How many colors do you eat in a day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
two bananas,
one apple
bowl of cherries
Stew (little bit of beef, carrots, potatoes and onions were in it)
Trout with lemon
Banana bread (wheat, bananas in it.)

OP, I will give you points for eating a fairly healthy diet for an American! Looks like mostly fresh, wholesome foods, not too processed, esp if the banana bread is home baked. Fresh fruit is great, too!

In terms of "healthy fruits and vegetables being colorful" people seek those out for the antioxidents. Cherries are great, the carrots in the stew are good too. Nothing wrong with lemon and apples and bananas and they can be a good source of fiber and minerals. But for the "colorful" produce think in terms of more greens (all the leafy greens like kale, spinach, arugula, and brassicas like broccoli, brussels, cabbage); reds/purples like red onion, red pepper, eggplant, raspberries, cranberries, beets, red grapes, radishes, tomaties and even watermelons; oranges- like apricots, sweet potatoes, mangoes. And more mushrooms too.

Thanks so much! I do love apricots, but they are hard to find. I used to eat a ton of green beans, but I got tired of them.
Banana bread was homemade, as was the stew and I also made trout. Can't eat peppers, they make me sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP’s diet is better than 90% of Americans.

Sure, throw in a bit more green, but some of the nitpicking is over the top.

Well done, OP.

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Breakfast: Oatmeal with half a banana and half cup of blue berries
Lunch:Leftovers from previous night: potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic and roasted purple onion and broiled skinless chicken thigh- ginger, paprika, pepper, garlic,sea salt rub and corn on the cob; cut up strawberries and cantaloupe
Dinner: salad with baby kale,baby spinach and romaine with corn carved from last night’s corn on the cob, dried cranberries, pine nuts, red and green pepper, carrots and cucumbers with oil and balsamic vinegar; burger with cheddar, romaine, sliced onion, avocado, and tomato with potato bun, cut up strawberries and cantaloupe.

We also do fish 2x a week and eggs once a week. We tend to alternate between roasted broccoli and Brussels sprouts and spinach/kale salad. For some reason, I need cruciferous veggies every day. I am just now exploring ways to use cauliflower. We frequently add grapes to the fruit salad and if I can find a good mango all is good. Not so good on the vegetarian meals as we have food sensitivities to tofu and other legumes and some nuts. Winter is better with homemade soups.

That sounds pretty awesome. Do you cook it all?

yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another thing that helps is to work towards 30 disparate plants per week. That will help with colors and nutrients.

What other fruits and veggies you recommend? That is a lot of plants, tbh.

It seems like a lot and maybe it is, but once you start planning your meals around vegetables instead of proteins, it becomes easier.

Our meal plan this week-

Monday - whole wheat pasta with tomatoes and zucchini and mozzarella on top (plants: wheat, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, pine nuts, basil, olive oil)
Tuesday - soba noodles with shredded chicken, bell peppers, cucumbers, and homemade peanut-sesame sauce (plants: buckwheat, peppers, cucumbers, peanuts, sesame, garlic, ginger, soy)
Wednesday - baked cherry tomatoes with feta, served on whole wheat toast and with side salad of arugula (plants: tomatoes, wheat, olive oil, arugula)
Thursday - red lentil dal with sautéed green beans (plants: lentils, rice, green beans, cumin, turmeric, chili pepper)
Friday - probably takeout

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP’s diet is better than 90% of Americans.

Sure, throw in a bit more green, but some of the nitpicking is over the top.

Well done, OP.

Thanks so much!

I don't think anyone is saying that OP is not having a healthy diet. However, she's trying to use the current mneumonic to "eat the rainbow" which is designed to encourage those with less healthy diets to improve their diet with an easy method. The mneumonic was not designed for someone like OP who can obviously figure out a healthy diet without the mneumonic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP’s diet is better than 90% of Americans.

Sure, throw in a bit more green, but some of the nitpicking is over the top.

Well done, OP.

Thanks so much!

I don't think anyone is saying that OP is not having a healthy diet. However, she's trying to use the current mneumonic to "eat the rainbow" which is designed to encourage those with less healthy diets to improve their diet with an easy method. The mneumonic was not designed for someone like OP who can obviously figure out a healthy diet without the mneumonic.

