Be a rainbow eater, but watch out for that leprechaun tempting you with the golden stuff

What is a rainbow eater?  Well, A rainbow eater fills up on the colorful foods like veggies and fruits.

yellow- peppers, corn, bananas, pineapple

orange- peppers, carrots, oranges, peaches, squash

red- apples, strawberries, tomatoes, pomegranate

purple- eggplant, grapes

blue- blueberries 

green - apples, broccoli, spinach, peas, green beans, zucchini, asparagus, peppers, lettuce

     I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  Make veggies and fruits your new "filler" foods.  Then supplement with things like whole wheats, whole grains, brown rice, etc.  Some of us need the extra fiber.  Add some healthy browns.  I love pears, mushrooms, unsalted almonds or peanuts.  Yogurt? Whatever color you like is good.  I like the "Chobani" Greek with pineapple, blueberry, or pomegranate, (higher protein).  And yes, I have a cup of coffee in the morning...though I have transitioned to decaf.  My husband does half caf coffee.    

     Avoid the fried foods (the golden stuff) and sodas (yes even diet); bake what you can, drink lots of water, and when you can, try something new.  Keep an open mind when it comes to food.  Make shopping for groceries an enjoyable experience, an adventure even.  If you have kids, take them along.  They love to calculate totals, read labels, and make comparisons.  

     If you have to have meat, try changing recipes substituting ground turkey for ground beef.  I've made turkey chili, turkey tacos, turkey stuffed peppers, turkey "Manwich" and one day, I plan to make turkey shephard's pie with mashed sweet potatoes instead of mashed white potatoes.  My husband makes faces at this one, but I like to experiment.  I think he'd prefer I stuck to fish dishes.  We both love seafood, especially salmon.      

    Yesterday, I decided to try one of the vegetarian meals I've been snubbing for years.  Sure, I'll eat a Mushroom Swiss veggie burger (portobello mushroom burgers are my favorite), Kashi products are yummy and I love the taste of Silk Soy milks and creamers, but I assumed most of those vegetarian or vegan meals in the frozen food section would be bland.  I still want food to taste good.  The one I selected was Morning Star Chik'n Enchilada with brown rice (280 calories, 12 grams of protein).  I used to live in Arizona.  I have a weakness for Mexican food.  You know what?  It was really good.  Now I want to try something else.   

    So, be a rainbow eater and soon you will feel like wrestling that nasty little leprechaun for his real gold...a prize worth having...a healthier you.  : )