The healthy food rainbow is a guide for people to see what types of foods they should have in their diet.
The healthy food rainbow has been designed to show the different colour groups from the most nutritious foods to less healthy options.
The colours of the Rainbow are often used to describe food groups, with red representing fruits and vegetables, orange being grains, yellow being meat/protein sources, green being dairy foods, blue/purple for beans and legumes.
What foods are in the rainbow diet?
The healthy food rainbow contains a wide variety of foods that should be eaten to ensure a balanced and healthy diet. The main focus is on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains. At the top of the healthy food, Rainbow is red food.
This section includes foods such as apples, strawberries, cherries, and watermelon. Orange foods are located in the middle of the Rainbow and include things like apricots, pumpkins, carrots, and oranges. Yellow foods included in the healthy food rainbow are things like corn, bananas, and kiwi fruit.
What is Rainbow eating?
Rainbow eating is a healthy eating plan that is based on the healthy food rainbow. The idea of eating rainbow foods is to get a variety of different foods into your diet.
The different coloured groups in the Rainbow show the number of different food groups people should eat each week. The healthy food rainbow should be used as a guide to see what types of foods people should eat at each meal.
Top 10 Eat a Rainbow Recipes ideas:
1. Easy-Breezy Tuna Potato Salad:
Ingredients:
- 1 medium bag of baby red potatoes
- 2 cans of tuna chunks in water,
- drained 1 medium onion,
- chopped finely (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 2 stalks of celery,
- chopped finely (about 1/4 cup). Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions:
1. Cook the chopped potatoes in boiling water until they are cooked through (about 15 minutes). Drain and let cool.
2. Chop onion finely and place it into a large bowl with tuna, sour cream, celery, Salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine all ingredients.
3. Add cooked potatoes to the tuna mixture and stir gently to combine everything. Serve cold or at room temperature
2. Rainbow Stir-Fry with Tofu Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
- 2 cups of broccoli florets 2 large carrots,
- peeled and sliced thinly (about 1 cup)
- 4 green onions, chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1 small tin water chestnuts, drained (optional)
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 2 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated with a Microplate
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 tsp vegan or regular sugar
Directions:
1. Mix the soy sauce, ginger, sesame seeds, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl.
2. Heat a wok over high heat until it is hot and add the oil. Add the tofu cubes and stir-fry until they are browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, carrots, and green onions. Pour in half of the sauce from the small bowl and toss to coat well. Add this mixture into your wok along with the water chestnuts (if you are using them).
4. Continue stir-frying the vegetables for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add in the rest of the sauce and cook until it is heated through.
6. Remove from heat and serve over brown rice or quinoa, sprinkled with sesame seeds
3. Strawberry Mango Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh strawberries,
- sliced 1/2 cup mango,
- diced (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 4 cups of baby spinach leave 2 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
Dressing:
1 lemon, juiced and zested 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, and mango.
2. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing until smooth and well combined. Pour over the salad and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with hemp seeds before serving.
4. A Rainbow of Smoothies:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chopped romaine,
- 1 apple (cored and cut into chunks),
- 3 large strawberries,
- 1 banana, peeled,
- 3 tbsp low-fat plain yoghurt,
- 1 tsp ground flaxseeds or chia seeds (optional),
- 1/4 cup orange juice, cold
Directions:
1. In a blender, combine romaine, apple chunks, strawberries, and banana. Pulse until smooth.
2. Mix in the yoghurt and ground flaxseeds if using, then add the orange juice and pulse again until combined well. Serve.
5. Rainbow Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1/2 red bell pepper,
- 1 green onion,
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and divided,
- 4 oz whole-grain spaghetti or linguine
- 3 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta, cooking it according to package instructions until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine half of the garlic cloves with the red bell pepper, green onion, and basil leaves and process until smooth. With the machine running, add the oil and then blend in the tomatoes.
3. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl, season with Salt and pepper to taste, stir in remaining garlic clove, and set aside.
4. Drain the pasta when cooked al dente, then pour it into serving bowls or plates. Spoon on some of the sauce, then top with more fresh basil leaves before serving.
