Color Your Way to 5 A Day

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Blues/Purples

Eating Blue & Purple Vegetables & Fruits Ensures Getting The Essential Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber & Phytochemicals That This Color Group Has To Offer

CDC Recommends Eating a Variety of Colorful Vegetables and Fruits

The National 5 A Day for Better Health Program, recommends eating blue and purple vegetables and fruit. Fruits such as blueberries and plums contain phytochemicals, including anthocyanins and phenolics. Phytochemicals, substances found only in plants, may help your body fight disease and promote good health.

Anthocyanins (pronounced an-tho-SIGH-uh-nins) and phenolics (pronounced fee-NAH-lix) are found in berries, dried plums (prunes), and raisins. These powerful antioxidants are being studied for their role to reduce the risk of diseases including cancer, heart disease, and for their ability to slow down the aging process. Include these vegetables and fruits in your daily diet they are loaded with nutrient value, not only with phytochemicals but needed vitamins, mineral, and fiber.

Below are examples of existing research:

• Kohlmeier L, Simonsen N, Mottus K: Dietary modifiers of carcinogenesis. Environ Health Perspect 1995;103:177–84.
• Waladkhani AR, Clemens MR: Effect of dietary phytochemicals on cancer development. Int J Mol Med 1998 (4);747–53.
• O'Neil KL, Standage SW, et al: Fruits and vegetables and the prevention of oxidative DNA damage, In: Vegetable, Fruit and Herbs in Health Promotion, pgs 147-76. RR Watson (ed). CRC Press, Boca Raton 2001.
• Joseph JA, Shukitt-Hale B, et al: Reversals of age-related declines in neuronal signal transduction, cognitive and motor behavior deficits with blueberry, spinach or strawberry supplementation. J Neuroscience 1999;19(18):8114–8121.
• Freedman, JE., et al: Select flavonoids and whole juice from purple grapes inhibit platelet function and enhance nitric oxide release. Circulation 2001;103:2792–98.

There are thousands of health promoting phytochemicals found in plants. Researchers are just beginning to understand how they work to improve health, so it's important to eat a wide variety of colorful orange/yellow, red, green, white, and blue/purple vegetables and fruit every day. By eating vegetables and fruit from each color group, you will benefit from the unique array of phytochemicals, as well as essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that each color group has to offer alone and in combination.

The best way to include a variety of foods is to eat vegetables and fruits of various colors. Eating a variety of colorful vegetables and fruits is an easy way to achieve the 5 to 9 a day goal. Keep in mind, 5 servings is the minimum, but strive for 5 to 9 servings a day.

To get more "blues and purples," toss fresh, frozen, or dried blueberries on your cereal, blend them in the blender with vanilla yogurt for a smoothie. Snack on dried plums, or serve Fresh Berries with Sweet Vinegar Sauce recipe below for dessert. Include them in muffins and pancakes when you bake. Pop fresh ones in the freezer, they are delicious frozen snacks.

The 5 A Day Partnership encourages all Americans to eat 5 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit a day to promote and improve health and reduce risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. For additional information on the 5 A Day For Better Health Program and Partnership, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5ADay/index.htm
http://www.5aday.gov
http://www.5aday.org*

Blue/Purple Recipes

Fresh Berries with Sweet Vinegar Sauce
Makes 4 servings.

Berries and vinegar are an excellent combination to meet your 5 to 9 A Day!

Ingredients

Sweet Vinegar Sauce:
Ό cup good-quality raspberry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
Ό cup sugar
3 drops vanilla extract
½ cup plain, non-fat yogurt
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries

Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring often. (Be prepared; the mixture will smell unpleasant as some of the vinegar's acid boils off, and the mixture will reduce in quantity.) Turn off heat. Add vanilla, and slowly whisk in yogurt. Toss with berries and serve.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 114, Protein 2g, Fat 0g, Calories From Fat 2%, Cholesterol 1mg, Carbohydrates 28g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 28mg.

Frozen Blue Devil
Makes 6 servings.
This frosty, tasty treat is provided by the California Dried Plum Board, and gives each person one "5 A Day" serving.

This frosty, cool treat is provided by the California Dried Plum Board. One taste and you’ll be hooked!

Ingredients

6 ounces pitted dried plums (about 1 cup)
6 Tbsp. hot water
32 ounces white grape juice
1 package (10 ounces) frozen sweetened raspberries, partially thawed
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

In a blender, combine the dried plums and water; process until the plums are finely chopped. Add the grape juice, raspberries, and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Pour into a shallow metal baking pan. Freeze for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Freeze for about 2 hours longer, or until completely frozen.

To serve, let the icee stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes, or until slightly softened. Use a metal spoon to scrape across its surface, transferring the ice shards to chilled dessert dishes or wine glasses without packing them.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 190, Protein 2g, Fat 9g, Percent Calories From Fat 3%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 48g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 5mg.

Garlic Grilled Eggplants
Makes 8 servings.
Each serving equals one 5 A Day serving.
Source: National Cancer Institute

Try this new take on eating eggplants. It’ll be a surprise hit side dish at your next grilling party.

Ingredients

2 medium sized eggplants
4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp no-salt lemon-herb blend

Place the eggplants on a flat cutting surface. With a sharp knife, make parallel lengthwise cuts Ό" apart that run from the tips to within 1" of the stem ends. Place in a single layer in a large baking dish or roasting pan; fan out the slices slightly, making sure to keep them attached to the stem. In a small bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, herb blend, and pepper. Brush over the eggplants. Let stand for 15 minutes. Flip the pieces and brush with the remaining marinade. Let stand for 15 to 30 minutes. Prepare an outdoor grill. When the coals are hot, place a mesh grill rack over the top. Add the eggplants. Grill for 5 minutes. Flip the pieces; grill for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 55, Protein 2g, Fat 2g, Calories From Fat 65%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 9g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 93mg.

*Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.

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This page last updated September 02, 2004

United States Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity