Eating the Rainbow with 12 Healthy Color Packed Recipes (2024)

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Eating the Rainbow has never been more delicious than with these 12 healthy, colorful recipes! From meal prep recipes to bowls, salad, wraps, and more.

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“Eating the Rainbow” has never been more delicious than with these 12 healthy, color packed recipes.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

As it turns out, beauty becomes healthy when we eat foods representing every color of the rainbow.

“Nature has found a clever way to highlight the nutrients in foods: different nutrients actually impart different colors to the foods they’re in. For instance, the anthocyanins that turn blueberries blue can also keep your mind sharp, the lycopene that turns watermelon and tomatoes red may also help protect against prostate and breast cancers, and the beta carotene that makes carrots and sweet potatoes orange can help keep your bones strong, your eyes healthy and boost your immune system. While fresh fruits and vegetables are great in season, frozen ones are convenient to keep on hand and just as nutritious. So load up!”

7 Colors You Should Have on Your Plate Every Day

1.Blue, Purple, Red: healthy heart, brain functions

2. Green: detox, helps prevent cancer

3.Yellow, Green (Leafy Greens):age-related macular degeneration

4.Orange: eyes, bones and immune system healthy

5.Red: helps prevent breast and prostate cancer

1. Healthy Roasted Chicken and Veggies

“Seasoned with olive oil and Italian spices then roasted to perfection, this sheet pan chicken and rainbow veggies is great for meal prep and makes a healthy lunch or dinner too!”

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2. Rainbow Rollups with Peanut Sauce

“This is a rainbow roll-up that can earn the word DETOX in front of it, thanks to yummy and nutritional powerhouse foods like: carrots. chickpeas. curry. red cabbage. peanuts. dark leafy greens.”

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3. Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls with Tahini Sauce

“Mediterranean chickpea bowls with creamy tahini sauce! Made with spiced chickpeas, spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and brown rice. Great make-ahead meal for lunches or dinners.”

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4. Lightened-Up Chicken Salad

“To make it, just chop up a bunch of cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie), celery, grapes, shallot, walnuts, dried cranberries, Greek yogurt, and lots of salt and pepper. (Next time I totally want to add in an avocado too!)”

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5. Copycat Starbucks PB&J Bistro Box

Save money and calories by prepping your own PB&J whole wheat snack boxes for the entire week! Only 315 calories!

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6. Rainbow Veggie Spring Roll Bowl

“With tons of colorful vegetables, sesame rice noodles and a healthy peanut sauce, this noodle bowl is a hit with adults and kids alike. Assemble the bowls before serving or let everyone make their own. Serve with Sriracha hot sauce, if desired.”

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7. Vegan Cauliflower Stuffed Poblano Peppers

“The filling here is made up of things that you might have easily available in your fridge or pantry – a chunk of onion, bell pepper, a small section of cauliflower, leftover cooked rice, black beans, spinach, a scoop of tomatillo salsa, and a smattering of spices.”

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8. Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin

“An easy side dish, Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin is one of my go-to recipes for quick-fix dinners — and delicious taste. All year long.”

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RELATED:Turmeric: How to Get Recommended 1 Teaspoon Daily

9. Crispy Zucchini Tacos with Cherry Pepper Crema

“It’s still summer and there is still tons of zucchini and lots of tomatoes to be had. Throw all those things in a soft little shell and you’ve got some perfect late summer tacos that taste all sorts of dreamy. Crumbly, fresh cheese and cherry pepper crema round out these crispy chunks of garden love.”

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10. Spicy Peanut Soba Noodle Salad

“This recipe is begging to be customized. Make it with more chicken. Less chicken. Only green vegetables. Spicier peanut sauce. It’s totally your call, and it’s totally going to be bomb delicious when you pull it out of the fridge for lunch/dinner/snack/repeat.”

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11. Fresh Garden Tomato Soup

“This tomato soup is reminiscent of a simple summer dish flavored with local herbs and often served in Tuscany. While tomato soup seems most likely paired with grilled cheese, very often in Italy you find it paired with egg-based dishes, like frittatas.”

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12. Blackberry Blueberry Cheesecake Tort

“Blackberries and blueberries get their stunning color from anthocyanins, one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidants around. Research has found that anthocyanins may help lower the risk of certain types of cancer, prevent diabetes and promote healthy eyes.”

