When it comes to eating a variety of healthy foods, thinking of a rainbow is great for engaging children. The bright reds of red peppers and strawberries, greens of lettuce and cucumbers, yellows of squash, and orange pumpkins. Children are more willing to try new fruits and vegetables if they are bright and presented in a fun way!
Healthy eating habits start at home and the best way to set a habit is to make it enjoyable… ~Today I Ate a Rainbow
Why use a rainbow as a reference?
When you use a Rainbow as a nutritional guide you are ensuring that your kids are benefiting from a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are provided by each color group. Eating all five color groups every day is an excellent way to keep your kids healthy and feeling their best! ~Benefits of Eating A Rainbow
Today I Ate a Rainbow
How do you know what foods contain the most nutrients and will help your kids grow? How can you improve the nutrition of your whole family?
Better nutrition starts not only by cutting out the bad, but adding in the good. Fill your children’s meals with healthful, high-quality food, and you’ll eventually squeeze out the bad stuff.
But what is healthy? You can’t go wrong with anything that has bright, vibrant colors—think fruits and vegetables, not boxes of processed junk food. ~Oprah.com
A fun way to involve your children is to take them to your local market or produce stand. Pick out foods that match each color of the rainbow and then work together to create a meal from them. A great salad, a fruit smoothie, even a simple vegetable platter could be fun if you make it into a funny face or animal.
Get creative and have fun! Check out this unique creation from What’s Cooking with Kids:
What’sCookingWithKids
Here is a list of colorful foods to help get you started, but it is only the begining…
Red
- Peppers
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Tomatoes
Green
- Peas
- Spinach
- Kale
- Avocado
Yellow
- Bell Peppers
- Corn
- Squash
- Pineapple
Orange
- Sweet Potatoes
- Carrots
- Cantaloupe
Purple & Blue
- Blueberries
- Eggplant
- Grapes
Beautiful! Can you think of some more? Whole Food Foundation, Better Bites has some more listed. Just click the link and download the PDF! Remember, eating the rainbow is good for us older folks too.
Brooke has the “rainbow game” how-to with your kids on this episode of Modern Mom:
How do you make food fun and healthy for your kids?
Leave a Reply