What is the Rainbow Diet? Analysing the Myriad Health Benefits

If there’s one box the rainbow diet immediately ticks, it’s visual appeal.

This form of eating is often referenced by health professionals who commonly advise us to ‘eat the rainbow’. In its simplest form, the rainbow diet is about eating colourfully, with research pointing to health benefits and improved longevity as a result of following this approach.

 

The basics of the rainbow diet

Adopting a rainbow diet means focusing on consuming fruits and vegetables of varying colours throughout each day. As plants with different colours bring a wide range of nutrients, this is one way to ensure you’re introducing the specific requirements you need to your daily meals.

It’s almost always a good idea to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. In Australia, health experts often recommend two pieces of fruit and five vegetables a day as a starting point for a healthy and varied diet. However, by focusing on varying the colours of the fruit and vegetables you’re eating (and increasing them beyond these baselines), you can find significant benefits, namely consuming myriad nutrients in each meal through this simple system.

Common Western diets are often beige or lacking in colour: pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, eggs and so on. When a meal doesn’t have colour in it, there’s a high chance it’s missing key nutrients that can be easily adapted into daily meals and dietary intakes.

 

Potential benefits of the rainbow diet

The potential benefits that may be unlocked by eating a rainbow diet come from the specific health benefits connected to fruit and vegetables of varying colours. The difference in these benefits is due to phytochemicals that occur naturally within each food type.

Phytochemicals are bioactive nutrient plant chemicals that can provide significant health benefits and may reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases. With a wide range of antioxidants, eating across a variety of natural ingredients exposes your body to phytochemicals that may protect against certain cancers, bone loss, heart disease and more.

 

Here’s a peek at which colours may provide specific nutrients:

Red fruits and vegetables – these are likely to contain lycopene, which has correlations to improvements in heart health, stroke prevention, increased brain function and a reduction in prostate and breast cancer risks. Lycopene can be found in tomatoes, strawberries, red onions, red capsicums and more.

Orange/yellow fruits and vegetables – in these fruits and vegetables, you’re likely to receive carotenoids, which can reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce inflammation, contribute to a strengthened immune system and protect our vision quality. With an abundance of orange and yellow options available to us, it’s easy to incorporate this colour into your daily intake. Turn to carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, mangoes, oranges and more to get your fill.

Green fruits and vegetables – there’s a reason we’re encouraged to reach for leafy greens on a regular basis. Green fruit and vegetables contain indoles and isothiocyanates, which are linked to the prevention of cancer. They’re also great sources of vitamin K, potassium, fibre and antioxidants. Green fruits and vegetables can be incorporated into every meal, with spinach, rocket, herbs, kale, avocados, broccoli and more taking pride of place in a rainbow line-up.

Blue/purple fruits and vegetables – in this shade of the rainbow, you’ll find anthocyanins and antioxidants, which have proven links to improving brain health and memory. They also play a crucial role in reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease via their ability to lower blood pressure. Try throwing some blueberries in your morning oats, taking a plum with you for morning tea, or making a stir-fry that’s heavy on purple cabbage for dinner.

White/brown fruits and vegetables – even the less colourful fruits and vegetables have a role to play when you’re eating the rainbow. White and brown fruits and vegetables are known to contain flavonoids and allicin, which have antitumor properties. As well, this colour group can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce the risk of stomach cancer and lead to improvements in bone strength. They’re also easy to incorporate into daily meals: onions and mushrooms can be added to soups, salads, stir-fries and bakes, cauliflower can take the role of potato in a mash or roast form, and garlic and leeks can add a flavour hit to a wide variety of savoury dishes.

 

Simple approaches to eating the rainbow

If the thought of incorporating a wide variety of colours and ingredients feels overwhelming in the midst of busy daily routines, it’s time to reach out for some simple tools. Eating the rainbow doesn’t need to add complexity to your meal prep or planning. In fact, relying on a rainbow diet can add simplicity to how you eat throughout the day, ensuring you’re receiving the nutrients you need for the best functionality while adding flavour and variety to your diet.

Some easy hacks to adding the rainbow to your daily intake include:

• Fruit salads. By throwing a variety of colourful fruits together, you’ll be able to cover multiple colours all in one hit. This is a great way to start the day and can also be added to yoghurt, porridge or served with eggs for a highly nutritious breakfast.
• Add a couple of extra vegetables to your meals. Making a spaghetti bolognese? Throw a zucchini, some carrots, spinach and onion into your food processor and add the results to your mince base. Not sure what to cook for dinner? Roast a protein alongside the vegetables in your drawer and serve it all with some fresh greens. By making a small effort to add 2-3 additional vegetables to your standard servings, you’ll be able to get through your daily intake in no time.
• Embrace smoothies. These are a great way to consume a wide variety of rainbow fruits and vegetables. Blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, bananas, spinach and avocado, are all great starting points for building a smoothie you’ll be craving every day.

The rainbow diet and detoxing

While some people will turn to the rainbow diet as a detox method, looking to its nutrients and antioxidants to help cleanse the body, it’s important to remember that limited scientific evidence currently supports the rainbow diet as a detox method.

While detoxing can offer a number of benefits, it can also be harmful if it’s not built on a foundation of strong nutrition. Consider speaking with a health professional before undertaking a detox of any kind. Your body is your partner – by fuelling it with the nutrients you need on a regular basis, you can build sustainable eating habits that serve you well over the long run.

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