Eat A Rainbow

Nutrition Challenge Week #3

By: Crystal Flores, RD

So many of us don’t get in enough fruits and vegetables daily, which is why this is the challenge for week 3.  There is no substitute for the nutrients that fruits and vegetables provide us, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.  What are phytochemicals?  These are the substances that give plants their color and have great antioxidant properties.  You can’t get these in a multivitamin! 

How many servings do we need in a day?  Five, that’s right, FIVE.  Aim for fruit and/or vegetable with every meal and snack.  Three meals and two snacks will give you all five servings.  Easy peasy.  Okay, that was cheesy!

Bored with the fruits and vegetables you typically eat?

Try to eat a rainbow every day:

Apples Red Peppers Strawberries Tomatoes Watermelon Raspberries Cranberries Beets Red Grapes Cherries Radish

Oranges Tangerines Orange Peppers Yellow Peppers Carrots Lemons Summer Squash Butternut Squash Pumpkin Sweet Potato Corn Pineapple Mango Banana

Spinach Collards Green Peppers Green Apples Green Grapes Broccoli Kiwi Brussel Sprouts Green Beans Asparagus Avocado Celery Peas Cucumber

Globe Grapes Blueberries Purple Potatoes Purple Cabbage Plums Purple Cauliflower Red Onion Blue Corn Eggplant

Pears Mushrooms Cauliflower Parsnips Onion Garlic Celery Root White Corn White Potato Dakion Radish Ginger

Here are some recipes to help get you started:

Breakfast:  Blueberries topped with low fat yogurt and sliced almonds.  Look!  You can check off weeks 1,2 and 3!

Snack: Post Boot Camp: Chocolate milk blended with some ice and 1/2 a banana.  Hey, is there calcium in there?

Lunch: Turkey with lettuce, tomato and avocado on wheat with a green salad on the side.

Snack: Apple slices with 1 ounce of reduced fat cheese.  Another calcium check!

Dinner:  Lean steak with sweet potato and grilled asparagus.

If you’re noticing a trend in each week’s theme, you are right!  If we eat MORE of what our body needs, you won’t fill up with what your body really doesn’t need.  Always a good way of looking at things during the holidays!  Happy Thanksgiving!