Eat the Rainbow

The micronutrients of our food is beautifully displayed in the context of eating the rainbow. When we have a broad range of spectrum of colors then we are providing for the many needs of our bodies. One way to evaluate the nutrients that you are receiving is to look at the color spectrum on your plate. Are you eating all the colors of the rainbow? You can follow the Instagram #eattherainbow for wonderful examples of how to fill your plate with color.

As most parents, we struggle against the marketing that appeals to our young children to encourage them to eat nutrient deficient foods. I talk with my daughter to guide her in making choices that have her eating the rainbow. To be honest, before I introduced this idea to her I would barter with her to convince her to eat a fruit or vegetable. Then, I introduced the idea of eating the rainbow. All of a sudden, she was engaged in including multiple colored foods into her meals. At the end of dinner, she now lists and counts the foods that she has eaten by their color. Then, she seeks out colors that she is missing and eats them for completeness.

I can say that it was a miraculous transformation for my daughter. I started sharing this list for kids with my friends who have children. Everyone found a tremendous increase in enthusiasm with their kids. I even have a friend who made copies for several of her friends.

I have attached 2 images produced from the Institute for Functional Medicine. One is a more thorough phytonutrient (meaning plant nutrients) food list to help us adults eat the rainbow. The second image is a list for kids. Email us at hello@drmcswain.com to receive this as a printable download.

Blessings!

Dr. Andrea

#eattherainbow #kidsnutrition #children #micronutrient #nutrition