Eating A Rainbow

A few weeks ago, after my normal Friday work-out class, I stuck around to attend a presentation by one of my classmates who is a certified master herbalist and holistic health expert.  She brought all kinds of food samples (mainly the reason I stayed) and had lots of interesting information about eating healthy and taking care of your mind, body and soul.  She shared her own personal battle with anerexia and how God brought her through that struggle.  I found her testimony to be quite moving, and it gave some background on why she is so passionate about total body health now.  Her motto is "Food. Fitness. Faith."  I like that.

Anyway, like I said she gave several easy, practical tips on how to live healthier.  One of the things she mentioned was to simply "eat a rainbow".  She suggested that when taking kids to the store each week, go to the produce section and let them have a color scavenger hunt.  With younger kids, she said you might just go with one color each visit.  For example, when given the color orange, they might pick up carrots, butternut squash, oranges, peppers, etc.  You get the idea.  I loved this simple idea and tried it with my girls during our next shopping trip.  They loved it!

Tonight, I needed a side for our simple dinner of sandwiches and chips.  So I told the girls we were going to make a rainbow fruit salad.  We were on a mission.  Leah found cans of mandarin oranges and pineapple tidbits in the pantry.  Hannah discovered strawberries and purple grapes in the refrigerator.  We already had red, orange, yellow, and purple.  I chopped up a Granny Smith apple to provide some green, and that's as far as we got.  If only I had some blueberries, our rainbow would have been complete.  Oh well, it still looked pretty and it tasted great.  Even though these were all fruits they love, they are much more likely to try something new if they help choose it or prepare it.

Our "rainbow salad" before we mixed it up.

In addition, at the end of the presentation at my gym, I picked up a guide for "when to buy organic."  I thought it was pretty interesting, so I am going to share it with you.  These lists are the "Clean 15" (which are lowest in pesticides) and the "Dirty Dozen" (which are better to buy organic.)  

DIRTY DOZEN

1. Apples

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines

7. Grapes

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collard greens

CLEAN FIFTEEN

1. Onions

2. Corn

3. Pineapples

4. Avocado

5. Sweet Peas

6. Mangoes

8. Cantaloupe

9. Kiwi

10. Cabbage

11. Watermelon

12. Sweet potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms

There you go.  Some FOOD for thought.  Haha! I'm so punny.

*The lists came from www.foodnews.org