Eat the Rainbow | Incorporating Fruits and Vegetables into Your Child’s Diet

New Horizon Academy Kids Cuisine, Parenting Resources

Family preparing a variety of healthy, bright, and colorful vegetables to eat

Getting your child to eat fruits and vegetables can be tricky and sometimes challenging. Research suggests that most of us do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 87 percent of Americans are not getting enough servings of vegetables, and 76 percent do not get enough fruit.

We suggest eating a rainbow to promote healthy eating!

What Is Eating a Rainbow?

“Eating a rainbow” refers to eating a variety of foods from the fruits and the vegetable groups – eating all the different colors of fruits and vegetables: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white fruits and vegetables.

We have several fun and easy ways to help you and your child eat healthy. Focusing on colors can be a great way to encourage your child to eat more fruits and vegetables.

5 Tips to Help Your Child to Eat a Rainbow

Use our Eat a Rainbow Every Day chart to help your child track their healthy fruit and vegetable choices. Post the chart in your kitchen and let your child color in or check off the boxes to track the colors of fruits and vegetables they ate.
Make a rainbow fruit snack and eat it. It is as easy as 1-2-3. All you need are a few fruits, a cutting board, knife, plate, and your appetite. Click here to see how to make your very own rainbow fruit snack.
Make vegetables more appealing. Meals and snacks are a lot more fun when there is dipping involved. Serve vegetables with dip. Whether it is ranch dip or hummus, the dip could magically encourage your child to eat more vegetables.
Lead by example. Your child will follow your lead. If you eat fruits and vegetables, your child will too. Expose your child to a variety to healthy fruits and vegetables. Celebrate and offer praise when they select healthy foods.
Involve your child in cooking. Children are more likely to eat something if they helped make
it. While it takes more time and patience to involve your child as you cook, the benefits are powerful. Your child is more likely to eat what they cooked, and they learn important math and science skills while cooking. They even build their vocabulary skills.