To bump up the amount of protective antioxidants in your diet, head to your grocery's produce department and let your eyes be your guide.

The pigments that make carrots and winter squash orange and tomatoes red are part of a group of antioxidant compounds known as carotenoids.

Carrots and winter squash are orange, the color of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene has been recognized for many years as a precursor of vitamin A, which helps prevent night blindness.

Dark-green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, and turnip greens, are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin.

High intakes of these two carotenoids have been linked with a decreased risk of age-related blindness due to macular degeneration.

Although these compounds also exhibit the characteristic deep yellow to dark orange color of carotenoids, their color is overwhelmed by the plentiful amount of dark-green chlorophyll in these plants. Lycopene, another carotenoid, is responsible for the deep red-orange of tomatoes. Until recently, lycopene was thought only to be a pigment.

But, it is now being heavily studied as a possible anti-cancer compound.

Vitamin C is also a strong antioxidant and is thought to play a role in reducing cataract risk in aging women. Citrus fruit, berries, tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens all provide vitamin C.

So, call your mother and tell her she was right. You really do need to eat your vegetables.