Eat your colors! Your colors matter in regards to your food intake. The more colors we eat from fruits and vegetables, the better variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals we consume.

When we eat directly from the bush, plant, tree, or grain, we are going to get that optimal set of vitamins and minerals that we need to ensure our finest health. In addition to eating from the bushes, trees, and grains, it’s important to eat a variety of these foods. I always recommend eating a rainbow of colors throughout the week to make life simple. Every different color of fruits and veggies provide you and your family with different vitamins and minerals to optimize your nutrition.

 

A simple way to achieve this colorful array of food is to think about your weekly intake like this:

Monday: eat something RED (tomato, strawberry, apple)

Tuesday: eat something ORANGE (carrot, yam, orange)

Wednesday: eat something YELLOW (yellow squash, pineapple, yellow bell pepper)

Thursday: eat something GREEN (broccoli, lettuce, kiwi)

Friday: eat something BLUE/PURPLE (eggplant, purple bell peppers, blueberries)

Saturday: eat something WHITE (potato, onion, banana)

Take special note: You don’t have to limit yourself to just one color each day! The more colors you eat daily, the better! However, the overall idea is to get at least every color of the rainbow in your food throughout the week. Enjoy eating the bushels of love and enjoy your colorful plates. Image is everything, right?

By Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN