Eat the Rainbow, Color by Color: Red, Blue & Purple (Part 1 of 3)

In my last article, I shared the benefits of eating the rainbow for more complete nutrition Missed it? Read it here.

I get that we all know we should eat more fruits and vegetables. So while that article is informative and I gave you links to read more on why eating the rainbow is good for you, it leaves you without the how.

Now you may already be great at incorporating new habits into your daily routine or maybe you love change and it comes easy to you.

However, I am the type to get all excited and do a complete overhaul of my life to make whatever the change is my new thing. Let me tell you how that goes. Not well. I end up burnt out, discouraged and back at ground zero.

I have instead learned to take baby steps. So that’s what you’re getting in this next series. A few tips and tricks to get more colorful foods into your meals!

And let me be clear. You don’t have to eat just salads every day to get your fill of the rainbow! You don’t have to eat only raw veggies either. It’s about incorporating the rainbow into meals that you already love.

I will be sharing this with you in three categories: red/blue/purple, orange/yellow and green.

I’m sharing where to buy some products that you may have never tried before and a few of my favorite ways to prepare them.

First up, the red/blue/purple.

A lot of the foods in this color group work well as snacks, toppings for bowls and in smoothies! They are packed with antioxidants and are generally very sweet on their own.

I love this category because it is so accessible! The options are sweet and can be purchased year-round either fresh or frozen.

If accessible, buy organic since most of these are usually on the dirty dozen list.

Berries and beyond: raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, blackberries, goji berries, cranberries, red and purple grapes, purple figs and raisins.

1. Berry smoothie: try a mix of frozen berries in your next smoothie, most grocery stores sell an already mixed berry medley which makes it so easy one to get your fill of red, blue and purple in one preparation. I like to do half a banana, half a cup of frozen mixed berries, eight ounces of almond milk and a scoop of vegan protein powder. Perfect for breakfast or post-workout snack!
2. Sweet salad: when they are in season, I love adding fresh berries, sliced grapes and dried fruit to my salad. My go-to is baby spinach, strawberries, raisins, walnuts and a balsamic vinaigrette.
3. Power-packed breakfast: try some dried cranberries, goji berries, or raisins on top of your overnight oats, yogurt, or acai bowl. Slice a few fresh figs to make it extra sweet and worthy of an Instagram pic!

Get snacking: red peppers, red apples, tomato, watermelon and pink grapefruit.

1. Dippin’ snack: I love Bitchin Sauce and bell peppers are the perfect vessel to scoop it into my mouth. Try slicing them lengthwise and you have an easy snack. Want something sweeter? Try sliced apples with nut butter.
2. Savory topping: make bruschetta with those tomatoes! I will make this in bulk because it is just that good. Take two cups of cherry tomatoes and cut in quarters, add two to four tablespoons of olive oil, three large fresh garlic cloves minced, a quarter cup of fresh basil chiffonade (a fancy way of slicing), salt and pepper to taste. Don’t have time for all that? Add a few spoonfuls of your favorite pesto to the sliced tomatoes. Mix and done. I love to add a spoonful of this over pasta or a grain bowl, eat it with bread or chips, it’s even delicious over grilled protein.
3. Fun fruit: I know watermelon is love or hate. I love it. It’s so refreshing on its own but can also be dressed up as a fresh side dish. Chop into cubes, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, add a handful of fresh mint chiffonade and a bit of crumbled feta cheese. Sweet and savory!

Ready for a challenge? Try beets!

This is a powerhouse that I never used to eat because I didn’t know how to cook it and the few times I tried, it would stain everything — it just plain sucked. This is why I love that Trader Joes and Costco sell these ready to eat!

I won’t lie to you, beets are earthy tasting. If you are a newer vegetable eater I recommend chopping up the cooked beets, freezing them and adding them to a smoothie that has bananas and berries. You won’t taste the beets with all that sweet fruit but your smoothie will be a beautiful bright pink and you’ll be getting the antioxidants!

I love them in a grain bowl. I like to do half a cup of cooked quinoa, one beet chopped, a half cup of chopped fresh greens (lettuce, kale, spinach), and slices of grapefruit. Top with a protein of your choosing, I like salmon, and a tahini or avocado oil dressing.

I hope you try at least one of these ideas if not all! Eating the rainbow can be fun and delicious if you’re willing to get creative and try new things.

Want to know where to find it?

Costco: Organic Goji Berries, Organic Cooked Beets. Bitchin Sauce. Trader Joes: Vegan Kale Cashew and Basil Pesto, ready-to-eat cooked beets, frozen mixed Berries, variety of raisins.

Make sure to check out my next articles about the orange/yellow and green color food groups!