The plant kingdom has done a good job at telling us the best fruits and vegetables from a nutritional, visual and curative perspective. Over time, we have learnt that pigments are not there just for decoration. Pigments provide clues to foods that have a specific set of health benefits. No doubt our forebears – wise women (and men), religious orders and pioneering physicians – sensed, even if they didn’t fully understand, that some foods were good at preventing ailing health. Since then, science has made leaps and bounds in the chemistry of foods, from which we all benefit. So, to eat well, all we need to do is open our eyes.

The colour of foods provides clues to the underlying nutrients.

• Red – Cherries, radishes, red apples, red grapes, red onions, red peppers, tomatoes, watermelon.

• Orange - Apricots, cantaloupe melon, mangoes, nectarines, orange peppers, carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes.

• Yellow – Honeydew melon, lemons, papaya, peaches, pineapple, swede, yellow peppers.

• Green – Apples, asparagus, avocados, broccoli, courgettes, kiwi fruit, green grapes, leeks, lettuce, limes, mange tout, sugar snap peas.

• Blue / Purple – Aubergines, blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, beetroots, figs, plums, purple sprouting broccoli, purple grapes, purple cabbage.

• White with a hint of Beige – Bananas, cauliflower, celeriac, coconut, corn, Jerusalem artichokes, mushrooms, brown onions, potatoes, parsnips.