Children need the very best nutrition and that's always at the top of our list as parents. But making children happy and enthusiastic about healthy eating is more than often a tricky task. A fun nutrition diet could come in the form of the Rainbow Diet, presenting a very colourful and diverse way of eating—ensuring kids obtain essential nutrients daily.
As put by our expert Pooja Singh, Dietician at ShardaCare, Health City - Noida, "Rainbow Diet is a fun way to include many varieties of colourful fruits and vegetables in your child's diet." Every colour of the spectrum is different, with its own set of unique vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that make it healthy. This implies that if you encourage your child to "eat the rainbow," you are providing them with a well-balanced nutritious diet.
Nutritional Benefits of Each Colour
The nutritional benefit of each colour on your child is as under:
Red Supports Heart Health
Red foods incorporate strawberries, tomatoes, red bell peppers, and watermelon with lycopene and anthocyanins rich in them. These nutrients provide heart health promotion, improve circulation, and offer anti-inflammatory help.
Orange and Yellow Boosts Immunity and Eye Health
Beta-carotene in the body converts the food into Vitamin A. Additionally, vitamin A is necessary for healthy eyesight, a powerful immune system, and healthy skin.
Also Read: 8 Foods To Never Give Your Child
Green: Promotes the Growth of Bones and the Brain
Leafy greens, broccoli, cucumbers, and green apples are loaded with chlorophyll, folate, and vitamin K which are important in the growth of the brain as well as brain development, very strong bones, and cellular activity at large.
Blue and Purple: Enhance Brain Function and Aid Digestion
The colours blue and purple suggest the rich foods that are full of anthocyanins, which have been attributed to an improved functioning brain, and improvement of memory and cognitive functions while having anti-inflammatory effects.
White and Brown: Boost Immune System and Assist Digestion
There are not many such colourful foods as cauliflower, garlic, onions, and mushrooms, but rich in allicin and polyphenols that promote immunity and gut health.
Benefits of Rainbow Diet for Children
According to Pooja, an expert, some overall benefits of the rainbow diet for children are the following:
1. Encourages Balanced Nutrition
Different hues of food provide the child with varied vitamins and minerals for basic well-being.
Also Read: From Picky Eater To Healthy Eater, Here’s How Ayurveda Can Help In Improving Your Child’s Appetite
2. Stretches Their Immunity
Nutrients that abound in these foods, whether in red colour, green colour, or violet colour, due to their multicoloured variations make them much less susceptible to infection and seasonal diseases.
3. Enhance Growth and Development
Such minerals as iron, calcium and vitamin D help boost the development of the child's bones and even add to the power of their brain and help in general growth.
4. Healthy Bowel Movements
Fruits and vegetables filled with fibre digest food inside a child's stomach ensure the child is free of constipation, and even promote healthy bowel movement.
Bottomline
A Rainbow Diet is more than a super-pretty way of eating; it's a powerful tool for ensuring optimal childhood nutrition. It prevents nutrient deficiencies because the different food groups that are being incorporated into the diet minimise the risks of nutritional gaps in the children. According to experts, it also helps in developing healthy eating habits at an early age because the promotion of a variety of fruits and vegetables in the diet instils lifetime healthy eating patterns. So, the next time you make a meal, think about how you can add a splash of colour to their plate-it's a simple, delicious step toward better health!