‘Eat the rainbow’, probably something you’ve seen/ heard before regarding a healthy diet, right? But have you ever wondered why that’s so important? Obviously, foods that are fresh and healthy tend to be more colourful, but eating the rainbow is beneficial because that means you’re more likely to get all of your vitamins and minerals. For some reason, fruits and vegetables of the same colour tend to be rich in the same vitamins. Meaning if you get one of every colour, you’re getting a great balance of vitamins. In this post I’m going to go through the colours and which vitamins they’re typically associated with to help you plan your rainbow plate.
Eat The Rainbow – Vitamin & Mineral Guide
Green Vegetables
We’re told to eat our greens all the time so it’s no surprise that they have a lot going for them. Most green vegetables are high in vitamins C, A, K and folate. Leafy greens also contain iron and protein. Some leafy greens like kale also contain omega 3, although not in huge quantities.
Vitamin K is great for bone and blood health. The chlorophyll in greens also contains antioxidants to help your immune system and general health.
Orange Fruits and Vegetables
Although they’re known for high levels of vitamin C, orange fruits and vegetables are rich in several things. Orange fruits and vegetables usually contain high levels of vitamins C, A and folate. The extremely high vitamin A in orange fruits and vegetables is particularly good for vegans as it’s more likely to convert to retinol activity equivalent. Some animal foods contain preformed vitamin A but plant foods don’t, so they convert themselves.
Beta-carotene gives yellow and orange fruits and vegetables their colour and is converted to vitamin A in the body, where it helps us make hormones and keep eyes healthy.
Red Fruits
There have been studies that suggest that red fruits can help to fight cancer due to their high amounts of phytochemicals, including lycopene and ellagic acid. Other studies suggest they can also reduce cholesterol and blood pressure due to the high levels of lycopene.
High in vitamin C and fibre.
Purple/ Blue
Berry coloured foods are typically very rich in antioxidants that can reduce inflammation in the body
White/ Beige/ Brown
I know white and brown foods aren’t typically associated with health, but the foods in this category can help with bone health and reduce cholesterol. Speaking of bone health, chestnut mushrooms are naturally high in vitamin D, which is a great boost for vegans.
But there’s even more to these fruit and vegetables! Produce like bananas, potatoes, sweetcorn, and several nuts and seeds are excellent sources of minerals like magnesium. This mineral helps improve mood, sleep, exercise performance, and blood sugar regulation, making it an essential nutrient in your diet. If you notice that you are not getting enough of this mineral, you should consider supplementing your diet with triple magnesium complex capsules, which can help you ensure your diet is balanced and well-rounded.
Do you eat rainbow plates? Or have you learnt anything new about your favourites today?
Until next time,
Sophie
Hey Soph! Thanks for sharing this – I am sure a lot of people do not understand the benefits of vitamins and where they come from! I try and mix up my veg and fruit to ensure I receive all the goodness possible along with making meals super colourful 🙂
Emma | http://www.lifeofemmax.co.uk
Love this post! Such informative information on the different types of fruit/veg and their benefits. Definitely craving a healthy salad with some of these in now!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Aimsy xoxo
https://www.aimsysantics.co.uk
My eldest just learned “eat the rainbow” chart in school this year. And I must say it was nte most helpful thing he broth from school and attached it on the frige.
I love this!!! Always try my best to eat all the veggies I can, but of course life gets in the way and we stray into old eating. Habits that aren’t good for us. ❤️❤️
Thnk you soooo mcuh for this!!!! Im saving this post!!
I remember learning about this in a class I took in college and I remember hearing about eating different colored fruits and veggies and lead to a balanced meal with adequate vitamins and minerals! It’s such a helpful reminder and the chart you made is excellent! I’ll be saving this for future reference thanks for sharing Sophie!
Geraldine | https://geraldinetalks.com
This is a very informative post! I knew some of this but I learned a few things I hadn’t heard before so thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing this Sophie. I knew about “eating the rainbow”, but never how exactly these foods are good for our bodies.
I love the work you’re doing for food education!
Ashleigh | http://www.ashmosphere.com
This was such a good post! I think it’s easy to forget the nutrients in different coloured fruits and veg, thanks for sharing x
Great and informative post! Love how you presented it. Eating a wide variety of foods and especially ‘colourful’ foods is super important for our health!
Laura / https://www.laustworld.com
Love this post, Sophie! It’s so informative. Purple and blue berries are my favorite!
☼ cabin twenty-four
I can be so bad getting a mix of veggies into me. I need to work on this.
I just love this post!
xx- Nina
This was so interesting, I honestly had no idea that fruits and veg had similar vitamins and minerals according to their colour. Although now you mention it, I do remember reading that tomatoes have cancer-fighting abilities, which can only be a good thing as we eat buckets of them. Thank you for the handy printable too 🙂 x
Lisa | http://www.lisasnotebook.com
I love this post! I guess I’ve known in the back of my mind that the more colours you have, the better it is, but I’ve never really considered it as a rainbow before – I love that! Great post, really informative!
All that was missing was where my piece of chocolate cake that I was eating while reading it fits in…Haha!
I admit I always don’t eat the rainbow. I like the handy chart you posted to remind me to eat the rainbow.
This is such an incredibly useful post! I’ll definitely be referring back to the chart. I try to eat as much fruit and veg as possible but I could definitely do with more! x
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
So informative! And thank you for the little chart too – I might save that to refer back to!
I definitely need to save that chart. So useful!
Imogen’s Typewriter. <3
I didn’t realize most of this, I think I knew some of it. I would say I try to eat rainbow plates but mostly fail because of pasta and potatos. lol.
Such a useful post x
This is a really useful post! I like how you mention that mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D. In fact mushrooms are the only plant source of vitamin D as they synthesize the vitamin from sunlight. However, as commercial mushrooms are grown in the dark, it is important to consume wild mushrooms which contain higher levels of vitamin D. Thanks for the blog!
This is SO helpful!!! You’d think that as a 23 year old, I kinda know how to eat healthy… But I could definitely use a bit of a boost 😉 Really good to know the benefits of all these foods 🙂
It’s good to know about all the vitamins and minerals that are in our fruit and veg. I worried a lot when I became Vegetarian that I’d miss out on so many good nutrients for our bodies, but there’s tons out there to replace what vitamins we might find in meats. Thanks for sharing!
Chloe xx
http://www.chloechats.com
I’ve bookmarked this as found it so helpful x