We are told we should be eating the colors of the rainbow, and no I’m not talking about Skittles! How do we tell young people about healthy eating for their gut health? Gut health begins at our plates. Young people learn at school, in health class, how to balance their plates, but do they remember this lesson on their own? As adults we forget this basic lesson on proportioning our food, with half the plate or bowl consisting of fruits and vegetables, and the other half pf grains, protein, and dairy or alternative options such as soy or lactose-free options.
In 2011, the MyPlate guide replaced the Food Pyramid, refining the definition of eating healthy. Most young people don’t learn how to make their own plates healthy; the food needs to be prepared for them. While they are not asking for fruits, veggies, or legumes, being an adult does not come with a guide or menu to follow for healthy eating. It took many dieticians, several nutritionists, doctors, therapy sessions, countless articles, and dozens of diet programs to figure out what works for me, and feeding my kids is another whole ballgame! How do you trick your kid into eating healthy from the beginning?
I’ll never forget walking into a local community center for WIC benefits and finding their bulletin board was covered with bags of sugar with pictures of sodas and juice boxes. The amount of sugar in one popular beverage can equal a baggie half full of processed sugar. Sugar has no health benefits for us. I still make iced tea and add four scoops of “sugar” to make a full pitcher, which my kids can drink in one day. What am I doing? It’s the norm, it is quick, readily available and they are staying hydrated. Having unhealthy drinks and food is introduced at a young age as a treat – it tastes so good – and we keep consuming and consuming, because the more we have, the more we want that sweetness. Our taste buds become accustomed to the sweetness of the sugar, but it is not healthy. Sugar ruins our gut flora, the good bacteria that help us digest and rot our teeth. Plus, sugary foods and drinks do not satisfy our hunger. A healthy gut starts with drinking plenty of water. Our body is made up mostly of water and we need at least half of our body weight in fluid ounces of water everyday for survival and hydration.
The next important part for a healthy gut is protein. Protein is vital for building and repairing tissues and improving immune function.. Protein transports nutrients and can serve as an energy source. Think lean meat (less than 85% fat), fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Lentils include black beans, black-eyed peas, brown lentils, chickpeas, edamame, green lentils, green peas, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, tempeh, and tofu.
Dairy or milk can be tricky. While dairy contains forms of protein, not every gut responds the same. I have been dairy-free for over 8 months and I feel less bloated. We need a balance of dairy products as young children to build antioxidants in our body. I accumulated a high degree of inflammation as an adult – maybe it was all those GOT MILK? posters I collected on the back of my bedroom door as an adolescent, but milk does not do my body good. I found that coconut milk is a dairy free option that is healthier and tastier for me. Milks to try that are dairy-free (or more gut-friendly) include almond, coconut, oat, soy, and lactose-free milk.
Now it is time to taste the rainbow!
RED: Tomatoes, cherries, cranberries, bell pepper, pomegranate, watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, red apples, beets, grape fruit, sweet potato, blood orange, radish, grape, red onion, rhubarb, red cabbage, and guava.
Red foods protect cells, support heart health, and help with prostate health for men. Red foods provide lycopene, anthocyanins, antioxidants to fight inflammation and support cardiovascular health. The red foods have vitamins, minerals such as Vitamin C for immunity and skin health, Vitamin A for vision and immunity health, potassium for blood pressure regulation, and fiber for digestion.
ORANGE: Carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin,butternut squash, oranges, mango, apricots, clementines, tangerines, cantaloupe, peaches, papaya, acorn, orange bell pepper, cauliflower, corn, and orange tomatoes.
Orange foods help vision, immunity, heart health and digestion.
YELLOW: Bananas, lemons, pineapple, mangos, yellow bell pepper, corn, summer squash, yellow bell pepper, golden kiwi, starfruit, and yellow tomatoes.
Yellow food benefits include digestion, skin and eye health, immunity, heart health, potassium for cardiovascular function, fiber for digestion, lutein, and zeaxanthin to protect the eyes.
GREEN: Kale, arugula, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, bok choy, asparagus, kiwi, green apples, green grapes, avocados. Benefits for green foods include healthy fats, fibers, potassium, support heart, and gut health. Fiber aids in digestion, Vitamin C boosting, immunity, antioxidants, and supplement nutrients.
BLUE: Blueberries, concord grapes, blackberries, eggplant, purple carrots, elderberries, black currents, figs, prunes, plums, and black beans. Blue foods improve memory, reduce chronic disease risk, and provide antioxidants, fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin K, reducing inflammation and support heart health.
We all have different thresholds for inflammation, choosing which fruits and veggies to consume daily can depend on your palette preference. Your goal is to reduce inflammation and try to choose foods that are not processed or in a box. Reducing gluten intake is a big factor for those who suffer from inflammation. Think of gluten as glue, a processed food that has trouble breaking down in our digestive system. There are so many brands of food that are gluten free, GF is the symbol to look for. It was a game changer for me and for others that suffer from digestion issues like Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, or have wheat allergies. Make a habit of reading food packages or tracking your food purchases with an app like Yuka. Yuka helps you identify healthy food based on a score from 1 to 100 for nutritional quality, additives, and organic status. Eating healthy food starts at home with incorporating water, protein, fruits, and veggies into your daily diet; focusing on variety can help change your taste palette, and promote gut health. Monitoring our own dietary consumption and identifying the source of your foods can drastically help reduce inflammation.
It starts with us, then we can teach the young people to be healthier eaters and live healthier lives. Next time you reach for the Doritios, remember they are processed – young people will eat what you give them. Instead grab those bananas and chocolate hummus! Give the colors of the rainbow a try and Google how to make them fun for young people. Start small and work your way toward adding more fresh colors to their plates. You and your young ones will feel more satisfied and be doing your bodies good!
MyPlate.gov What Is My Plate? myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate
Yuka yuka.io/en/