Adults are often told to choose foods from the different food groups, and that choosing those foods that are vibrant in color are the best choices for their health’s sake. Why not use the same ideas when feeding your toddler? You can feed your toddler a rainbow and teach them about colors at the same time.

What are the colors in a rainbow – do you remember? You may remember the pneumonic device ROY G BIV. The colors in the rainbow are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. While you may not be able to find foods that are specifically indigo in color, there are foods that can be found in each of the other colors.

The best thing about these colorful foods, besides being able to use them to teach your children about color when they’re young, is that they are full of vitamins and minerals to help your toddler grow. When it’s time to make a meal or a snack, feed your toddler a rainbow!

Which foods would you expect to find that are red? Think strawberries, cherries, apples, red potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelon. It’s a good chance you won’t have problems getting your children to eat foods in this color which are full of many healthy nutrients.

Orange-colored peaches and oranges will disappear quickly, but your toddler may balk at eating sweet potatoes and carrots. Do what you can to incorporate these foods into their diet as they have nutrients your toddler needs.

Yellow foods include bananas, summer squash, wax beans, and pears. Remind your toddler of the yellow of the sunshine and tell them these foods will give them energy.

For green foods, consider avocados, green beans, zucchini, mango, and papaya. Choose the darker fruits and vegetables to get the most nutritive value for your child’s health.

When you think of blue, you may only be able to find blueberries for this color. However, blueberries are full of nutrients and are often a favorite among toddlers. For purple foods you may want to choose grapes or eggplant.

Consider how you can add these colorful foods to your family’s menu. Toddlers need to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. If you can make them fun by helping them learn their colors along the way, you may find your toddler asking for foods by color rather than name.

If you want to ensure that your child eats the foods that supply the nutrients they need to be healthy, think about ol’ Roy G Biv and feed your toddler a rainbow. Take a trip to the grocery store and see how many colorful fruits and vegetables you can get. Then watch as your children learn their colors as they enjoy the wonderful, nutrient-rich foods.