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National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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Color Your Way to 5 A Day One or more documents on this Web page is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Acrobat Reader (a free application) to view and print these documents.
More Color More Health
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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.
Begin
breakfast with a glass of 100% orange juice or blend yogurt and any of the
above fruits in the blender for a quick fruit smoothie. Try snacking on
the original fast foods—a peach, apricot, pear or small bag of baby
carrots. For lunch, try a tropical fruit salad and a baked sweet potato.
End dinner with a pumpkin pie for dessert.
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*
Cantaloupe Slush with Mango
Makes 4 servings
Each serving equals three 5 A Day servings.
A refreshing dessert or snack, this provides each person with more than three servings of fruit.
Ingredients
1 medium-sized cantaloupe
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons honey
1 mango
Peel and seed cantaloupe. Cut into 1-inch pieces. (It should equal about 6 cups.) Place in blender or food processor with lemon juice and honey, and puree until very smooth. Pour mixture into a shallow 9x12 glass pan and set in the freezer for two hours.
With a fork, chip and stir the icy mixture and return it to the freezer for two to four hours.
Peel and cut mango into long, thin, attractive slices, avoiding the pit (which is shaped like a large almond). Again with a fork, chip the frozen cantaloupe mixture so it resembles a snow cone or shaved ice. Spoon it into clear bowls, and top with mango slices. Serve.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 96, Protein 2g, Fat 1g, Calories From Fat 5%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 24g, Fiber 2g, Sodium 14mg.
Curried
Rice with Roasted Carrots and Apricots
Makes 4 servings
Each serving equals one 5 A Day serving.
This colorful, spicy and sweet combination goes well with chicken or fish.
Ingredients
3 cups basmati rice (or any type of rice)
2 cups carrots, sliced
½ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. curry powder (sweet or hot, depending on preference)
½ cup dried apricots, diced
2 Tbsp. walnut segments or sliced almonds, toasted* (optional)
Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, roast carrots at
400° F, covered, for 25–35 minutes, until soft when pierced with a fork.
Add broth, curry powder, apricots and nuts to cooked rice and stir gently.
Heat on low heat until warmed throughout. Transfer to serving dish, top
with carrots, and serve.
*To toast nuts, simply spread them in a small pan in a 400° F oven and
heat them for 5-8 minutes, checking often, until you can smell their oils
when you open the oven. Or, you can heat them on the stove in a small pan,
stirring and watching closely.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 279, Protein 6g, Fat 3g, Calories From Fat 11%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 58g, Fiber 6g, Sodium 25mg.
Butternut and Ginger Soup
Makes 6 servings
Each serving equals two and one half 5 A Day servings.
Source: National Cancer Institute
Butternut squash is a great source of beta-carotene; serving as a soup is tasty way to get your 5 to 9 A Day!
Ingredients
1 tsp. mild olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 ½ pounds peeled raw butternut or other winter squash (6 cups)
½ pound new potatoes, paled and chopped (1 cup)
1 cup unsweetened 100% apple juice
3 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
½ cup nonfat milk or soymilk
½ tsp. saltgarnish:
½ Granny Smith apple, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 tsp. chopped parsley
Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet or large saucepan on medium high. Sauté the onion 3 minutes or until it starts to wilt. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute longer.
Add the squash, potatoes, 100% apple juice, and water or broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 35-40 minutes or until very soft.
Puree in a blender or processor, in batches, until smooth. Pour back into the pan and stir in the milk and salt. Reheat and serve topped with chopped apple and parsley.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 145, Protein 4g, Fat 1g, Calories From Fat 6%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 33g, Fiber 6g, Sodium 184mg.
*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.
Eating
Orange & Yellow Vegetables & Fruits Ensures Getting The Essential
Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber & Phytochemicals That This Color Group Has
To Offer