Eating the rainbow is a great way to make sure you get a variety of important vitamins and minerals in your diet. You can learn to like vegetables no matter how you feel about them now. Here’s how I learned to like some and even love a few when I hated veggies.

If you want more of my weight loss story and how I grew up on little Debbies and soda and learned how to change my health and life through exercise and nutrition, check out this nutrition guide. It has some basic dos and don’ts that my wife and I used for me to lose 120 pounds and be on no medication at age 55. There are also some sample meal plans in there. It was a long process, not a quick fix, but if I can do it, so can you!

1. Rainbow Veggie Salad:
   • Ingredients: Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), cucumber, carrots, red cabbage, mixed greens, avocado, feta cheese (optional), balsamic vinaigrette.
   • Instructions: Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces and arrange them in rows on a large platter. Top with sliced avocado and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette before serving.
2. Rainbow Fruit Skewers:
   • Ingredients: Strawberries, oranges, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, grapes.
   • Instructions: Thread assorted fruits onto wooden skewers in rainbow order. Serve as a colorful and refreshing snack or dessert.
3. Rainbow Quinoa Salad:
   • Ingredients: Cooked quinoa, bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, black beans, corn, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper.
   • Instructions: In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa with chopped vegetables, black beans, and corn. Toss with lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.
4. Rainbow Smoothie Bowl:
   • Ingredients: Frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries), banana, spinach or kale, mango, pineapple, Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt, granola, shredded coconut, chia seeds.
   • Instructions: Blend each fruit with yogurt separately to create layers of different colors. Pour each layer into a bowl, alternating colors. Top with granola, shredded coconut, and chia seeds for added texture and nutrition.
5. Rainbow Veggie Stir-Fry:
   • Ingredients: Broccoli, bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), carrots, snap peas, red cabbage, tofu or chicken breast, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, cooked rice or noodles.
   • Instructions: Stir-fry chopped vegetables and protein of choice in a wok or skillet with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Serve over cooked rice or noodles for a colorful and nutritious meal.

These Rainbow Diet recipes not only offer a visual feast but also provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support your overall health and well-being. Enjoy the spectrum of flavors and nutrients that nature has to offer!

For more colorful meals, check these out:

• Rainbow Vegetable Pasta
• 15 Beautiful Smoothie Bowl Recipes
• Lemon Butternut Squash Soup

Rainbow diet chart

If you want to try to make a plan to eat every color every day, check out this rainbow food chart. It will help you come up with new ideas that you might not have thought of before. We have used it to improve the range of what we are eating and it’s helped us a ton! My wife is very smart and keeps trying to add health to our life. I appreciate that effort so much.

Rainbow diet meal plan

Here’s a sample one-day Rainbow Diet meal plan incorporating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables:

Breakfast: Rainbow Fruit Smoothie Bowl

• Ingredients: Frozen strawberries (red), mango (yellow), kiwi (green), blueberries (blue), banana (yellow), spinach (green), Greek yogurt (white), granola (brown), shredded coconut (white)
• Instructions: Blend strawberries, mango, banana, spinach, and Greek yogurt until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top with sliced kiwi, blueberries, granola, and shredded coconut.

Morning Snack: Bell Pepper and Hummus

• Ingredients: Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), hummus (white)
• Instructions: Slice bell peppers into strips and serve with hummus for dipping.

Lunch: Rainbow Veggie Wrap

• Ingredients: Whole wheat tortilla (brown), hummus (white), shredded carrots (orange), spinach (green), red bell pepper slices (red), cucumber slices (green), avocado slices (green), alfalfa sprouts (green), feta cheese (white)
• Instructions: Spread hummus on a whole wheat tortilla. Layer with shredded carrots, spinach leaves, bell pepper slices, cucumber slices, avocado slices, alfalfa sprouts, and crumbled feta cheese. Roll up the tortilla and slice into wraps.

Afternoon Snack: Rainbow Snack Platter

• Ingredients: Cherry tomatoes (red), carrot sticks (orange), yellow bell pepper slices (yellow), cucumber slices (green), blueberries (blue), grapes (purple)
• Instructions: Arrange a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables on a platter and serve with a side of Greek yogurt dip.

