Tomato, carrot, papaya, watermelon, red bell pepper, the red and orange end of the produce aisle brings a distinct set of plant pigments, carotenoids and lycopene, that carry real, specific value for perimenopause. This continues our series on eating by colour, following our guides to green leafy, white and aromatic, and brown and whole foods.

Why Red and Orange Matters Now

Lycopene for heart health. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a plant pigment studied for supporting cardiovascular health, directly relevant to the rising heart risk covered in our guides to cholesterol changes and heart health after menopause. Cooking tomatoes, as in most Indian gravies, actually increases the lycopene the body can absorb.

Beta-carotene and vitamin A for skin and eyes. Carrots, papaya, and orange produce generally are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, supporting skin health, relevant to the collagen and dryness changes covered in our skin ageing guide, and eye health, relevant to our guide on vision changes in perimenopause.

Vitamin C for iron absorption and immunity. Red bell pepper, papaya, and citrus-adjacent produce are excellent vitamin C sources, which, as covered in our green leafy foods guide, meaningfully improves how well the body absorbs iron from plant sources, alongside its own role in immune support covered in our immunity guide.

Hydration and gentle fibre from watermelon and papaya. Both support the digestive changes covered in our constipation guide, and their high water content supports overall hydration, useful given how much fluid perimenopause can pull from the body through sweating and hot flashes.

What Red and Orange Foods Offer
Lycopene from tomatoSupports heart health, relevant as cardiovascular risk rises with falling oestrogen
Beta-carotene from carrot and papayaSupports skin and eye health during a stage both are changing
Vitamin CBoosts iron absorption from plant foods and supports immunity
Hydration and fibreWatermelon and papaya support fluid balance and digestion

The Foods Worth Prioritising

Tomato (tamatar) — already a base of most Indian cooking; the habit worth building is simply not skimping on it, and knowing that cooked tomato offers more usable lycopene than raw.

Carrot (gajar) — easy raw as a snack, grated into salad, or cooked into sabzi or the classic gajar halwa in moderation.

Papaya — a gentle, digestion-friendly fruit, useful as a breakfast or snack option, and particularly kind to a sensitive gut.

Watermelon — hydrating and refreshing, an easy seasonal addition, particularly useful in hot weather when hot flashes already increase fluid loss.

Red bell pepper (shimla mirch) — one of the richest vitamin C sources among common vegetables, easy to add to a stir-fry or sabzi.

Beetroot — while more purple-red than orange, worth a mention here for its own nitrate and antioxidant content, supporting circulation and energy.

How to Eat More Without It Feeling Like a Project

Let tomato be generous, not sparing. Since most Indian gravies already start with tomato, simply being a little less conservative with it is a low-effort way to include more lycopene.

Keep a fruit bowl visible. Papaya, watermelon, and orange-fleshed fruits are easy to reach for as a snack rather than something sweet and processed, gently supporting the blood-sugar steadiness covered in our sugar cravings guide.

Add colour deliberately to one meal a day. A simple habit of ensuring at least one meal includes something from this red-orange group builds the pattern without requiring a full recipe overhaul.

A Word on Freshness and Ripeness

Choosing fruit and vegetables at proper ripeness, rather than under-ripe or heavily stored produce, generally means more of these beneficial pigments are present. As with the earlier guides in this series, this is less about strict organic sourcing and more about choosing fresh, seasonal, less processed produce, much as earlier generations naturally did.

When to See a Doctor

Routine appointment to discuss your diet as part of your broader perimenopause care, particularly around heart health and cholesterol, given how directly this food group supports that system.

Also worth checking your cholesterol and blood pressure with simple tests, since diet supports but does not replace monitoring and, where needed, treating these directly.

Tomato, carrot, papaya, and watermelon are already familiar, everyday foods in most Indian kitchens. Leaning into them a little more deliberately during perimenopause is a simple, low-effort way to support your heart, skin, and immunity all at once.

The Second Spring is an information resource, not a medical provider. For personal advice, speak with your doctor or gynaecologist. Write to us at thesecondspringofficial@gmail.com