5 Rainbow Food Treats that are Healthy
February 2, 2021
Teaching your child to eat a rainbow is one way to encourage them to have healthy eating habits. By choosing a variety of different naturally colored foods, it’s more likely that children will have a balanced diet.
Of course, we want kids to understand that they should be choosing foods that are naturally different colors. Many foods that are geared toward children are artificially colored. And, those won’t help them build healthy eating skills at all.
If you’re wondering how to get each color into your rainbow, here are a few suggestions for each. You may have to alter it slightly to include the foods that your child enjoys.
- Red: apples, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon
- Orange: cantaloupe, oranges, tangerines, carrots
- Yellow: pineapple, yellow bell peppers, bananas
- Green: honeydew melon, celery, green apples, grapes, green peppers, kiwi
- Blue: blueberries
- Purple: red grapes, beets
And here are a few recipes that will allow you to use up all of these rainbow foods.
Rainbow Smoothie Bowl
Choose your child’s favorite yogurt and pour it in a bowl. Then, decorate the top with slices of their very favorite rainbow-colored foods. I find that this option works the best with fan array of fruits.
Rainbow Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust
I love that this healthy pizza recipe has a cauliflower crust. That way, everyone can enjoy pizza with no worries about gluten. And, when you add your favorite rainbow-colored vegetables to the top, it’s lots of fun to eat. Get the recipe right here.
Rainbow Toast with Peanut Butter
Start with a piece of rye or whole-wheat toast. Then, spread a layer of peanut butter or almond butter on top. For the final step, add slices of fresh fruit in rainbow colors. My favorite color combinations are strawberries, orange slices, bananas, green grapes, blueberries, pomegranate arils (or seeds). If your child cannot have nuts, you can also make this with sun butter which is nut-free.
Rainbow Roasted Vegetables
There are lots of colorful vegetables that you can cook if you want rainbow foods that are healthy. Simple place one-inch chunks of fresh vegetables on a baking sheet that’s been lined with tin foil. Then spray them lightly with olive oil and roast until soft. A few good options include red peppers, butternut squash, yellow summer squash, Brussels sprouts, and beets.
Once your child learns that healthy food can be fun and delicious, you’ll find them requesting these healthy rainbow colored foods more often.
