Opinion How to eat the rainbow: tips for vibrant, nourishing meals

We’ve all heard that age-old health advice to ‘eat the rainbow’ … but how does eating more colourful fruits and veggies actually benefit your health? Here’s everything you need to know, and some tips to get you started.

Why is eating colourfully so good for you?

The answer is surprisingly simple! Health and nutrition experts say that incorporating lots of colourful wholefoods into your meals is one of the best ways to ensure you’re consuming a wide array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre, and nutrients every day.

Fruits and vegetables get their eye-catching hues (as well as their tastes and aromas) from natural bioactive compounds called phytonutrients – so many of the brightest plant-based foods also happen to be the richest in phytonutrients. 

And the really interesting thing is that, just as different fruits and veggies contain different vitamins and minerals, each colour is also associated with different phytonutrients and health benefits. The greater the variety, the better all ’round!

A whole spectrum of health benefits 🌈 

Keep reading to get a taste of the rainbow – along with the main phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals fruits and veggies of each colour can provide.  

💗 Pink & Red ❤️

Main phytonutrients: Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that may help protect cells from damage 

Vitamins & minerals: Folate, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K1

Found in: Apples, beets, capsicums, cherries, cranberries, grapefruit, guava, raspberries, red grapes, red onions, strawberries, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, watermelon

Benefits: 

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Linked to improved heart health
• May protect against certain cancers and lung disease
• May reduce sun-related skin damage

❤️ Dark Red ❤️

Main phytonutrients: Betalains, a pigment with a number of anti-inflammatory properties

Vitamins & minerals: Fibre, folate, magnesium, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6

Found in: Beetroot, Swiss chard

Benefits: 

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Linked to improved heart health
• May lower risk of high blood pressure
• May protect against certain cancers
• May support athletic performance through increased oxygen uptake

🧡 Orange & Yellow 💛

Main phytonutrients: Carotenoids (beta carotene, alpha carotene, beta cryptoxanthin), which belong to the vitamin A family and support intracellular communication

Vitamins & minerals: Fibre, folate, potassium, vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin C

Found in: Apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, mango, oranges, peaches, pineapple, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, tangerines, winter squash (butternut, acorn), yellow peppers

Benefits: 

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Strengthens the immune system
• Linked to improved heart health
• Linked to maintaining healthy vision
• May boost skin health
• May protect against certain cancers

💚 Green 💚 

Main phytonutrients in leafy greens: Carotenoids (see above) and chlorophyll, a pigment with detoxifying properties

Main phytonutrients in cruciferous greens: Indoles, isothiocyanates, and glucosinolates, which inhibit cancer-causing compounds

Vitamins & minerals: Fibre, folate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin K1

Found in: Alfalfa sprouts, avocados, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, green tea, green herbs (basil, coriander, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme), kale, kiwi fruit, spinach

Benefits: 

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Strengthens the immune system
• Key for strong bones and teeth
• Linked to maintaining healthy vision
• May boost energy
• Linked to improved heart health
• May protect against certain cancers (cruciferous veggies in particular)

💙 Blue & Purple 💜

Main phytonutrients: Anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants believed to delay cellular aging

Vitamins & minerals: Fibre, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K1

Found in: Blackberries, blueberries, Concord grapes, eggplant, elderberries, figs, lavender, plums, prunes, purple cabbage, raisins 

Benefits: 

• Antioxidant
• Linked to improved heart health by blocking the formation of blood clots
• Linked to improved brain health
• Boost urinary tract health
• May protect against cognitive decline, lowering risk of neurological problems like Alzheimer’s disease
• May lower risk of type 2 diabetes
• May protect against certain cancers

🤍 White & Brown 🤎

They may not be quite as vivid as other foods on this list, but most white and brown wholefoods are super nutritious too! 

Main phytonutrients: Antioxidant pigments called flavonoids (including flavonols, flavones, and anthoxanthins)

Main phytonutrients in the onion family: Allicin, which has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-tumor properties

Vitamins & minerals: Fibre, folate, magnesium, manganese, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin K1

Found in: Bananas, cauliflower, daikon radish, garlic, ginger, leeks, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, white potatoes

Benefits: 

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Linked to improved heart health
• Linked to improved brain health
• May lower risk of high blood pressure (particularly garlic and onion, due to allicin)
• May help control cholesterol levels
• May protect against colon cancer and other cancers

Tips for eating the rainbow

It’s always good to have plenty of options in the fridge, so set yourself up for success with a colourful shopping cart. If it’s all looking a bit monochromatic, try swapping a few things out to include more colourful wholefoods in your grocery haul.

Aim to include at least two to three different-coloured fruits or veggies in every meal, and at least one in every snack (e.g. crackers and dip, edamame, or banana slice). You don’t have to eat every single colour every day – instead, aim to have a few serves of each colour throughout the week.

It’s best to go for seasonal fresh produce if you can, but frozen produce is just as nutritious and affordable, so also a great option. If you need to use canned fruits and vegetables, look for veggies with no added salt, and fruit packed in water or natural juice, not sugary syrup.

Plant-based eating makes it easy!

By setting this rainbow-inspired intention at mealtimes, we all have the power to be the artists of our own health and nutrition. Start by loading up your palette plate with colourful plant-based foods, and you’re already well on your way to painting a beautiful, balanced picture 🎨

To help you on your journey, we’ve got heaps more nutrition tips here and in our FREE veg starter kit.

And if you need some meal inspiration, check out these brilliant vegan Instagram accounts – all packed with ideas for recipes that are easy to replicate and bursting with colour. 

We love seeing what vibrant meals other foodies have come up with … but remember that not every meal has to be a masterpiece. Sustainability is key, and often that looks like keeping it simple – throwing together veggies from your fridge into a colourful stir-fry, for example, or combining them in a nourishing soul bowl. 

As long as you’re focussing on using a variety of fresh ingredients and finding flavours that you really enjoy, you’ll be setting yourself up with the meal-building skills you need to live a brighter, tastier, and healthier life.