A Rainbow a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Forget the old apple saying; a colorful rainbow will keep you out of the doctor's office. The idea behind eating a rainbow a day is to make sure you get a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from fruits and vegetables. You can enjoy these fruits and vegetables fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or from 100% juice. 

What exactly are the colors of the rainbow? Below is a list of the color categories and some of my favorites within each one:

• Red: strawberries, apples, cherries, pomegranate, watermelon, beets (!!), tomatoes
• Orange/Yellow: cantaloupe, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, pineapples, carrots, corn, sweet potatoes
• Dark Green: avocados, kiwi, limes, peas, arugula, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, spinach
• Blue/Purple: blueberries, plums, purple asparagus, purple potatoes
• White or Tan/Brown: bananas, dates, brown pears, garlic, ginger, parsnips, artichokes

For a full list of fruits and vegetables by category, please visit this site.

Easy ways to make a rainbow on your plate include:

• blending fruits into a smoothie: strawberry, banana, blueberries, papaya
• creating a fun, colorful salad: spinach, cranberries, mandarin oranges, peaches
• mixing your favorite fruit into a summery fruit salad: watermelon, kiwi, mango, grapes, melon
• chopping up a bunch of veggies to make a delicous salsa: tomatoes, corn, peppers, red onions, black beans
• using your food processor to create your own hummus: chick peas, artichoke hearts, 
• flipping an omelet full of veggies: tomatoes, peppers, spinach

On Sunday, I went back and looked at my biggest meals of the day to see how successful I was at eating a rainbow. For breakfast, my roommate and I made omelets. Well, Diana made an omelet and my disaster turned into a scramble.

My scramble = 1 egg + 2 egg whites + spinach + tomatoes:

Diana's omelet = 3 eggs + green peppers + red peppers.

For lunch I mixed up some Sesame noodles while we watched Spain win the World Cup! Noodles + sesame oil + soy sauce + carrots + ginger + garlic + cilantro + sesame seeds + crushed red pepper. Recipe soon!

For dinner, Brandon and I made Summery Salads with chicken + spinach + peaches + blueberries + a walnut encrusted goat cheese round.Our salads were topped with a homemade dressing of balsamic vinegar + olive oil + Dijon mustard + fresh garlic.

I was successful in eating something from each color category!

Red: tomatoes

Orange/Yellow: carrots, peaches

Dark Green: spinach x 2

Blue/Purple: blueberries

White or Tan/Brown: ginger, garlic

Do you follow this guide or any other eating guide to assist in your healthy eating habits? How do you make your rainbows on a plate? What is your favorite rainbow color category? I don't strictly follow this, but I do find it to be a great way to asses your diet each day and ensure that you are getting your vitamins! Also remember that this is only a guide for fruits + veggies. I do not recommend using carrot cake as a way to say you ate some of the Yellow/Orange category!

Hope you guys are having a great week! As always, I welcome your questions on any topic! :)