Eat the Rainbow
You’ve probably heard of the phrase, “Eat the rainbow.”
It’s a fun way I encourage clients to explore trying different fruits and vegetables.
Different-colored produce is known to contain different types of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. For instance, green vegetables like spinach and kale are high in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as fiber, while red fruits like tomatoes and strawberries are rich in antioxidants like lycopene and vitamin C. By eating a variety of colorful whole foods, you can ensure you’re providing your body with a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
However, just like everything in the nutrition space, we need to take into consideration that this strategy might not work for everyone and does have its limitations, especially when it comes to accommodating diverse cultural eating styles. Some cultures may not include a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables but are still nutritionally balanced and healthy. If you fall into this category, you don’t need to feel bad if you look at your plate and don’t see a “rainbow.” Just like everything, this isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” solution. A truly healthy diet is one that is enjoyable, sustainable, and compatible with one's lifestyle, preferences, and cultural practices. Therefore, it's important to adopt an inclusive approach to nutrition that appreciates and respects cultural food practices.
As fun and helpful as it might be for some people to try and “eat the rainbow,” this suggestion might not fit your lifestyle. It’s always important to be open and honest with your coach and work with them to find something that more appropriately resonates. Just because we’re nutrition professionals, doesn’t automatically mean we know everything, we don’t. Our job isn’t always to come up with solutions for you, it’s to encourage, empower and guide you to find solutions that work for you. So some questions I might ask you (for example) would be:
What home-cooked meals did you enjoy eating growing up?
What fruits and vegetables do they eat a lot of in your culture?
What are some ways you can incorporate more ___ (protein, complex carbs, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, etc.) into your meals?
If you are interested in learning more about the different nutritional profiles certain fruits and veggies have, see below for an infographic!
If you don’t feel like this advice applies to you, I’d love to hear from you!
What are some of your favorite cultural dishes that you’d consider nutritionally balanced and healthy?
ABOUT:
Hi, I’m Azul Corajoria, an Integrative Health Coach, Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor. I support my clients in making step-by-step changes so that they can live a healthy and balanced life. By recognizing the interdependent roles of mindset, nutrition, and movement I educate and hold my clients accountable for achieving their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments with an emphasis on self-care. Together, we navigate the contradictory world of nutrition through intuitive eating, practice mindful movement, and implement small mindset and lifestyle shifts that empower them to be their best selves in the easiest way possible.
