bac_fruits_and_vegetable

Choose Fruits & Vegetables for a Rainbow of Benefits

October 16, 2024 General /Family

Sure, you know eating fruits and veggies is good for your health.

But did you know you can see the health benefits just by looking at your produce? It’s true! Fruits and vegetables have different amounts of vitamins, minerals, and types of antioxidants depending on their color. And with so many colorful options to try, you can eat a rainbow of different benefits every day!

In addition to their fabulous flavor, here are more ways you’ll benefit from fruits and veggies based on their color:

Red

  • Keeps the heart and lungs healthy.
  • Helps protect against cell damage.
  • Decreases risk of stroke and cancer.
  • Good for memory.
Fruits
  • Blood Oranges
  • Cherries
  • Cranberries
  • Red Grapes
  • Pink/Red Grapefruit
  • Red Apples
  • Red Pears
  • Pomegranates
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Watermelon
Vegetables
  • Beets
  • Red Peppers
  • Radishes
  • Radicchio
  • Red Onions
  • Red Potatoes
  • Rhubarb
  • Tomatoes
bac_strawberries
bac_Tomatoes

Orange

  • Decreases inflammation.
  • Helps maintain healthy skin and bones.
  • Helps with tissue repair.
  • Fights cancer and heart disease.
  • Good for vision.
orange
Peach
Fruits
  • Apricot
  • Cantaloupe
  • Clementine
  • Mandarin Orange
  • Mangos
  • Nectarines
  • Orange
  • Papaya
  • Peach
  • Pumpkin
Vegetables
  • Acorn Squash
  • Butternut Squash
  • Carrots
  • Orange Peppers
  • Orange Tomatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes

Yellow

  • Lowers blood pressure.
  • Good for the eyes, heart, and skin.
  • Improves digestion and the immune system.
Fruits
  • Banana
  • Lemon
  • Pineapple
  • Yellow Apples
Vegetables
  • Yellow Bell Pepper
  • Yellow Carrots
  • Yellow Corn
  • Yellow Potatoes
  • Yellow Squash
  • Yellow Tomatoes
  • Yellow Wax Beans
banana
yellow corn

Green

  • Strengthens the immune system.
  • Rich in folate, which helps protect against birth defects during pregnancy.
  • Prevents blood clots.
  • Keeps bones, nails, and teeth strong.
  • Good for digestion.
green beans
Fruits
  • Avocados
  • Green Apples
  • Green Grapes
  • Honeydew
  • Kiwifruit
  • Limes
Vegetables
  • Artichokes
  • Arugula
  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Green Beans
  • Green Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Cucumbers
  • Leafy Greens
  • Leeks
  • Lettuce
  • Green Onions
  • Green Peppers
  • Peas
  • Snow Peas
  • Spinach
  • Sugar Snap Peas
  • Watercress
  • Zucchini

Blue & Purple

  • Improves brain function and memory.
  • Lowers blood pressure.
  • Reduces risk of stroke, cancer, and heart disease.
  • May reduce free radical damage to body’s cells.
Fruits
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Black Currants
  • Concord Grapes
  • Dried Plums
  • Elderberries
  • Grape Juice (100%)
  • Purple Figs
  • Purple Grapes
  • Plums
  • Raisins
Vegetables
  • Black Olives
  • Eggplant
  • Potatoes (purple fleshed)
  • Purple Asparagus
  • Purple Belgian Endive
  • Purple Cabbage
  • Purple Carrots
  • Purple Peppers
Blackberries
purple carrots

Brown & White

  • Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure.
  • May reduce the risk of cancer.
  • Supports a healthy immune system.
  • Helps the circulatory system move blood and oxygen throughout the body.
Fruits
  • Coconut
  • Pears
  • White Peaches
Vegetables
  • Brown Onion
  • Cauliflower
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Mushrooms
  • Parsnip
  • Portobello
  • Potato
  • Taro
  • White Corn
vegetable white

REFERENCES:

Adapted from:

https://www.maricopa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/94037/Maricopa-WIC-Cookbook—English?bidId=
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/add-color/eat-more-color

Feeding a 6-7 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon and from a bowl, never from a bottle.

Feeding a 10-12 Month Old

Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.

Feeding a 8-9 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.

Tips

Mom new born home

Breast milk and formula feeding:

Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.

As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.

feeding solid foods

Feeding solid foods:

Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:

  • Can sit up and hold up their own head.
  • Opens their mouth when they see food.
  • Can close their lips around a spoon.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.

Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker.  Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.

Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.

All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.

Feeding Cues

Feeding a 4-5 Month Old

Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.

Feeding a 0-3 Month Old

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.

Growth Spurts

Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.

They often happen at these ages:

two-three-weeks

2 to 3 Weeks

6 Weeks

three-months

3 Months

six-months

6 Months

What foods can I get?

Authorized Food List
Authorized Food List

Where can I shop?