6. Rainbow Quinoa
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup red quinoa,
- rinsed 2 cups vegetable stock 1 tbsp olive oil 1 large carrot,
- diced 1 cup English cucumber,
- diced 1 celery stalk,
- sliced thinly 2 green onions, sliced thinly
- 1 cup baby kale leaves 3 oz cooked chicken (optional) Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with the stock over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
3. Mix in the cucumber and celery, then add a pinch of Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 2 minutes, then add the green onions and kale. Cook until the kale has just wilted, about 1 minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
4. Stir the quinoa into the vegetable mixture and divide it among four dishes or plates. Top with some of the cooked chicken and serve warm or at room temperature.
7. Rainbow Cabbage:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/4 cup grated seeded cucumber
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the green cabbage with the carrot, red cabbage, and cucumber. Add the mint, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil, then season with Salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to mix and serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.
8. Coleslaw:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 3/4 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 cup grated carrot 1 small red onion, minced Salt, and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk with the yogurt, mayonnaise, and honey. Whisk well to combine, then stir in the green cabbage, carrot, and red onion. Season with Salt and pepper to taste, then serve or refrigerate until needed.
9. Rainbow Chard:
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups rainbow chard leaves (about 1/2 bunch), thick stems removed Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook until softened and lightly charred, about 3 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in half of the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds before removing from heat.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the chard leaves until wilted and bright green. Drain, then rinse under cold water to cool down.
4. Transfer the chard to a cutting board and chop finely before transferring to a large bowl. Stir in the remaining garlic with the red bell pepper mixture and toss well to combine. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and serve or refrigerate until needed.
10. Rainbow Broccoli:
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- 2 tsp olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli until bright green and tender-crisp. Drain, then rinse well under cold water to stop the cooking process. Combine the broccoli with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, then toss well before serving or refrigerate until needed.
Why eating colourful food is good for you?
Our bodies need a variety of fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. Some foods are rich in certain vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients that our bodies need (called “nutrients” or “nutritional components”).
By eating different kinds of these colourful plant-based foods, we can get all the necessary nutritional components. Different colours mean different nutrients. Eating colourful foods ensures that we get the different nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy.
Why is it good to eat the Rainbow?
By eating the Rainbow, you’re ensuring that your body gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy. Eating foods in different colours means eating foods with different nutrients. Each colour represents a specific set of nutrients.
For example, dark green vegetables are good sources of vitamin K, orange vegetables are good sources of vitamin A, and red vegetables are good sources of lycopene.
What are three ways you can eat the Rainbow?
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables such as green (kale, broccoli, snow peas), white/tan/brown (potatoes, onion), orange (carrots, butternut squash), red (tomato sauce, bell pepper), purple/blue or black (eggplant, blueberries or blackberries), yellow(corn), pink (watermelon)
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day
- Make sure that at least one of your fruit or vegetable choices is red, orange, yellow or green. Fruits and vegetables in these colours will give you more vitamin A and C than those in other colours, so they’re especially important to include in your diet.
- Eat various fruits and vegetables- for example, eat both purple/blue and red berries; green, white, orange, and yellow vegetables.
There you go! Now you have a rainbow meal at the palm of your hand!! Get creative with your food and makeup it as you please to keep things interesting and fun!
What are rainbow vegetables?
The term “rainbow vegetables” is used to describe a variety of vegetables that come in different colours. These include purple eggplants, orange carrots, and green broccoli. The way these vegetables are prepared can change their colour or even make them turn an unappealing brown.
This is due to the formation of certain chemicals called polyphenols in the presence of oxygen. Eating a rainbow meal with different coloured vegetables ensures that you get a different type of polyphenol and thus various health benefits.
What are the health benefits?
Eating various foods from each colour group ensures that you get a wide range of essential nutrients to maintain good health. The rainbow diet can be used as a guide to understand different food groups and choose foods that are healthy, nutritious, and beneficial for you.
The healthy food rainbow is not about restricting the types of foods you eat, but rather encouraging people to eat a wide range of different foods.
Conclusion
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