Eat a Rainbow!

What does 'Eat a Rainbow' mean?

The term was originally developed as a way to get children eating more fruit and vegetables but now it is being used by people of all ages. We know fruits and vegetables are full of fibre and all sorts of essential vitamins and minerals. But as Better Health explains, the chemicals that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colours (called phytochemicals) have some pretty special qualities, too. And each colour has its own unique health benefits. So ‘eating a rainbow’ each day means more than just getting enough fruit and veg – it’s about eating a wide variety of foods so your body gets all the essential nutrients it needs. For example, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are abundant in vitamins C and A. Green fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins K, B and E. The South Australian Health department has a whole range of resources if you would like more ideas for encouraging fussy eaters to have a balanced diet!

What should we be eating?

The recommendation by Nutrition Australia is to eat five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit every day. The idea is that we should eat one or two serves each day from each of the six categories below.

What are some of these healthy foods I could be feeding my baby/child?

Now what?

When preparing meals for baby in your Babycook we recommend making batches of steamed fruit and/or vegetables and freezing in the Multiportions tray. Then you will always have a range of 'colours' on hand to feed your baby/infant. Coming up on the blog, we will feature some recipes to help you encourage your little one to 'Eat a rainbow'.