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More Healthy Recipes You May Like

  • Rainbow Trout in Sage Butter Foil Packets
  • 5 Minute Rainbow Protein Veggie Wraps
  • Healthy Snack: Crispy Curry Roasted Chickpeas
  • Easy and Healthy Sautéed Greens
Eating the Rainbow with 12 Healthy Color Packed Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does eating the rainbow do for your body? ›

See what eating a rainbow of colors can do for you:

Good sources of lycopene include tomatoes, beets, radish, cherries, strawberries, red onions and red peppers. These contain carotenoids, which reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation, strengthen the immune system, build healthy skin and improve vision.

What is the rainbow diet quote? ›

Eat the rainbow for a vibrant life. Fuel your days with a spectrum of nutritious delights and embrace the colors of wellness.

Is there any evidence for the rainbow diet? ›

There's no evidence that eating a balance of colours leads to a balance in nutritional content, although the natural compounds (phytochemicals) that give fruit and vegetables their colour may be beneficial.

What is the rainbow rule food? ›

Simply put, eating the rainbow involves eating fruits and vegetables of different colors every day. Plants contain different pigments, or phytonutrients, which give them their color. Different-colored plants are linked to higher levels of specific nutrients and health benefits.

Can you lose weight on the rainbow diet? ›

One of the primary benefits of the Rainbow Diet is weight loss. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories but high in fibre, which helps to keep you feeling full for longer periods.

What color vegetable is the healthiest to eat? ›

Dark green, leafy vegetables have the highest concentration of antioxidants and fiber.

Can you eat meat on the rainbow diet? ›

“Eat the rainbow“ is the mantra, and all you need to do is add more colourful plant foods to your meals. So rather than banning carbs, gluten, fat or meat, you just need to include some vibrant fruit and veg in your weekly diet.

Why do nutritionists tell us to eat the rainbow? ›

Nutritionists often advise that you ''eat the rainbow'', making sure to incorporate brightly coloured fruits and vegetables in your diet. Phytonutrients influence the colour of your fruits and vegetables, so by eating foods of every colour, you can help maximize the variety of phytonutrients in your diet.

What happens if you don't eat the rainbow? ›

If you don't 'eat the rainbow,' you could be missing out on key nutrients your body needs, according to a nutritionist. Eating the same foods every day can lead to nutritional deficiencies. We should aim to "eat the rainbow," registered nutritionist Jenny Rosborough told Insider.

Who invented the rainbow diet? ›

Dr. Deanna Minich originally coined the term “rainbow diet.” According to Minich, it helps care for the seven systems of the body: adrenals, reproductive glands, digestive system, heart, thyroid, pituitary gland, and pineal gland. Each color of the rainbow corresponds to one of the systems.

What are three ways you can eat the rainbow? ›

5 Ways to Eat the Rainbow
  • Sip the Rainbow. Smoothies are an excellent way to add a variety of fruits and vegetables to you day. ...
  • Fresh, Colorful Meal Planning. All forms of fruits and vegetables are healthy. ...
  • Colorful Nutrition on the Go. ...
  • Protein Powerhouse Vegetables. ...
  • Snack the Rainbow.

Is eating the rainbow healthy? ›

I'm not talking about colorful candies, but instead eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Eating a rainbow can be beneficial to your health and general enjoyment of food in several ways. First, eating a rainbow introduces a variety of foods into your diet and prevents boredom from eating the same things.

What is the rainbow diet program? ›

A rainbow diet is one which contains fruits and vegetables in different colours like red, yellow, purple, green, orange et al. The idea of this diet is to minimise carbs, gluten, fat or meat which could be burdening your system and making it ill over a period of time.

Which fruit is blue in color? ›

1. Blueberries. Blueberries are tasty and packed with nutrients. They're low in calories, high in fiber, and loaded with essential micronutrients, such as manganese and vitamins C and K ( 3 ).

Why should kids eat the rainbow? ›

Within each color are disease fighting phytochemicals, the good guys, that fight to keep you strong and healthy. Fruits and vegetables also provide a wide range of valuable nutrients; like fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C. So be colorful! Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day.

What are the effects of rainbow? ›

When light meets a water droplet, it is refracted at the boundary of air and water, and enters the droplet, where the light is dispersed into the seven colors. The rainbow effect occurs because the light is then reflected inside the droplet and finally refracted out again into the air.

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