Dinner: Rainbow Quinoa Salad with Grilled Chicken

• Ingredients: Cooked quinoa (white), grilled chicken breast (white), cherry tomatoes (red), shredded carrots (orange), yellow bell pepper slices (yellow), steamed broccoli florets (green), red cabbage slices (purple), avocado slices (green), lemon vinaigrette dressing
• Instructions: In a large bowl, toss together cooked quinoa, grilled chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, yellow bell pepper slices, steamed broccoli florets, red cabbage slices, and avocado slices. Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette dressing before serving.

Evening Snack: Rainbow Fruit Salad

• Ingredients: Strawberries (red), oranges (orange), pineapple chunks (yellow), kiwi slices (green), blueberries (blue), grapes (purple)
• Instructions: Combine sliced strawberries, oranges, pineapple chunks, kiwi slices, blueberries, and grapes in a bowl to create a colorful fruit salad.

Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and support digestion. Adjust portion sizes based on your individual calorie and nutrient needs. Enjoy your Rainbow Diet meal plan!

7 day rainbow diet

If you want even more inspiration, here’s a seven-day Rainbow Diet meal plan that incorporates a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables:

Day 1:

• Breakfast: Rainbow Fruit Smoothie Bowl
• Snack: Bell Pepper and Hummus
• Lunch: Rainbow Veggie Wrap
• Snack: Rainbow Snack Platter
• Dinner: Rainbow Quinoa Salad with Grilled Chicken
• Snack: Rainbow Fruit Salad

Day 2:

• Breakfast: Spinach and Tomato Omelette with Whole Wheat Toast
• Snack: Carrot Sticks and Greek Yogurt Dip
• Lunch: Rainbow Salad with Tuna (mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, yellow bell peppers, cucumber slices, canned tuna, balsamic vinaigrette)
• Snack: Blueberry and Almond Smoothie
• Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Steamed Asparagus and Roasted Purple Potatoes
• Snack: Sliced Strawberries with Cottage Cheese

Day 3:

• Breakfast: Rainbow Chia Pudding (made with chia seeds, almond milk, strawberries, mango, kiwi, and blueberries)
• Snack: Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter
• Lunch: Rainbow Veggie Stir-Fry with Tofu (broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, snap peas, red cabbage, tofu, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, served over brown rice)
• Snack: Sliced Apple with Cinnamon
• Dinner: Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers (quinoa, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, spices, topped with avocado)
• Snack: Mixed Berries Parfait with Greek Yogurt and Granola

Day 4:

• Breakfast: Acai Bowl topped with Mixed Berries, Banana Slices, and Coconut Flakes
• Snack: Orange Slices and Almonds
• Lunch: Rainbow Veggie Sushi Rolls (sushi rice, nori seaweed, cucumber, carrot, avocado, bell pepper, mango)
• Snack: Edamame
• Dinner: Rainbow Lentil Soup (made with red lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, spinach, turmeric, cumin)
• Snack: Watermelon Cubes

Day 5:

• Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Parfait with Layers of Granola, Strawberries, Blueberries, and Honey
• Snack: Roasted Beet Hummus with Whole Grain Crackers
• Lunch: Rainbow Quinoa Bowl (cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potato cubes, steamed broccoli florets, shredded red cabbage, chickpeas, tahini dressing)
• Snack: Pineapple and Cottage Cheese
• Dinner: Baked Cod with Mango Salsa, served with Sautéed Green Beans and Wild Rice
• Snack: Mixed Fruit Skewers (strawberries, pineapple, grapes)

Day 6:

• Breakfast: Rainbow Smoothie (blend spinach, banana, pineapple, mango, and coconut water)
• Snack: Trail Mix (almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries)
• Lunch: Rainbow Caprese Salad (sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, drizzled with balsamic glaze)
• Snack: Sliced Peppers with Ranch Dip
• Dinner: Rainbow Vegetable Curry with Quinoa (curry sauce with coconut milk, mixed vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, peas, and cauliflower)
• Snack: Mango Sorbet

