It's important to eat the rainbow because different colors indicate the presence of different nutrients. When you eat the rainbow, you boost immunity, energy, support skin and vision and brain, keep bones and teeth healthy and more. I have listed the nutritious benefits of each food by color, so you can start eating the rainbow today.
How to Eat the Rainbow
It's easy if you just eat a different food each day that represents each color of the rainbow. Below I give you a list of foods and the color they represent so you can plan. However here are a few example recipes you can eat to make it easier.
What Are Three Ways You Can Eat the Rainbow?
If eating healthy is easy, you are more likely to do it. So to eat the rainbow, 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 Guide 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!
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.
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 so each person must build an ice cream sundae that has a fruit from each color of the rainbow.
What is Meant By Eat A Rainbow?
Eating the rainbow is a way of eating a balanced diet based on colors. It is also sometimes called "eat your colors". Foods of a similar color tend to have similar nutrients.
By eating a few examples of each color of the rainbow each day is a way to eat a fairly balanced and nutritionally sound diet. [Science Source]
Why Is It Important to Eat the Rainbow?
Because eating the rainbow is the best way to get all the nutrients your body needs each day. A balanced diet ensures that each of your body processes is getting the nutrition it needs to function at it's optimum level.
Basically we should be eating red, orange, yellow, green, purple, and white plants daily. Each color fruit or vegetable contains some essential supporting nutrient.
Eating A Rainbow of Raw Foods is Even Healthier
Now, 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 that eating less cooked foods leads to higher nutrition. [Science Source]
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.
Now, you didn't think I was going to leave things here, right. Of course you are curious now about what color food does what nutritionally. And I've got your back!
A Food Color Chart Of What You Should Eat, Color by Color
Here are just a few benefits per color:
1. RED: has lycopene, which protects again disease and contributes to eye and heart health. EX: Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, rhubarb, watermelon [Science Source]
2. ORANGE & YELLOW: has beta carotene, which supports eyes, skin, immune system. EX: Carrots, peppers, yellow cabbage, persimmon, cantelope [Science Source]
3. GREEN: has lutein, which protects against disease, supports immune system and much more. EX: leafy veggies, green peppers, kiwi, avocado, celery [Science Source]
4. BLUE & PURPLE: has flavonoids and anthocyanins which boost brain power, and the immune system. EX: Blueberries, blackberries, purple cabbage [Science Source]
5. WHITE & NEUTRAL: Many essential nutrients missing in other foods. EX: Apples, pears, bananas, zucchini, cucumbers, mushrooms, onions, dragonfruit, coconut (Nutritional science categorizes a food color by the flesh, not skin..) [Science Source]
Easiest Way to Eat The Rainbow
Is with a smoothie! Just throw in 3-4 cups of veggies and fruits and you have half your 5-a-day or more covered!
I have smoothies on my blog to help you out or try my 4-Ingredient Smoothie & Juice Book! It will really help you make rainbow smoothies fast.
Try My Free Rainbow Smoothie Recipe
To start you off this second, I have also provided you with a healthy rainbow-based Berry Zucchini Cilantro Smoothie Recipe below.
You can use store-bought yogurt or make your own coconut yogurt (my recipe here). Or swap the yogurt for a decadent cashew cream (try this recipe).
Eat it alone or top it with a rainbow of fruits as I did! Enjoy a rainbow day on me!
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Eat The Rainbow Smoothie
Ingredients
- 3 cups strawberries (pink, red)
- ¼ cup blueberries (blue, purple)
- ¼ cup carrots (orange, yellow)
- 1 cup zucchini (peeled to represent white)
- ¼ cup baby spinach (green)
- 2 cups dairy free yogurt
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients, pour in glasses or into a serving platter and top with a rainbow array of fruits.
- For optimum nutrition, eat the same day it is blended.
Linda
Do you think I could make a cashew yogurt with your cashew cream recipe & and a probiotic capsule? Sounds so delicious!!
Dee Dine
Yes! Plus I have a cashew yogurt recipe here that might help
Linda
Awesome!! Thank you!! I finished the 6 smoothies challenge, yesterday. Delicious!!
Dee Dine
Congrats!