Taste the rainbow
Why colourful food is nature’s health hack (and a mood booster!)
Let’s be honest. We eat with our eyes first. A plate of food that looks like it escaped from a crayon box is infinitely more inviting than something beige and blah. And here’s the best part: those vibrant colours don’t just make your Instagram followers happier. They actually mean something. Nature isn’t just pretty for the fun of it…
Those colours are shouting, “Hey! I’ve got phytonutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants galore!”
Welcome to the joyful, delicious, and seriously smart world of eating the rainbow.
Phytonutrients: Nature’s Hidden Superpowers
According to Harvard Health Publishing, phytonutrients (also known as phytochemicals) are natural compounds found in plant foods that have powerful effects on human health — from fighting inflammation and boosting immunity to protecting us from chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
But here’s the catch: there are thousands of different phytonutrients, and no single food has them all. That’s why the old “eat the rainbow” advice isn’t just a catchy slogan. In fact it’s backed by science.
Think of your plate like a party. You want as many interesting guests as possible — and in this case, that means colour. Each hue brings its own nutritional bonus.
🎨 What the Colours Mean
🔴 Red foods (like tomatoes, watermelon, and red peppers) contain lycopene — a phytonutrient linked to heart health and reduced cancer risk. They’re also packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.
🟠 Orange foods (carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut) are loaded with beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A — great for vision, immunity, and skin. Orange you glad you know that now?
🟡 Yellow foods (like corn, pineapple, yellow peppers, and lemons) are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which promote eye health, plus mood-boosting vitamin C. More on these sunny wonders later…
🟢 Green foods (spinach, broccoli, peas, avo) are full of chlorophyll, folate, iron, and a group of phytonutrients called glucosinolates, which may help prevent certain cancers. Green is basically nature’s multivitamin.
🔵🟣 Blue and purple foods (berries, eggplant, grapes, purple cabbage) owe their jewel tones to anthocyanins — powerful antioxidants that support brain health, heart health, and ageing gracefully (hello, fountain of youth?).
🤍 White and brown foods (like garlic, onions, cauliflower, and mushrooms) might not be flashy, but don’t overlook them! They often contain allicin, quercetin, and potassium — great for immunity, blood pressure, and inflammation.
Eating with Your Eyes: A whole mood on a plate
There’s something inexplicably joyful about a meal that looks like it’s been assembled by a rainbow unicorn. Studies show that bright, colourful meals can actually lift your mood, increase appetite (in a good way), and reduce mealtime stress! Bright food says, “Life is good, and so is this meal.”
Getting Kids on Board: Rainbow = Fun
Feeding kids can sometimes feel like negotiating with tiny, very stubborn diplomats. But colourful food? That’s a secret weapon.
When food is fun to look at, like red apples, orange carrots, green peas, purple grapes, kids are more likely to try it.
Top Tip: You can even turn meals into a game: “How many colours can we fit on our plate today?” (Bonus: this works on adults, too.)
Cut fruit into shapes, build rainbow wraps, or serve a veggie platter like a colour wheel. The trick is to make healthy food look like the exciting option — and guess what? Soon the little sprouts will realise: It is.
Real vs. Fake Colour: choose nature’s palette
Now, a quick word on artificially coloured food: that luminous green energy drink or neon blue ice lolly might look exciting, but the colours are usually created using synthetic dyes, not nature’s magic. These dyes don’t bring any of the good stuff phytonutrients do. No vitamins, no antioxidants, no health benefits.
Take Note: In fact, some artificial colours have been linked to behavioural issues in children and allergies in sensitive people. So while it’s fun to indulge occasionally, natural colour is the goal.
Think of artificial colours as cheap fireworks: flashy, but fleeting. Nature’s colour is like stained glass, beautiful and meaningful.
Spotlight on Yellow: The Gold Standard
Now let’s shine a little extra light on the happiest hue of all… yellow. Yellow foods are like edible sunshine: bright, cheerful, and good for your body and soul.
From sweetcorn and mangoes to lemons, pumpkin, and even turmeric, yellow foods are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, and often have anti-inflammatory properties.
Top Tip: Need a mood lift? Try a pineapple smoothie. Want to support eye health? Add some yellow pepper to your salad. Fighting off a cold? Sip on lemon and ginger tea.
And then there’s butter yellow — that soft, comforting tone that reminds us of warm mielie pap with golden syrup, baked apples, or creamy vegetable curry. It’s the colour of comfort, healing, and happy tummies.
The Golden Conclusion
Eating colourfully isn’t just a health strategy — it’s a lifestyle. A celebration. A way to honour the amazing variety that nature offers us. From deep greens to punchy purples, from candy apple red to mellow yellow, each colour brings unique benefits and a little joy to your plate. So next time you’re at the shop or prepping dinner, ask yourself: What colours are missing from my day? Then go grab a bunch of bananas, a handful of cherry tomatoes, or a purple cabbage and let the rainbow do the rest.