Day 7:

• Breakfast: Whole Grain Pancakes with Mixed Berry Compote
• Snack: Greek Yogurt with Pomegranate Seeds
• Lunch: Rainbow Buddha Bowl (base of mixed greens, topped with roasted sweet potatoes, avocado slices, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, chickpeas, and tahini dressing)
• Snack: Apricot and Cashew Energy Bites
• Dinner: Grilled Chicken with Rainbow Salad (mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, feta cheese, vinaigrette dressing)
• Snack: Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I hope this has inspired you to try some new things. You don’t have to add them all in at one time, but keep trying to improve your habits until you are feeling better and better. For more meals with vegetables and healthy habit ideas, check these out:

• 20 Healthy Dinner Recipes with Vegetables
• Healthy Balanced Snacks
• Healthy Lunches with Protein
• Tips for How to Eat Healthy When you Hate Cooking

The post Rainbow Diet Recipes appeared first on Actionable Wellness.

From the fiery red of succulent strawberries to the soothing green of crisp spinach, and the golden glow of ripe mangoes, every hue represents a treasure trove of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants essential for vitality and vitality.

Whether you’re seeking to boost your energy, support weight management, or simply savor the joy of eating, our Rainbow Diet Meal Plan offers a delicious and nutritious roadmap to wellness.

What is the rainbow diet?

The Rainbow Diet is a nutritional approach, not an actual diet, that emphasizes consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors, as each color represents different types of nutrients and health benefits. By incorporating a diverse range of colorful foods into your diet, you can ensure that you’re getting a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that support overall health and well-being.

The concept behind the Rainbow Diet is simple: aim to eat fruits and vegetables of all colors of the rainbow, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white. Each color group offers unique nutritional benefits:

• Red: Foods like tomatoes, strawberries, red bell peppers, and watermelon are rich in lycopene, vitamin C, and antioxidants, which support heart health and reduce the risk of certain cancers.
• Orange and Yellow: Foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges, mangoes, and yellow bell peppers are high in beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, which promote healthy vision, immune function, and skin health.
• Green: Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, as well as broccoli, green peas, and avocado, are packed with chlorophyll, vitamins K and C, folate, and fiber, which support bone health, detoxification, and digestion.
• Blue and Purple: Blueberries, blackberries, grapes, eggplant, and purple cabbage contain anthocyanins, antioxidants, and flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory and brain-boosting properties, and may lower the risk of heart disease.
• White: Cauliflower, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and potatoes provide nutrients such as allicin, quercetin, and selenium, which support immune function, reduce inflammation, and promote healthy digestion.

By including a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet, you can ensure that you’re not only meeting your nutritional needs but also enjoying a diverse range of flavors and textures. The Rainbow Diet encourages a balanced and wholesome approach to eating, making it a sustainable and enjoyable way to support overall health and vitality. And you can learn to like them even if you don’t now! Here’s how I learned when I hated vegetables.

Rainbow diet menu

Here’s a sample one-day Rainbow Diet menu showcasing colorful fruits and vegetables throughout the day:

Breakfast: Rainbow Fruit Smoothie Bowl

• Ingredients: Frozen strawberries (red), mango (yellow), kiwi (green), blueberries (blue), banana (yellow), spinach (green), Greek yogurt (white), granola (brown), shredded coconut (white)
• Instructions: Blend strawberries, mango, banana, spinach, and Greek yogurt until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top with sliced kiwi, blueberries, granola, and shredded coconut.

Morning Snack: Rainbow Veggie Sticks with Hummus

• Ingredients: Cherry tomatoes (red), carrots (orange), yellow bell pepper (yellow), cucumber (green), hummus (white)
• Instructions: Slice vegetables into sticks and serve with hummus for dipping.

Lunch: Rainbow Quinoa Salad

• Ingredients: Cooked quinoa (white), cherry tomatoes (red), bell peppers (orange, yellow), cucumber (green), red cabbage (purple), black beans (black), avocado (green), lime vinaigrette dressing
• Instructions: Toss cooked quinoa with chopped vegetables, black beans, and diced avocado. Drizzle with lime vinaigrette dressing before serving.

