🥦 Vegetable Benefits: The Colour Code to a Healthier Plate
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
Green (leafy + cruciferous): spinach, broccoli, kale, cabbage — folate, vitamin K, iron, fibre. The most nutrient-dense family per calorie.
Orange & yellow: carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, corn — beta-carotene (vitamin A) for eyes and skin, plus potassium.
Red: tomatoes, red peppers, radish — lycopene (a powerful antioxidant, better absorbed cooked), vitamin C.
Purple & blue: eggplant, red cabbage, beetroot, purple onion — anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigments linked to heart and brain health.
White & brown: garlic, onion, cauliflower, mushrooms — allicin (garlic's antibacterial compound), prebiotic fibre, selenium.
How to eat more (easily): roast any vegetable with olive oil + salt + pepper; blend spinach into smoothies; add frozen mixed veg to rice, pasta, eggs and curries; keep cut veg visible in the fridge.
The target: 3-5 servings of vegetables a day, and "eat the rainbow" across the week — each colour family protects differently.
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