Good nutrition includes both cutting out the bad and eating a wide variety of good foods.  One way to make sure we are getting the nutrition our bodies need to grow, function properly, and fight disease is to eat a “rainbow of fruits and vegetables.”  Eating a rainbow makes sure that you are eating a variety of phytonutrients which are natural chemical compounds found in plants.  Each color is a different chemical compound.  So, to summarize this science lesson……….the more colors you eat, the more nutrition you are giving to your body.

I know that as careful as I am about nutrition that I often find myself getting into a rut and eating the same foods over and over.  If you are like me, you probably experience the same thing.  We eat healthy foods, but variety is what we should be striving for.  I’ve decided to work on expanding my food choices by adding more recipes to my meal plan rotation and as always, I am sharing the information that I’ve gathered with you!  I’ve asked some friends to help us by sharing some of their favorite recipes.  This week, I am working on trying some new RED recipes.

 

 

1.  Roasted Red Pepper Sauce from Homemade Food Junkie
2. Pasta e Fagioli from Simple Life Mom
3. Baked Tilapia with Italian Season Tomatoes from Adventures of a Cavemom
4. Watermelon Salad with Parmesan and Olives from Sweet Savant
5. Best Ever Pizza Sauce from Simple Life Mom
6. Red Pepper Jam from Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen
7. Cranberry Sauce from Little Sprouts Learning
8. Quinoa Stuffed Red Peppers from Vegetarian Times
9. Balsamic Beet Salad with Arugula, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts from A Dish of Daily Life
10. Easy Caprese Salad from Juggling Real Food and Real Life.  I had to share this one because it is so popular.  Since 2013 this has been my most “Pinned” recipe on Pinterest.  It just keeps going and going.

As always, you are eating much better if you strive to eat plenty of brightly colored foods.  You are better off looking to your favorite fruits and vegetables rather than boxes of processed foods.  Your body will thank you for it.

What are your favorite red fruit or vegetable dishes?  Do you eat a variety of the rainbow each day?  Is there a color of food that you struggle to eat more than others?

If you are looking for help in making the transition to eating more real food, you should check out the Real Food Experience posts. You can get started at the beginning or jump around the challenges. You can find a complete round-up of the program here. Each week’s challenge is full of terrific advice to help you transition from fast and processed food to a real food diet. Changes that will help you to live a healthy lifestyle and have the energy to keep up with your busy schedule. I would also love for you to join me on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on a regular basis. Leave me a comment and let me know you are there. I love to visit with my readers.

You might also be interested in:  Red Fruit Treats