Afternoon Snack: Rainbow Smoothie

• Ingredients: Frozen strawberries (red), pineapple (yellow), spinach (green), blueberries (blue), banana (yellow), Greek yogurt (white), almond milk
• Instructions: Blend strawberries, pineapple, spinach, blueberries, banana, Greek yogurt, and almond milk until smooth.

Dinner: Rainbow Veggie Stir-Fry with Tofu

• Ingredients: Tofu (white), broccoli (green), bell peppers (red, orange, yellow), carrots (orange), snap peas (green), purple cabbage (purple), brown rice (brown), soy sauce
• Instructions: Stir-fry tofu and chopped vegetables in a pan with soy sauce until tender. Serve over cooked brown rice.

Evening Snack: Rainbow Fruit Salad

• Ingredients: Strawberries (red), oranges (orange), pineapple (yellow), kiwi (green), blueberries (blue), grapes (purple)
• Instructions: Combine sliced fruits in a bowl to create a colorful fruit salad.

This Rainbow Diet menu offers a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables throughout the day, providing a broad spectrum of nutrients and antioxidants to support overall health and well-being. Feel free to adjust portion sizes and ingredients based on your preferences and dietary needs. Enjoy the vibrant flavors and nourishing benefits of eating the rainbow!

Check out this rainbow food chart for more ideas.

The post Rainbow Diet Meal Plan appeared first on Actionable Wellness.

Eating the rainbow

“Eating the rainbow” is a catchy and memorable phrase that encourages individuals to consume a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables daily. The varying colors in fruits and vegetables represent different nutrients and antioxidants. By eating a spectrum of colors, you ensure a diverse intake of essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients beneficial for overall health. And anyone can learn to like vegetables. Even if you have always hated vegetables. I did it. So you can too.

Remember, while aiming to eat the rainbow, it’s also essential to consider food quality. Whenever possible, choose organic, locally grown, and seasonal produce to maximize the nutritional value and support sustainable farming practices. The better quality of food you eat, the better health you will have. And we all want to live well while we’re living, don’t we?

Eat the rainbow chart

Here’s a breakdown of the rainbow food chart:

1. Red Foods:

• Examples: Tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, red bell peppers, raspberries, watermelon, red apples, pomegranates, red grapes, beets.
• Nutrients: High in lycopene, quercetin, Vitamin C, and other antioxidants. They can support heart health and provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

2. Orange Foods:

• Examples: Carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkins, oranges, apricots, tangerines, mangoes.
• Nutrients: Rich in beta-carotene, which converts to Vitamin A in the body, supporting eye health, immune function, and skin health.

3. Yellow Foods:

• Examples: Yellow bell peppers, corn, pineapples, bananas, yellow tomatoes, lemon, yellow squash.
• Nutrients: Contains antioxidants like vitamin C, carotenoids, and bioflavonoids. These nutrients promote heart and vision health and support the immune system.

4. Green Foods:

• Examples: Spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, peas, zucchini, avocado, green apples, kiwi, green grapes, lettuce, cucumbers.
• Nutrients: Packed with chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. These nutrients support blood health, bone health, and eye health and can have detoxifying properties.

5. Blue/Purple Foods:

• Examples: Blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, purple grapes, plums, prunes, figs, raisins.
• Nutrients: High in anthocyanins and phenolics, which can support heart health, reduce the risk of stroke, and have anti-aging properties.

6. White/Tan/Brown Foods:

• Examples: Onions, garlic, cauliflower, mushrooms, ginger, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, whole grains (like brown rice, quinoa, barley, and oats).
• Nutrients: These foods offer allicin, which can support immune health. They’re also rich in phytonutrients and can help balance hormones.

7. Black Foods:

• Examples: Black beans, black rice, black sesame seeds, blackberries, black grapes.
• Nutrients: Typically very high in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins. They can support heart health and reduce the risk of stroke and cancer.

