Eat the Rainbow Daily | Unlock Different Nutrients

To eat the rainbow means filling your plate with vegetables and fruits in many different colors, because different colors point to different nutrients. In this short video, holistic nutritionist Andie Kalifer explains why "eat the rainbow" is her favorite way to tell people how to eat, and why switching up your vegetables beats eating the same healthy ones every day.

Key takeaways

• Many people eat the same vegetables every single day. Even great choices like broccoli and sweet potato leave gaps when they are all you eat.
• Every vegetable has its own phytonutrients, the natural plant compounds that come from its color and pigment.
• Orange vegetables like sweet potato and carrot get their rich color from beta carotene, which Andie connects to immune and eye health.
• Her simple rule: "switch up your vegetables and eat a ton of different colors."

What Andie Kalifer says

"I always believe in eating the rainbow," Andie says, "and that's my favorite way to tell people how to eat." She starts with a habit most of us will recognize: reaching for the same vegetables day after day. Broccoli and sweet potato are good choices, she says, but there is "a whole array of colors out there."

Her reason comes down to color. "Every single vegetable has different phytonutrients, and the phytonutrients are from its color and pigment." Her example is the rich orange of a sweet potato or a carrot, which comes from beta carotene. That, she says, is "good for our immune system, our eye health." Other colors bring other compounds, so mixing them up means "you're getting different vitamins and different nutrients from the different vegetables."

Why eat different colored vegetables?

Because no single food covers everything. Harvard's nutrition experts put it plainly: variety is as important as quantity, no single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need, and eating many types and colors of produce gives your body a wider mix of beneficial plant compounds (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

The same source notes that a diet rich in vegetables and fruits is linked to lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Color is simply an easy shortcut for getting that variety without tracking individual nutrients.

Food is one part of feeling well, not a treatment for mental illness. If you have a health condition or specific dietary needs, a doctor or registered dietitian can help you plan what works for you.

How to eat the rainbow every day

You don't need a chart or a special plan. Aim for two or three colors at each meal and a few new ones across the week:

• Red: tomatoes, red peppers, strawberries, beets
• Orange and yellow: carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, oranges
• Green: broccoli, spinach, kale, peas
• Blue and purple: blueberries, eggplant, red cabbage
• White and tan: cauliflower, onions, garlic, mushrooms

An easy start is swapping one vegetable you eat every day for a different color. For more on how food fits into overall well-being, read how your diet affects mental health and mood, and for practical prep ideas, see our meal planning ideas for clarity and focus.

Video transcript

Transcript (lightly edited for reading):

I always believe in eating the rainbow, and that's my favorite way to tell people how to eat, because a lot of people will tend to eat the same vegetables every single day, broccoli and sweet potato, which is great. But every single vegetable has different phytonutrients, and the phytonutrients are from its color and pigment. So a sweet potato and a carrot, that rich orange is because it's high in beta carotene. So it's good for our immune system, our eye health, but there's a whole array of colors out there. So I always say switch up your vegetables and eat a ton of different colors, because you're getting different vitamins and different nutrients from the different vegetables.

Common questions

What does it mean to eat the rainbow?

It means eating vegetables and fruits in a wide range of colors, such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, instead of the same few every day. Each color tends to bring different plant compounds, so variety gives you a broader mix of nutrients.

What is the no. 1 healthiest vegetable?

There isn't one. Leafy greens like spinach and kale often top lists, but the point of eating the rainbow is that no single vegetable has everything. A mix of colors does more for you than any one "superfood."

What are phytonutrients?

Phytonutrients are natural compounds found in plants. As Andie explains, they're tied to a vegetable's color and pigment, which is why the rich orange of carrots and sweet potatoes signals beta carotene. Eating many colors is an easy way to get a wider range of them.

About the expert: Andie Kalifer is a Toronto-based holistic nutritionist and certified nutritional practitioner trained at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition. Her work focuses on digestive health and stress.

Related: Nourish to Thrive: Whole Foods for Gut & Mind