What is a Rainbow Plate?
Whether you've been following us for a while or have just joined, we thought it might be a good idea to answer this question!
So, what is a Rainbow Plate? It’s simply any plate or dish of food that includes any fruit or vegetables in any colour!
We want everyone to feel good about eating, and we’re on a mission to make healthier eating simple and fun! We wanted to make it clear that there’s no “right” amount, type or colours of fruits and vegetables required to make your plate a Rainbow Plate. The idea is to look for and celebrate however many colours you’re eating, and to find a simple way to help everyone add more of these yummy and healthy foods to their plates every day!
A Rainbow Plate might look like the one above, with lots of different foods in a whole rainbow of different colours. But, a Rainbow Plate might also be a plate like this one:
with one or two colourful veggies or fruit included as part of a simple meal or snack. They’re both equally awesome!
We know that everyone’s plate looks different. What ends up on our plate is influenced by so many different things, including: where we live, our budget, our culture, the seasons, our personal preferences, and our family’s traditions. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruit every day is a guideline that’s widely recommended and proven to be good for your health at any age. Creating a Rainbow Plate every time you eat is a simple and fun way to do it! We use this rhyme in our work to help inspire and and remind kids to embrace this idea:
“Rainbow Plate, Rainbow Plate, tell me the COLOURS that you ate!”
We’d love to see YOUR Rainbow Plate! As you prepare your meals or snacks, think about how to add a bit more colour to your plate. Keep it simple - think about what’s in season or what fruits and veggies are on sale this week where you shop. Frozen or canned produce is great too, just stick to items without added sugar or salt.
Post a photo of your Rainbow Plate on your Instagram or Facebook page with the hashtag #myrainbowplate. Don’t forget to tag us @rainbowplate! Tag a friend who would love to add more colour to their meals too!