Benefits of Eating the Rainbow:

• Diverse Nutrient Intake: Different colors offer different beneficial compounds.
• Reduced Disease Risk: Antioxidants and other compounds found in colorful fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
• Digestive Health: Many colorful fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, promoting good digestive health.
• Natural Weight Management: Many of these foods are low in calories but high in nutrients, making them ideal for weight management.

I hope this list helps you to think about eating diverse and quality foods that will help you get as much nutrition as possible into your diet. Because you’re worth it.

The post Rainbow Food Chart appeared first on Actionable Wellness.

My goal is the eat every color of the rainbow every day. And I used to hate vegetables, but I’m recovering and I love the way I feel now. I don’t ever want to go back to my unhealthy junk food diet that I always thought was life because I was raised eating that way! I was WRONG! And I have paid for it with my health. And we need antioxidants in foods for good health to save us from diseases. Check out these superfoods for health!

Get your printable salad ingredient cheat sheet and smoothie ingredient cheat sheet here to balance your fruit and veggie creations every time!

Oh, how I wish I could go back and change things for my mom and help her live healthy until the end. But instead, she suffered trapped inside her own junk food junky body. I’m so glad I’m learning to turn things around for myself, but I wish I could have helped her. There’s still time for us to make better choices and these smoothie bowl recipes are so fun and colorful, it’s going to make eating them even more fun!

Strawberry Smoothie Bowl by Fearless Dining. This smoothie bowl is so pretty in pink! And it tastes as lovely as it looks with loads of strawberry flavor.

Heart Healthy Beet Bowls by Plant Based on a Budget. These vibrant smoothie bowls are super good for you! Go ahead, eat your heart out!

Melon Mango Smoothie Bowls by Frugal Mom Eh. These melon mango smoothie bowls have such a refreshing flavor. You are going to love these!

Blackberry Smoothie Bowls by In the Kitch. If you love blackberries, then save this recipe for later. You will want to make it all summer long!

Dragonfruit Smoothie Bowls by Sunkissed Kitchen. Dragonfruit smoothie bowls are sure to be a new favorite way to start your day. They are so good!

Mango Orange Smoothie Bowls by The Parent Spot. These smoothie bowls have a sunny, tropical vibe that I know you are going to warm up to!

Chocolate Cherry Granola Smoothie Bowl by Homebody Eats. These luscious smoothie bowls are a chocolate lover’s dream come true! So many good things in one dish!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl by Housewives of Frederick County. Blueberry and banana are the perfect base for these colorful bowls of smoothie goodness!

Vanilla Coconut Smoothie Bowl by Wholly Tasteful. Vanilla and coconut combined are a wonderful way to eat a great breakfast in the morning!

Blackberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl by Ugly Duckling Bakery. Berries and bananas blend for a smooth flavor you will want to enjoy all the time!

Chocolate Smoothie Bowl by Keeping the Peas. This is so decadent, you might even want to have a bowl of this for dessert!

Strawberry Kefir Smoothie Bowl by Monica Nedeff. Eating good has never been so colorful or tasty as it is with these bowls!

Blueberry Protein Smoothie Bowl by Through the Fibro. This blueberry bowl packs a lot of protein to fuel your day with a nutritious breakfast!

Healthy Pink Smoothie Bowls by Marathons and Motivation. Think pink for a healthy start to the day with these smoothie bowls!

Easy Acai Bowl by Spend with Pennies. Eating a healthy breakfast has never been so pretty or easy! These acai bowls are a must-try!

You gotta try getting into Healthy smoothies for weight loss and smoothie bowls. You’re gonna love the way you feel too! You can just swirl some healthy jam like this elderberry jam into yogurt to make a super easy smoothie bowl too.

You can also make oatmeal balls like these for a nutritious breakfast and they can be prepped ahead so they are already ready! Check out these healthy breakfasts to help you lose weight for ideas to start your day! For more diet changes that help you have more energy, check these out.