OP here, yes, I think I eat pretty ok, healthily and all. But lately greens fell off my diet. I used to eat a ton of salads and greens, so I did not even notice until I posted here that I am not eating any greens, other than peas, love and eat peas all the time.

[Anonymous]

The easiest way to get in greens for me is at least one meal (lunch or dinner) needs to be a greens based bowl. I usually add two different greens for taste and texture (arugula, baby spring mix, baby kale are my go-tos) and sometimes a lighter salad green as well (romaine or butter crunch) or even something like red cabbage shreds. The big this is to season this. Olive oil, garlic salt, Aleppo pepper are my usuals.

Then I just add to the greens. Go around the bowl and add small servings of a whole grain or complex carb (couscous, farro, brown/wild rice, barley, roasted sweet potatoes), or beans or lentils, lean protein if you’re having meat that meal, and then as many other chopped vegetables as you have on hand. Bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, shaved Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, sautéed mushrooms with fennel are all things I commonly have. Any leftover roasted vegetables from dinner the night before can work as well.

Healthy fat for the topping - I add a sprinkle of hemp hearts or sprouted pumpkin seeds, a handful of broccoli or alfalfa sprouts, and a drizzle of olive oil. This one meal is filling with tons of fiber and healthy nutrients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The easiest way to get in greens for me is at least one meal (lunch or dinner) needs to be a greens based bowl. I usually add two different greens for taste and texture (arugula, baby spring mix, baby kale are my go-tos) and sometimes a lighter salad green as well (romaine or butter crunch) or even something like red cabbage shreds. The big this is to season this. Olive oil, garlic salt, Aleppo pepper are my usuals.

Then I just add to the greens. Go around the bowl and add small servings of a whole grain or complex carb (couscous, farro, brown/wild rice, barley, roasted sweet potatoes), or beans or lentils, lean protein if you’re having meat that meal, and then as many other chopped vegetables as you have on hand. Bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, shaved Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, sautéed mushrooms with fennel are all things I commonly have. Any leftover roasted vegetables from dinner the night before can work as well.

Healthy fat for the topping - I add a sprinkle of hemp hearts or sprouted pumpkin seeds, a handful of broccoli or alfalfa sprouts, and a drizzle of olive oil. This one meal is filling with tons of fiber and healthy nutrients.

That all sounds great, but what if you are not a lover of salads other than tomato with salt and oil? What if you like traditional meals for your lunch and dinner?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The easiest way to get in greens for me is at least one meal (lunch or dinner) needs to be a greens based bowl. I usually add two different greens for taste and texture (arugula, baby spring mix, baby kale are my go-tos) and sometimes a lighter salad green as well (romaine or butter crunch) or even something like red cabbage shreds. The big this is to season this. Olive oil, garlic salt, Aleppo pepper are my usuals.

Then I just add to the greens. Go around the bowl and add small servings of a whole grain or complex carb (couscous, farro, brown/wild rice, barley, roasted sweet potatoes), or beans or lentils, lean protein if you’re having meat that meal, and then as many other chopped vegetables as you have on hand. Bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, shaved Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, sautéed mushrooms with fennel are all things I commonly have. Any leftover roasted vegetables from dinner the night before can work as well.

Healthy fat for the topping - I add a sprinkle of hemp hearts or sprouted pumpkin seeds, a handful of broccoli or alfalfa sprouts, and a drizzle of olive oil. This one meal is filling with tons of fiber and healthy nutrients.

That all sounds great, but what if you are not a lover of salads other than tomato with salt and oil? What if you like traditional meals for your lunch and dinner?

Then you don't do that? Or sauté vegetables like a PP mentioned (Whole Foods has a good bag that's premade and prepared for sautéing). Or do roasted vegetables as a base for a warm salad. Or do a soup that has a ton of vegetables in it with a sandwich. Do a "traditional meal" but increase the vegetables on your plate and decrease the other elements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The easiest way to get in greens for me is at least one meal (lunch or dinner) needs to be a greens based bowl. I usually add two different greens for taste and texture (arugula, baby spring mix, baby kale are my go-tos) and sometimes a lighter salad green as well (romaine or butter crunch) or even something like red cabbage shreds. The big this is to season this. Olive oil, garlic salt, Aleppo pepper are my usuals.

