How to Eat the Rainbow (Chart & Smoothie)

3 Ways to Eat Colorfully

If eating healthy is easy, you are more likely to do it. Here are a few meals that will make it easy to eat the rainbow.

1. A Smoothie. Choose a fruit or veggie that represents each color of the rainbow, add it to a blender with a liquid and drink! I provide you with my own fruit rainbow smoothie recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post. Or visit my ultimate How to Make A Smoothie post with a free downloadable smoothie chart.

2. A Fruit Salad. You can again choose fruits and veggies (Sure, veggies are fine in a fruit salad) that represent each color of the rainbow, toss them in a salad and eat! Here are two of my favorite salads, Watermelon Fruit Salad, and my Chickpea Cucumber Salad.

3. A Rainbow Sandwich. Choose fillings that reflect each color of the rainbow, and put them a roll, your favorite bread or even roll them in a salad or collard leaf. Try my BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich.

And here are more ways to eat the rainbow: Roast a selection of rainbow vegetables, add rainbow veggies to a stew, and even create a rainbow ice cream bar with my homemade magic shell in 3 flavors or my healthy chocolate sauce so each person must build an ice cream sundae that has a fruit from each color of the rainbow.

Definition of Eat the Rainbow

The rainbow diet, which has been gaining popularity lately, calls for the daily consumption of fruits and vegetables that are colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, purple, blue and white. The nutrients in a broad array of colors are the best way to combat your body's oxidative stress, the negative impact that comes from inflammation, exertion, pollution, artificial processed foods, and more.

Eating the rainbow diet not only boosts your body's natural defenses, but contributes to your nutritional needs, such as vitamins, fiber, protein and all the wonderful elements needed for a strong immune system, healthy digestion, and overall good health.

How to Eat A Colorful Diet

Eating the rainbow is a way of eating a balanced diet based on colors. It is also sometimes called eat your colors. Eating a few examples of each color of the rainbow each day is a way to eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet ensures that each of your body processes is getting the nutrition it needs to function at its optimum level. Eating red, orange, yellow, green, purple, blue and white foods that are plant-based daily, provides an array of essential nutrition.

Benefits of Eating Raw

Eating the rainbow means eating an assortment of foods, that can be cooked or not. However, there is a general consensus in the scientific community is that eating less cooked foods, or raw foods, leads to higher nutrition.

That's because when a food is cooked, the nutrition is generally diminished. However, moderation in life is the key to happiness, no? So you decide on how much cooked and raw food to incorporate into your daily diet.

Foods of a similar color tend to have similar nutrients. Now let's visit the colors and see what color provides what nutrients.

📌Rainbow Food List

Here is a list of colors and their matching foods and benefits that you can use to build out your eat the rainbow diet:

1. Red foods have lycopene, which protects again disease and contributes to eye and heart health.

Some red foods are strawberries, raspberries, cherries, rhubarb, watermelon, red cabbage, red potatoes, beets, red chard, red pepper, red plums, and red pears. Find more red foods in our foods that are red post.

2. Orange foods have beta carotene which supports eyes, skin, immune system.

Some orange foods are include oranges, papaya, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, apricots and more. Find more orange foods in our foods that are orange post.

3. Yellow foods, like bananas and corn, provide essential nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, and probiotics, all of which support digestion, immunity and organ support. The bright yellow color also signals the presence of antioxidants that help protect cells from damage and contribute to overall well-being.

Some yellow foods include corn, ginger, yellow apples, lemons, pineapple, bananas, and more. Find more yellow foods in our foods that are yellow post.

4. Green foods have lutein, which protects against disease, supports immune system and much more. Many green foods are cruciferous vegetables such as kale, cabbage, and brussels sprouts and science has shown that the nutrients in cruciferous vegetables may be instrumental in disease prevention.

Some green foods include avocados, green beans, peas, celery, kiwi, limes and more. Find more green foods in our foods that are green post.

5. Purple and blue foods have flavonoids and anthocyanins which boost brain power, and the immune system.

Some purple and blue foods are blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, purple cauliflower, purple kale, purple potatoes, plums and more. Find more purple foods in our foods that are purple post and find more blue foods in our foods that are blue post.

6. White foods, though not officially part of the rainbow, are also said to be popular additions to the eat the rainbow diet. White foods are sometimes considered to be those that are white on the inside such as zucchini, pears, cucumbers, mushrooms and coconut. Read about the science behind white foods.

Find more white foods in our foods that are white post.

📌Free Rainbow Food Color Chart

I've pulled together a chart of common foods to eat per color so you can post it on your phone or refrigerator and plan to eat the rainbow conveniently. Sign up to grab a free chart!

Eat the Rainbow Smoothie

A super convenient way to eat the rainbow on a daily basis is to throw together a smoothie! Just combine 3-4 cups of veggies and fruits in a blender, and you have your eat the rainbow requirements covered, as well as half your 5-a-day! Check out our 38 vegetables for smoothies post for more choices and combinations.