Eat the Rainbow for National Fruits & Veggies Month

This blog post was written by Kursten Nisonger, IUPUI Dietetic Intern

Have you ever heard of “Eating the Rainbow” when it comes to adding more fruits and vegetables into your diet? This means filling your plate with every color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. There are benefits to including all of these colors into your diet that can improve your health in the long run! This month is National Fruits and Veggies Month (#NFVM) and we want to get the message out about increasing fruit and veggie consumption! 

Each color corresponds to a specific health benefit of eating the fruit or vegetable:
​

• Red foods can help prevent breast and prostate cancer.
• Orange and yellow foods help keep the eyes, bones, and immune system healthy.
• Green foods help prevent certain cancers and help protect our immune system to fight off viruses and bacteria.
• Blue, purple, and red foods can help promote a healthy heart and improve brain function.

Photo from trilliumhealthresources.org

As you can see, eating every color of the rainbow is good for your health! Fruits and vegetables also include important vitamins and minerals that your body needs, such as: 
​ 

• Calcium - essential for healthy bones and teeth; it also helps us have normal muscle function​
• Fiber - mostly known for its ability to relieve constipation; it can also help lower cholesterol levels and even help you live longer!
• Folate (folic acid) - important for women's health and helps to reduce their risk of having a child born with a brain or spinal cord defect; it also helps to form red blood cells in the body
• Iron - needed for healthy blood and the normal functioning of all cells
• Magnesium - necessary for healthy bones; low levels may result in muscle cramps and high blood pressure
• Potassium - also helps maintain a healthy blood pressure
• Sodium - may seem like a "bad" nutrient because too much is associated with high blood pressure; however, small amounts of sodium are essential for normal cell function throughout the body
• Vitamin A - keeps our eyes and skin healthy and can help protect us against infections
• Vitamin C - helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps our teeth and gums healthy

Photo from fruitsandveggies.org

It is important to eat many different fruits and veggies to help keep our bodies healthy and working properly. Try to eat 1-2 cups of fruits and 1-3 cups of vegetables every day, depending on your age and calorie level. You can also use MyPlate as a guide by filling half of your plate with a rainbow of fruits and veggies.

Photo from choosemyplate.gov

You can start adding more fruits and vegetables into your diet by:

• Serving them as after-school snacks
• Taking them to snack on at work
• ​Cooking or serving them in a new way

​Click on the links below to try some new healthy recipes that incorporate eating the rainbow!

• 12 Color-Packed Recipes from 31 Daily
• Protein-Packed Smoothies
• Easy Rainbow Tacos
• Texas Caviar

Sources used:

• https://www.choosemyplate.gov/eathealthy/vegetables/vegetables-nutrients-health
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983
• https://blog.freepeople.com/2013/03/benefits-eating-green/#:~:text=%E2%80%93%20Greens%20are%20very%20rich%20in,fight%20off%20viruses%20and%20bacteria.
• ​https://www.verywellfit.com/getting-more-fruits-and-vegetables-in-your-diet-2506856 ​