The Rainbow diet is an interesting diet trend that’s rooted in the practice of grouping fruits and vegetables by their colors and eating different colors of meals for a balanced and healthy diet.
Unlike many diets that focus on cutting things out or eating much of one kind of meal and less of the other, the rainbow diet is hinged on balance and health positivity. The focus of this diet is to add more color to your daily meals in the form of vegetables and fruits and make better meal choices that can help you achieve a healthy and lasting weight goal.
This article will introduce you to the colorful meals that should be a constant part of your diet, as well as what benefits these foods have to your overall health and wellness.
Table of Contents
What foods are rainbow?
As the name suggests, rainbow foods are foods that contain different colors, similar to a literal rainbow. Rainbow foods are grouped according to color families in line with the color-coding of food that can be traceable to nature.
When you study the similar benefits of these foods alongside their colors, you find that there are shared nutritional benefits between foods in the same color class or family.
These rainbow foods have certain phytochemicals in them that are responsible for their colors. The same color-producing component is also responsible for many health and protective benefits enjoyed by the body.
A classification of the foods according to their colors will go a long way to help you understand how the rainbow foods work.
RED
The red color that’s present in fruits and vegetables like strawberries, apples, and watermelons is a function of a phytochemical called lycopene, which is known to be full of antioxidants.
Lycopene is effective in healing skin burns, fighting certain kinds of cancers, as well as heart diseases.
The antioxidant found in red wine is associated with a lower risk of suffering coronary heart diseases, especially when taken moderately. Similarly, the antioxidant in beetroot has been linked to vascular protection and anti-inflammatory abilities.
When you include red apple in your diet, you enjoy a rich supply of dietary fiber that improves gut health and bowel movement.
A list of RED foods
| Red currants | Beetroot | Apples | Pink grapefruit |
| Red chicory | Tomato | Cherries | Pomegranate |
| Red onion | Red jalapeno pepper | Cranberries | Raspberries |
| Red potato | Red chard | Blood oranges | Strawberries |
| Red cabbage | Red plums | Lingonberries | Watermelon |
| Red bell pepper | Red pears | Nectarines |
GREEN
Green foods have been spoken about way more than other colors and we can tell that from the popularity of the phrase ‘Eat your greens’
However, have you ever wondered why we need these greens so much?
First, these greens contain important nutrients like iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, minerals, and vitamins K, E, C, and B.
Also, the Chlorophyll pigment responsible for the green color helps to remove toxins from the body and destroy free radicals.
A list of GREEN foods
| Beet greens | Green chard | Kale | Kiwi |
| Bean sprouts | Green peas | Spinach | Pears |
| Broccoli | Green beans | Mustard greens | Limes Olives |
| Green Bell peppers | Edamame | Okra | Green apples |
| Artichokes | Celery | Watercress | |
| Avocado | Cabbage | Green tea |
YELLOW
Just as yellow colors boost and liven up the energy in a place, yellow foods are also mood boosters. They boost your bone health, eye health, as well as skin and hair health.
The Vitamin C and collagen content in yellow foods have anti-aging properties that keep your skin and body young. Bioflavonoids and carotenoids also contained in yellow food are cancer fighters.
When you need a boost, munching on some mangoes, bananas, or peaches will give your body the boost it needs.
A list of yellow foods
| Yellow Bell pepper | Bananas | Lemons |
| Corn | Asian Pears | Pineapple |
| Ginger | Golden Apples | Starfruit |
| Yukon Potatoes | Yellow Onions |
PURPLE/BLUE
Blue and purple-colored foods are in the same family. They might not be easy to find, but their reputation as immune boosters, rich numbers of antioxidants, and other phytochemicals make them a must-eat.
Foods in this color family are full of anthocyanins and resveratrol- phytochemicals that are full of antioxidants. While anthocyanins contain anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties that fight Alzheimer’s, bad cholesterol, and heart-related diseases, resveratrol delivers disease-fighting and anti-aging properties.
Blue/purple foods also provide support to the naturally-occurring antioxidants in the body.
A list of purple/blue foods
| Aubergine/eggplant | Purple grapes | Figs |
| Beetroot | Blueberries | Raisins |
| Purple bell peppers | Purple potatoes | Plums |
| Turnips | Purple kale | Purple cauliflower |
ORANGE
Orange foods are linked to better eyesight and general immunity. The bright color is a result of an antioxidant, beta-carotene, which is a form of vitamin A.
Vitamin A is responsible for boosting the immune system and improving eyesight. The vitamin is also linked to healthy mucous membranes and skin.
Orange foods like carrots and oranges contain good amounts of other nutrients like lycopene, potassium, vitamins B6 and C, vitamin B6, flavonoids, and fiber.
A list of orange foods
| Papaya | Persimmon | Carrot |
| Mango | Passion fruit | Pumpkin |
| Cantaloupe | Peach | Yams |
| Blood orange | Nectarine | Turmeric |
| Oranges | Mandarine | Sweet potatoes |
| Apricots | Kumquat |
WHITE
White foods are included in the rainbow diet although they lack color. That’s because they are rich in nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamins C&K, as well as probiotics. You also find fiber and folate in these foods.
Chemicals like allicin and alliin are deposited in white foods, and they help to regulate cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
A list of white foods
| Tofu | Chickpeas |
| Chicory | Mushrooms |
| White Beans | Cauliflower |
| Garlic | Potatoes |
| White Cabbage | White Onion |
Conclusion
The rainbow diet is indeed an interesting diet, but it is one to be taken seriously because it delivers nutrients and benefits that you might not enjoy in the right proportions when you follow any other diet.
The rainbow diet is an attractive way to get your kids to eat all the right meals they need, just as adults get to benefit from the lasting health benefits rainbow foods deliver.
Feel free to create a meal timetable combining these color families and enjoy beautiful and healthy meals. The rainbow diet will do more than just keep your body healthy it will also keep your chakras balanced.
Inside, you’ll discover:
- Origins of the chakras
- Different types of chakras
- Self-healing techniques
- Essential oils
- Meditations with mantras and mudras
- Journaling
- Food
- An 8-day plan to balance your chakras with Recipes.
- Audio mp3 For the 7 Chakra Meditation Balance
- And so much more!
8 Days Meal Plan Includes :
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | |
| Day 1 Red Foods | Cherry Smoothie | Red Salad | Red Lentils Soup |
| Day 2 Orange Foods | Carrot and Orange Smoothie | Sweet Potato With Carrot Salad | Salmon With Roasted Butternut Squash |
| Day 3 Yelow Foods | A fruit salad made with pineapple, mangoes, peaches and lemon | Fusilli (yellow) with butter and cheese | Yellow Onion Frittata |
| Day 4 Green Foods | Smoothie made from celery, cucumber and green apple | Salad with avocado, brussels sprouts and kale | Broccoli Quiche |
| Day 5 Blue Foods | Fruit salad made from blueberries | Blue tortillas with blue cheese | Blue Corn Tortilla Stack |
| Day 6 Purple Foods | Concord Grapes | Purple cabbage salad | Eggplant Quiche |
| Day 7 | Fasting | Fasting | Fasting |
| Day 8 All Food Colors | Rainbow Bowl | Rainbow Salad | Rainbow Noodles |
Rainbow Diet Fruit Salad Recipe
Servings: 1
Ingredients
10 green grapes
1/2 banana cut in small pieces
2 kiwis cut in squares
20 blueberries
10 cherries
2 peaches cut in slices
1 piece of watermelon cut into cubes
1 orange juice
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a bowl.
Drizzle dressing over bowl.
Serve