Are you choosing foods from a rainbow of colors everyday? I don't mean skittles!! Choosing foods, fruits and vegetables, from a variety of different colors is the best way to make sure you get the greatest amount of health benefits. Each different color fruit and vegetable contains unique components that are essential to our health. By getting a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables, you are guaranteed a diverse amount of essential vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruits that are a deep red or bright pink contain an antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene is believed to help fight heart disease and some cancers. Foods containing cooked tomatoes, such as spaghetti sauce, and a small amount of fat, like olive oil, allow you to absorb the lycopene better than raw foods. Other foods that contain lycopene are pink grapefruit, watermelon, and papaya. The anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, raspberries, red cabbage, and red grapes, act as a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage. It helps reduce inflammation, protects blood vessels and can improve eyesight. Also these are good sources of vitamin A, C and the mineral potassium. Vegetables that are green are rich in phytochemicals, like the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin found in spinach, broccoli, kale, and collards. These are powerful antioxidants that may protect your eyes. These vegetables are also an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that helps reduce the risk of birth defects. Dark green, leafy vegetables are a good source of Vitamins A, C, and K, folate, also, iron and calcium as well as a great source of fiber. Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, pears, sweet potatoes, mangoes, and carrots are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that enhances the immune system, It is also converted into vitamin A, which helps maintain mucous membranes and healthy eyes. These are also high in vitamin C and folate and are high in fiber, too. The fruits and vegetables that are blue or purple always add a beautiful color to your plate. Isn't it great that they are also adding anthocyanins as well. Anthocyanins are responsible for the beautiful color of fruits and vegetables such as eggplant, and blueberries and are believed to have a role in the body's defense against carcinogens. Blueberries, in particular, are rich in vitamin C and folic acid and are high in fiber and potassium. This color of fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. White vegetables from the onion family, which include garlic, chives, scallions, leeks and any variety of onion, contain the phytochemical, allicin. It is believed that allicin may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and increase the body's ability to fight infection. Cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, contain indoles and sulfaforaphanes, phytochemicals that may inhibit cancer growth. Bananas are a great source of potassium. Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables is a simple way to get as much color variety in your diet as possible, so you can maximize the amount and variety of nutrients that are essential to your good health. You are also more likely to eat the recommended 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.