For more nutritious ideas, check these out:

• Easy Honey Oatmeal Recipe with Peanut Butter
• Rainbow Diet Recipes
• 95 Healthy Snacks for Picky Eaters (Adults)
• Tips for How to Eat Healthy When you Hate Cooking
• Quick Breakfast Ideas for Healthy Mornings

The post 15 Beautiful Smoothie Bowl Recipes appeared first on Actionable Wellness.

Rainbow fruits and vegetables

You CAN learn to eat healthy, even if you hate vegetables. I did it and I’m learning more all the time, thanks to my wonderful wife. She makes this Mediterranean vegetable pasta and it’s the BOMB! I hope you try it. So what’s the big deal about eating the rainbow? Different colors of fruits and vegetables (and food in general) have different nutrients that our bodies need. Eating every color in the rainbow every day of fresh foods helps us get a variety of nutrition. And it’s not as hard as you might think. You can learn to love it.

Rainbow food chart

If you want a free printable rainbow food checklist to help you meet that goal every day, check this out. It makes getting everything in kind of fun as you check off the colors.

Just download it and print it out as many times as you need.

Mediterranian Vegetable Pasta

This Mediterranean vegetable pasta will please the whole family. With sweet peppers, shallots, and squash, this pasta dish is healthy comfort food! The veggies are sauteed in olive oil, making them sweeter and more intense. Everything is cooked to perfection and then pasta is added, for a dinner that is packed with flavor and so easy to make! Serve it on its own as an easy vegetarian dinner, or top it with some grilled meat, or even serve it as a side for grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak! However you do it, you’re family is going to love it!

Print

Rainbow Vegetable Pasta

Light, flavorful vegetable pasta dish that is sure to please your family.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword rainbow vegetable pasta, vegetable pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini diced
• 1 yellow squash diced
• ½ orange bell pepper diced
• 1 shallot diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil + more to drizzle
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes – optional
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Saute shallots in olive oil 2 minutes
• Add tomato halves, cook 2 minutes
• Stir in remaining veggies and seasonings
• Drizzle a little oil
• Reduce heat to low
• Cook pasta and add to veggies
• Add a little pasta water if needed
• Garnish with parmesan, serve, and enjoy!

For more ideas for recipes with lots of vegetables, check these out:

• Steak Salad with Strawberry Lemon Vinaigrette
• Recipes with Vegetables
• Cajun chicken pasta skillet
• Cranberry Walnut Salad Pinwheels
• Rainbow Diet Recipes

The post Rainbow Vegetable Pasta appeared first on Actionable Wellness.

Why You Should Eat the Rainbow

Nutrition is an important wedge of the wellness wheel and an important part of your fitness journey. Good food can actually heal your body.

Hi, I’m Christina, happy to join you today to talk about eating the rainbow for good health. Different colors of the rainbow offer different nutrients from the fruits and vegetables in our food. So eating every color of the rainbow each day helps us get a variety of nutrients in our bodies. We need all the vitamins and minerals in a variety of foods for optimal health. Something like this rainbow pasta dish can help.

There are so many health benefits in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables with powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals that harm health. Eating a variety of colors in a balanced diet gives you the essential nutrients that you need to reduce the risk of heart disease, and the risk of cancer, reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease, improve skin health, reduce oxidative stress to help with disease control, and more. When you eat a variety of colorful foods, you get natural compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties and anticancer properties. Each color in the rainbow gives you a different nutrient content and gives you a good reason to eat a variety of foods. 

Rainbow food chart

You can use this rainbow food chart linked below to give you ideas of what kinds of foods to put on your shopping list.

Rainbow diet

The rainbow diet just means that we try to get a rainbow of variety in every day from fruits and vegetables. These rainbow colors include purple and blue foods, yellow and orange foods, green foods, red foods, and brown and white foods.

Once you have had something from every color group, you will have had 5 servings of fruits and vegetables in that day. Isn’t that awesome!

If you want more of my weight loss story and how I grew up on little Debbies and soda and learned how to change my health and life through exercise and nutrition, check out this nutrition guide. It has some basic dos and don’ts that my wife and I used for me to lose 120 pounds and be on no medication at age 55. There are also some sample meal plans in there. It was a long process, not a quick fix, but if I can do it, so can you!

