{"id":12199,"date":"2022-05-04T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=12199"},"modified":"2026-09-15T00:02:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:02:49","slug":"eating-the-rainbow-health-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/eating-the-rainbow-health-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Eat the Rainbow: Why Eating Colorful Fruits and Vegetables Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Eat the rainbow” is a fundamental healthy eating tip. (And no, we don\u2019t mean artificially colored foods like Skittles or M&Ms!)<\/span><\/p>\n

But what does it mean? Why is it important to get a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet?<\/span><\/p>\n

You may be tempted to find a few foods you or your kids or family members like and focus on eating those. And it can be easy to fall into routines. But the truth is: Our bodies thrive on variety \u2014 a rainbow of nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, <\/span>the variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants<\/a>, and phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables may be more powerful for your health than any pill.<\/b><\/p>\n

Eating a diversity of colorful foods can be an easy way to get the complete range of nutrients your body needs to thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eating the Rainbow Is Important for Everyone \u2014 Kids and Adults!<\/h2>\n

A varied, balanced diet gives your body the nutrition it needs to work properly. And without good nutrition, your body will be more likely to suffer from disease, illness, and poor performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advice to eat the rainbow is often used with kids. And while kids especially need a diversity of foods in their diets, so do adults.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Are Fruits and Vegetables Full of so Many Colors?<\/h2>\n
\"Rainbow
iStock.com\/Bojsha65<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each color in fruits and vegetables is created by specific phytonutrients, which are natural compounds that help protect plants from germs, bugs, the sun, and other threats.<\/span><\/p>\n

And each color indicates an abundance of specific nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phytonutrients aren\u2019t essential to keep you alive (unlike vitamins and minerals). But they may help prevent certain lifestyle diseases and keep your body working as it should.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most Americans Aren\u2019t Getting the Range of Colorful Foods They Need<\/h2>\n

A 2015 Morbidity and Mortality <\/span>Weekly Report<\/span><\/a> from the CDC states that \u201cthe percentage of the adult population meeting fruit and vegetable intake recommendation is low. In 2013, 13.1% of respondents met fruit intake recommendations and 8.9% met vegetable recommendations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And, according to an older 2009<\/span> report about phytonutrients<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>8 out of 10 people in the US are falling short in virtually every color category of phytonutrients<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on the report:<\/span><\/p>\n