Does veggie color matter as long as there is variety?

[Bean]

I just looked into my fridge. I have Swiss chard, a lettuce greens mix, zucchini, a few microgreens, kohlrabi, green peppers and green onions. Not one color other than green! Still a big variety though. Am I missing out on a bunch of nutrition by eating this way? Is color really that important?

[TammyBear]

Good question! I guess you'd have to use a food tracker to find out what the breakdown is on all the veggies you're eating and learn if it's satisfying all your nutrition needs. We're always told to eat more dark green veggies, so I guess you're doing great there. I just wonder if you're getting what you need from orange things like for eye health for instance. You get benefits from carrots, orange peppers, squash that help your eyes. Are they also found in green stuff?

[PamelaPoison]

I think it matters. Some nutrients actually are certain colors. Like beta cerotine is in orange veggies for a reason. So you're probably getting lots of nutrition but not the full variety. Maybe use an eye health supplement to make sure you're taking care of your eyes while you're just eating only green food? Or pop in some sweet potatoes and tomatoes to round things out?

[enviroTodd]

I think it matters. You're off to a good start and you're eating some of the most important colors, but others do also make a difference. Even if you add just one more per day. Mix it up just a bit.