Rainbow fruits and vegetables

You can see that eating out, especially fast food, would make it hard to reach this goal. Because mostly there are just french fries. How often do you see something red on a menu at a restaurant? Tomatoes? What else? Purple and blue? Anything? Anyone? Bueller? This is why eating at home is so good for your health!

When talking about the rainbow, we aren’t counting meat, breads, fats, or anything like that. We are talking about just fruits and vegetables only. If our diets are based on fruits and vegetables, we are going to find a whole lot more health in what we eat. So our plates should be at least half full of these foods.

Purple and blue fruits and vegetables

Purple and blue fruits and vegetables have a variety of nutrients that boost immune systems and fight diseases. And there are plenty of yummy choices in this category. These colored foods are also may help slow cognitive decline, improve motor skills, and reverse memory loss.

• Purple cauliflower
• Purple asparagus
• Beets
• Blackberries
• Purple carrots
• Purple corn
• Plums
• Purple potatoes
• Purple kale
• Purple broccoli
• Eggplant
• Purple peppers
• Blueberries
• Purple grapes
• Elderberries
• Raisins

Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables

Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables have tons of beta-carotene which helps you resist infection and heal. This color of foods also helps with heart health and vision.

• Cantaloupe
• Lemons
• Pineapple
• Yellow peppers
• Butternut squash and other winter squashes
• Pumpkins
• Yellow potatoes
• Yellow apples
• Apricots
• Grapefruit
• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Yellow pears
• Tangerines
• Carrots
• Corn
• Yellow tomatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Yellow squash

Green fruits and vegetables

Green vegetables are full of antioxidants and folate as well as other nutrients. They support heart and vision and fight disease as well as lowering the risk of birth defects.

• Avocadoes
• Artichokes
• Lettuce
• Limes
• Green pears
• Green grapes
• Green apples
• Asparagus
• Zucchini
• Peas
• Tomatillos
• Green peppers
• Okra
• Green onions
• Spinach
• Cucumbers
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Green beans
• Brussel sprouts
• Broccoli

Red fruits and vegetables

Red fruits and vegetables are full of flavonoids and lycopene. These support healthy bones, skin and teeth, a healthy heart and healthy vision. It also supports urinary tract health and fights disease.

• Apples
• Rhubarb
• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Beets
• Red peppers
• Radishes
• Radicchio
• Red onions
• Red potatoes
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Red grapes
• Raspberries
• Pomegranates
• Red pears
• Blood oranges
• Red grapefruits

For a great treat, try this roasted cherry tomato toast for your reds. So good!

Brown and white fruits and vegetables

Brown and white fruits and vegetables contain a lot of potassium and selenium. They support a healthy heart and immune system. They lower blood pressure and cholesterol. And fight disease.

• Ginger
• Fennel
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Leeks
• Kohlrabi
• Jicama
• Garlic
• Coconuts
• Brown pears
• White peaches
• Bananas
• Dates
• Cauliflower
• Parsnips
• Shallots
• Turnips
• White corn
• White potatoes
• White asparagus

For inspiration on how to include vegetables in your diet, check out these meals with vegetables. Check out these beautiful and healthy smoothie bowls too! Also, meal prep planning helps a lot.

So what can you make with all these wonderful foods? Check out these Rainbow diet recipes for inspiration. They are delish!

Eat the Rainbow challenge

So let’s challenge ourselves to try to eat the rainbow for good health every day for 7 days. Then try it for 21 and see if you form a habit that will last a lifetime. If you fall off the wagon, get back up and try again. Print out the checklist below so you can check them off as you go! And here are some great ways to save money on those healthy groceries.

I hope you are inspired to eat a rainbow today and in the coming days for good health! There are lots of great recipes using these fruits and vegetables over on Little Sprouts Learning.

For more ideas to get healthy, check these out:

• 9 Simple Steps to Wellness

The post How to Eat the Rainbow for Good Health appeared first on Actionable Wellness.