delicious) to eat as is-they’re great to put on a snack plate with some cheese.
The purple vegetables will typically need some processing (if not cooking, then curing) and when they are cooked they will bleed out some of their purple color.
The nutrients in purple fruits and vegetables are great for anti-aging, cancer prevention and detoxifying the body so, like with the blue produce, it would be ideal if you ate a serving every day.
What’s the takeaway?
Nutrition is a complicated science but you can learn some valuable basics just by paying attention to the color of what you eat.
Eat colorful plates of food to make every meal a multivitamin, or eat a specific color of food to reap more of its unique benefits.
Don’t forget to snatch our free guide to eating the rainbow.
Get more in-depth with your fitness journey:
- Figure out how to Sneak More Vegetables Into Your Diet by adding to foods that you already love.
- Read about why I always recommend Addressing the Diet Before Exercise.
- Adjust your diet so that you are Eating for Energy to fuel your busy day!
- While you’re experimenting with more vegetables, learn about The Difference Between Being Vegan and Being Plant-Based!
- Understand what it means to Eat Clean and How to Do It.
Remember: your food is so much more than calories: it is a magical healing tool!
This article was written by Elexis Smolak CPT, CNC, WFS founder of Adapted Fitness and Integrative Health and Fitness Specialist for Women. Learn more or schedule a virtual coffee at AdaptedToYou.com