Eat the Rainbow

​Stuck in a Food Rut? EAT the Rainbow-It’s the happiest, healthiest and prettiest way to eat since it turns out cooking with all the colors of the rainbow leads to vibrant, nutritious meals. In my culinary work world I teach it as “Eat the Rainbow”.

Rule of Thumb 
I eat rather plainly these days, I need food density to feel full-veggies, beans. I don’t keep cookies, cakes, crackers (just for taking to parties) in the house.
  • TONS VEGGIES (fresh or frozen not canned)- about 3 ounces lean protein, all beans are great.
  • ALWAYS WATCH OUT FOR HIDDEN SUGARS
  • Minimal amounts cheese & dairy except yogurt
  • Great soups-split pea (my mainstay) w/ lean chicken or pork added, Lentil, Bean Soup w/ canned tomato (these especially filling)
  • FIBER so important & maintains fullness-I eat organic olive popcorn just about every afternoon
  • EVERY DAY-leafy greens-lettuces(not iceberg), spinach, kale, cabbage,
  • YES to Fermented foods-sauerkraut, yogurt ARE HUGE- excellent for stomach bacteria
  • Yes to your yogurt dip w/ veggies
  • Yes to hummus and bean dips (black bean, chick peas, cannelini bean)
  • Yes to salsa
  • Yes to fresh berries over there-especially wild picked (no pesticides!!!)
  • Yes to mushrooms in Nordics
  • Watch out for sugars/calories in beverages
  • Watch out for condiments w/ sugars-such as ketchup--even cocktail sauce & sauces
  • DRIED FRUITS-in moderation-they are highly concentrated sugars-YOUR PRUNES OK IF THEY HELP YOU GO
  • GOOD FATS body need-but still in moderation-olive oil, nuts, avocado, high fat yogurt,
  • UNFORTUNATELY, “EATING OUT” IS  A DOWNFALL-you don’t know what’s in it! Cultivate cooking at home!
  • Avoid regular consumption of alcohol & wheat products until you reach your goal weight. Stick to low-calorie drinks such as vodka.

  • Opt for Color 
  • Vegetables get their colors from natural chemicals called phytonutrients. The more color on your plate, the bigger cross range of healthy compounds in your diet. As an added bonus, fruits and vegetables are full of fiber and bulk, so they fill you up and tend to be low in calories. Here's a tip: Go for a minimum of three colors on your plate. If you already have three, make it four. To make it easier to accomplish this goal let's classify fruits and vegetables into five color groups:
  • GREEN -- Leafy greens (kale, spinach, arugula, lettuce, chard, etc.) Green vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, green beans, snow peas, etc.) Herbs--they count! (parsley, basil, cilantro, rosemary, chives, etc.) Fruits (kiwi, green apples and pears, honeydew, limes, etc.)
    BLUE/PURPLE -- Vegetables (eggplant, purple potatoes, purple cabbage, kohlrabi, kale, asparagus, or cauliflower, etc.) Fruits (blueberries, figs, grapes, plums, blackberries, passion fruit, etc.)
    RED -- Vegetables (beets, red bell peppers, red onion, radicchio, red chili peppers, rhubarb, etc.) Fruits (tomatoes, apples, watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, pomegranates, pink/red grapefruit, etc.)
    YELLOW/ORANGE -- Vegetables (orange and yellow peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, acorn, butternut and summer squash, pumpkin, etc.) Fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit, mangoes, apricots, pineapples, papaya, etc.)
    WHITE -- Vegetables (cauliflower, onions, garlic, mushrooms, Jicama, turnips, shallots, kohlrabi, parsnips, etc.) Fruits (white peaches and nectarines, coconut, bananas, etc.)
    It's so easy to put together a rainbow of roasted vegetables or a colorful salad. Get creative and add three colors to your lunchtime sandwich or yogurt. It will make all the difference.