There are a lot of colors of fruits and veggies, and all of those colors are an important part of eating to stay healthy. Eating a variety of colorful fruits and veggies every day helps your family to grow and stay well. What can the different colors do for your body?

You can also try this food game to learn about and try new kinds of different fruits and vegetables. Ready to play? Let’s go!

Draw a picture of a rainbow using all the different colors of the rainbow!

Take your rainbow picture to the table when you eat and look at your plate. Do you see any fruit on your plate? What color is the fruit? Put an X in the fruit color on your rainbow picture.

Do you see any veggies on your plate? What color is the veggie? Put an X in the veggie color on your rainbow picture.

When you’re done, keep your rainbow in a safe spot, or make a new one for family meals. Bring it out for your family mealtimes. Are there a lot of X’s in your rainbow? Good job!

Eating colorful fruits and vegetables is good for your body and mind. The food rainbow is also a great way to introduce your kids to new or different foods! Looking for new food ideas? Check out the ABCs of Nutritious Snacks printable for a few foods you may or may not know.

Here are some more helpful tips for making fruits and vegetables a part of your mealtime routine.

Offer fruits or vegetables regularly. You can also serve them with foods that you know your kids like. Introducing the two foods together encourages your child to be more open to trying the new food.

Start small! Serve your child small portions of fruits and vegetables so they don’t feel intimidated. They can always ask for more! Be patient too, it can take many attempts (sometimes as many as 15) for your child to decide whether or not they truly like the new food.

Look at all your options. Take advantage of produce in season, but don't overlook frozen fruits and vegetables or canned goods without added salt or sugar. Convenience can be key!

Include the kids! Let them pick a couple of fruits and vegetables of their own at the store. Kids are more likely to try a food that they chose for themselves. Making fruits and veggies easy to access at home encourages independence so they can find them if they want them. Put fruit in a bowl on the table. Cut and wash veggies and put them on a covered tray in the fridge.

Model by example. Don’t forget that a majority of children learn by example. Monkey see, monkey do. When you offer a new fruit or vegetable to your kids, slice some up for yourself and eat them together. And it’s okay if you don’t like the food. By just trying it, you’re leading by example. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about your kids and talk about being okay with not liking foods, too! The point is getting them to try it, and there’s no right answer after that.

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