5 Cups. 5 Colors. Every Day.

The goal is simple: eat 5 cups of colorful fruits and vegetables every day — one cup from each of the five color groups. It's the easiest way to make sure you're getting the full spectrum of phytonutrients your body needs.

Current dietary guidelines recommend that adults eat between 1½ and 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day — a total of 3½ to 5 cups. The Colors of Health program rounds that up to 5 cups and adds the color dimension, ensuring that you get the widest possible range of protective phytonutrients.

A cup of fruit or vegetables is roughly the size of your fist. For leafy greens like spinach or lettuce, a cup is 2 cups of raw leaves. For dried fruit, a cup is ½ cup. For juice, a cup is ¾ cup (6 ounces). Most people find it easy to reach 5 cups once they start paying attention to color.

The five color groups are: Red (tomatoes, strawberries, watermelon), Yellow/Orange (carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges), White (garlic, onions, cauliflower), Green (spinach, broccoli, kiwi) and Blue/Purple (blueberries, grapes, eggplant). Each group provides a unique set of phytonutrients that work together to protect your health.

Tips for Eating 5 Cups Every Day

• ►Add a handful of berries to your morning cereal or yogurt
• ►Toss a handful of spinach into your smoothie — you won't taste it
• ►Keep cut vegetables in the fridge for easy snacking
• ►Add a side salad to lunch and dinner
• ►Swap chips for carrot sticks, celery or bell pepper strips
• ►Add tomatoes, peppers or onions to eggs, sandwiches and wraps
• ►Try a new fruit or vegetable each week
• ►Make half your plate fruits and vegetables at every meal