Color and nutritional value

[fizzle]

I've heard over and over again that you are supposed to eat "a rainbow of color" to get all the various nutrients that fruits and veggies have to offer, so I'm curious, does something of the same variety but different color have different nutrients? Like purple grapes compared to green grapes?

 

[Perpetual Indulgence]

Looks like red and green grapes are the same in nutritional content
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1920/2

 

[PinkStrawberries]

no not usually, however darker skins have more antioxidants than lighter skins, like the skin of a red apple compared to the skin of a green or yellow apple for example

good question though

 

[mrs_mia_wallace]

Never heard about this in relation to anything but vegetables. I know dark green veggies have different nutrients han orange/yellow ones...

With meat I guess it would change the fat content... And with some grains it would change the nutrients (brown rice vs. white rice, brown bread vs. white bread) but I can't think other than that.

 

[delta_9]

I would assume when it comes to nutritional content, what matters more than color is the way the fruits & vegetables are harvested/stored/cooked/ect.

 

[thujone]

fruits often come in different colours. apples, for example. in terms of nutrition, colour typically has the most effect on vegetables. you always seek darker tomatoes and darker brocolli, because the darker it is the more significant it's colour it is, and the more significant it's colour it is, the more the vegetable has been exposed to sunlight and is consequently wealthier in nutritional content because it's able to flourish.

just like pot growers favour the nug closest to the light over the one tucked under a leaf, when it comes to vegetation the one that gets the most solar exposure will be more potent than the paler fruits of the same tree.

 

[cocacrazy]

I'm not sure if sweet potatoes are from the same family as regular potatoes. But if so sweet potatoes which are quite colorful, pack a lot more nutrients in them and when compared to other spuds. Also red potatoes contain more nutrients since you can eat the skin and are of the same family as their bland white potato cousin.

 

[delta_9]

just like pot growers favour the nug closest to the light over the one tucked under a leaf, when it comes to vegetation the one that gets the most solar exposure will be more potent than the paler fruits of the same tree.

This is the kind of analogy I would expect from you thujone :D Good stuff

 

[Sleater3]

To me, "same color food" is like a burger, fries, potato chips etc. The "fried" color is what I think they are talking about. I saw a documentary about people that overeat and they said something along the lines of that.

 

[Dtergent]

There are differences between plant varieties, just as there are within the same variety, as thujone mentioned, where growing conditions might differ.

Grapes of different color are those from different varieties. They have some properties that differ, such as antioxidant or effects on clotting. However, it's difficult to say which one is technically "better" for you. The best thing is to get both (and more) in good amounts, or go for the one with the color that you find most beautiful

While change in color within a variety is probably not a cause of difference, it might be an indicator of difference in soil nutrients or minerals.

Varying in color is a fun way to hedge nutrients, and had been a good basis for people in pre-nutritionist environments. In a larger sense, giving value to color and texture makes us go beyond the usual mass-produced selection-- which benefits our health and biodiversity.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Never heard about this in relation to anything but vegetables. I know dark green veggies have different nutrients han orange/yellow ones...

With meat I guess it would change the fat content... And with some grains it would change the nutrients (brown rice vs. white rice, brown bread vs. white bread) but I can't think other than that.

lol different color meats. stay away from the green meat though!

its a general rule of thumb to try to eat a variety of colors for your veggies. So don't just stick to one color of green (one veggie that is). Try lots and lots of different veggies and you'll 'fill in the gaps'.

There's no hard and fast correlation between color and exact type of vitamin though. Don't be silly!

 

[Mehm]

I've read that the difference in color/taste/smell of fruits is caused by different phyto-chemicals. These are somewhat unstudied chemicals that have different health benefits. So I would guess that eating different colored fruit and veggies is best.

 

[ebola?]

There's no hard and fast correlation between color and exact type of vitamin though. Don't be silly!

There is, however, a rough correlation, which could function as a usable 'rule of thumb' in the absence of near-complete knowledge of the relevant micro-nutrients, which even top nutritional science lacks at this point.

ebola