Then I just add to the greens. Go around the bowl and add small servings of a whole grain or complex carb (couscous, farro, brown/wild rice, barley, roasted sweet potatoes), or beans or lentils, lean protein if you’re having meat that meal, and then as many other chopped vegetables as you have on hand. Bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, shaved Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, sautéed mushrooms with fennel are all things I commonly have. Any leftover roasted vegetables from dinner the night before can work as well.

Healthy fat for the topping - I add a sprinkle of hemp hearts or sprouted pumpkin seeds, a handful of broccoli or alfalfa sprouts, and a drizzle of olive oil. This one meal is filling with tons of fiber and healthy nutrients.

That all sounds great, but what if you are not a lover of salads other than tomato with salt and oil? What if you like traditional meals for your lunch and dinner?

Then you cook those things. That’s why I said “the easiest thing FOR ME.” If that’s not going to work for you, do what is better for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The easiest way to get in greens for me is at least one meal (lunch or dinner) needs to be a greens based bowl. I usually add two different greens for taste and texture (arugula, baby spring mix, baby kale are my go-tos) and sometimes a lighter salad green as well (romaine or butter crunch) or even something like red cabbage shreds. The big this is to season this. Olive oil, garlic salt, Aleppo pepper are my usuals.

Then I just add to the greens. Go around the bowl and add small servings of a whole grain or complex carb (couscous, farro, brown/wild rice, barley, roasted sweet potatoes), or beans or lentils, lean protein if you’re having meat that meal, and then as many other chopped vegetables as you have on hand. Bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, shaved Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, sautéed mushrooms with fennel are all things I commonly have. Any leftover roasted vegetables from dinner the night before can work as well.

Healthy fat for the topping - I add a sprinkle of hemp hearts or sprouted pumpkin seeds, a handful of broccoli or alfalfa sprouts, and a drizzle of olive oil. This one meal is filling with tons of fiber and healthy nutrients.

That all sounds great, but what if you are not a lover of salads other than tomato with salt and oil? What if you like traditional meals for your lunch and dinner?

Then you cook those things. That’s why I said “the easiest thing FOR ME.” If that’s not going to work for you, do what is better for you.

Yes, I understand I cook those things. It is just that my meals are kind of old fashioned and I make a big pot of stew, roast on Sunday, of curry and such, so I have it for the week and for my work lunches. Food is also getting pretty expensive. Maybe that is why I am cooking more potatoes and less fresh greens than before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed talking about eating the rainbow refers to fruits and veggies.

I had leftovers for breakfast so that included riced cauliflower and broccoli.

Lunch just now was a salad that included romaine lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. Also some freeze-dried edamame but I don't really think that counts.

Snack later will be lowfat yogurt with fresh blueberries.

Dinner menu tonight includes corn and tomatoes.

Let me guess, you are middle-aged woman.

DP: what an ignorant and strange response. So only "middle aged women" eat these things?

DP. Only people obsessed with their weight eat that little.

NP. The above individual wrote breakfast "INCLUDED .cauliflower and broccoli" not that it WAS cauliflower and broccoli and dinner would INCLUDE corn and tomatoes, not that dinner WAS corn and tomatoes.

Regardless, I still think you are wrong. As at but FYI, when you are 5'1" you don't have much wiggle room.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

I don't really think much about different colors except that I make sure to eat something green every day, and if I'm just eating brown/beige foods, I will try to mix it up a bit more because it means I'm not getting enough fruit or veggies.

My kid, who is a pretty picky eater, definitely gravitates towards white/beige/brown food and I make a more conscientious effort to make her meals naturally colorful. But it can't just be about color -- junk food is often colorful. It's really just about making sure you're eating fruit and veggies in addition to carbs and proteins, which tend to be beige and brown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This is the plan I follow and it makes it INCREDIBLY easy to get in a lot of vegetables and fruits and whole grains. Very nutrient dense. And your body feels amazing.