Here is a very simple strategy you can use to tweak your food plan and optimize your health.  This is to eat from the Rainbow.

I don’t mean eating a bag of skittles!!!

By eating lots of vegetables and trying to make sure you  include all the various colours that vegetables and fruit come in over a few days you are actually covering your bases of what your body needs nutritionally. This is a very simple strategy that does not require tracking macros or require an in-depth knowledge of the actual nutritional content in each meal.

Each color of a fruit or veg represents different nutrients and each color has its own health benefits.  So by including a variety of colors in your meals and snacks you are making your food plan not only visually appealing but also nutritionally powerful.

Phytonutrients are cell signaling agents and messengers and have been found to have effects on inflammation, insulin sensitization, and stress response. play an even bigger role in protecting against diseases.

From my experience I have seen that when I first start working with clients to help them lose weight and improve health they often do not eat enough veg overall but as well they often fall into a rut of eating similar veg and fruit throughout the week so they are limited to just eating a few of the colour groups and missing out on others. 

This can create a significant nutrient gap and over time this will impact their health and wellbeing. 

When I am working with clients we are not just looking at the macros of protein, carbs and fats of their food plan, I am also guiding them towards incorporating a lot of variety in their veg and fruit intake. 

Nutrient Value of Colorful Foods

Color	Examples	Key Nutrients	Health Benefits
Red	Tomatoes, Strawberries, Cherries	Lycopene, Vitamin C, Anthocyanins	Heart health, cancer prevention, anti-inflammatory
Orange & Yellow	Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Oranges	Beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Potassium	Vision health, immune support, heart health
Green	Spinach, Kale, Broccoli	Vitamin K, Folate, Chlorophyll	Bone health, blood clotting, DNA synthesis
Blue & Purple	Blueberries, Eggplant, Grapes	Anthocyanins, Resveratrol, Vitamin C	Brain health, anti-aging, heart protection
White & Brown	Cauliflower, Garlic, Mushrooms	Allicin, Potassium, Fiber	Immune support, antibacterial, blood pressure regulation

The Power of Whole Foods Over Supplements

While supplements can be helpful and at times will fill in nutritional gaps, they shouldn’t be relied upon as your main source of nutrients. Whole foods offer a complex combination of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients that interact in ways that supplements just  can’t replicate. This is why I am a big fan of food first.

It takes time to make these changes but just by thinking about your food in terms of colour then you do not need to study and understand what each of the  phytonutrients do…. You just need to focus on eating  from the Rainbow and you will likely make a big improvement to your diet.

Look at your meals throughout the day and ask yourself if you have eaten from all the colour groups and if not,  then top it up with a healthy snack from that colour or make sure you eat that colour the next day.  This makes it very simple.

If you’re looking to be more educated on how to consistently be inclusive of all sorts of colorful fruits and vegetables as well as the benefits and want more meal ideas, then request my free 14 Day Rainbow Diet.

This plan encourages incorporating two to three different-colored fruits or vegetables at every meal along with ways to do this with snacks. You get several recipes and ideas on how to do this. 

The basis of this educational plan is not to learn how to limit calories, carbs, or certain types of food, but to instead learn the benefits of being inclusive of all sorts of colorful fruits and vegetables. 

Embrace the rainbow in your diet, and you’ll not only enjoy the look of all these colours on your plate but you will also reap the variety of benefits that these colourful nutrients provide for  long-term health. Rather than reaching for  a handful of supplements, make it a habit to include foods from each color group in your daily meals. This simple, delicious approach ensures you’re nourishing your body with the diverse nutrients it needs to thrive.

So, let your plate be your palette and paint it with the colors of the rainbow for a healthier, happier you.