When most people think of vegetables, the color green usually comes to mind, but obviously there are way more than just that. Which begs the question—what does the color actually mean? And should you be eating more or less of a certain hue? Here’s what I know:

What the colors of your produce really mean

Red, blue and purple: If your produce is one of these colors it most likely contains anthocyanins, which means it’s primary health benefit is antioxidants. But most varieties are also filled with vitamins A, C and potassium. These are essential for keeping your immune system in good shape and preventing heart disease and stroke among other things.

White: White veggies also contain lots of antioxidants, but one of the most popular of this category is garlic. Garlic contains allicin, which is a compound known to help with high blood pressure and cholesterol. You may have also heard of people taking garlic as a supplement because it’s associated with eliminating heavy metals from the body, building immunity, helping to prevent blood clots, etc.

Orange and yellow: Carotenoids are what give orange and yellow veggies their bright color. This compound is also known to help fight heart disease and build immunity. Other essentials found in these vegetables are bromium, folate and vitamin C.

Green: Last but not least, green. When veggies are green, that means they’re filled with chlorophyll, but could also contain indoles and lutein. Indoles has been associated with helping to prevent cancer while lutein supports healthy vision. You’ll also get a healthy dose of vitamin K, which is always a good thing.

So the next time you’re picking up veggies, now you have a little bit more insight as to what each color actually means!

Any benefits I missed or colors you’re still wondering about?