Today I Ate a Rainbow- Review

As a 20+ year vegetarian i tend to be more aware of nutrition than most. i learned, early on, the importance of reading labels and the importance of incorporating a variety of healthy foods into the diet in order to get everything that the body needs. Now, as a mother raising a vegetarian family it is even more important to make sure we are getting the vitamins and minerals needed to raise strong healthy children.

i have always encouraged my children to eat a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. i have fresh bananas and apples sitting out at all times, that the kids may eat whenever they are hungry. Snacks most often consist of raw vegetables or fruits.
With almost every dinner, i provide at least two vegetable side dishes. One from the green veggies and one from the yellow. We often have fresh greens and a fruit as well, right from our own garden. When you raise children with a variety of fruits and veggies and limit the 'sweets and junk' your kids will choose the healthy stuff, right?

Well, that is the theory, and with my first child...i believed it. My son is and always has been a good eater. He could easily live on raw veggies, fruit and bean burritos. Of course, then my daughter was born, and i swear she came out of the womb asking for chocolate. She turns her nose up to almost everything that is good for her. i realized that just serving the healthy stuff wasn't enough. We needed a bit of help to encourage healthy choices.

When Kia Robertson, creator of the “Today I Ate A Rainbow!™” kit, offered me a kit in exchange for an honest review, i jumped at the chance. “Today I Ate A Rainbow!™” is an interactive nutritional chart that makes eating fruits and vegetables fun for your children! Consisting of a colorful rainbow chart and bright colorful magnets this tool will allow your children to easily track the fruits and vegetables they eat throughout the day.

The first thing i noticed about the kit was how much Sage responded to the bright colors and fun shapes. We punched out the different magnets, and she immediately began grouping them into color piles..and then sorting them by shapes.


She helped me to set the chart up on the fridge, and we talked about all the different foods in the food 'rainbow'. She was very excited to start eating a rainbow and asked for a red apple.

For snack, i had her pick out one food from each color groups. My Picky eater ate all of it without a complaint!! She then went right to the rainbow chart and placed the appropriate magnets on each color. i Put a 'Today i ate a rainbow' completion badge at the top of the chart and together we sang the rainbow song to celebrate her achievement.
She was very proud of herself.



The book that comes with kit is wonderful. It introduces your child to the Rainbow bunch and the importance of healthy eating. It has beautiful illustrations, and simple rhyming text. Sage loves for me to read it to her, and also enjoys flipping through the pictures and telling the story in her own way. The last page of the book, has some tips for parents to help their children eat more fruits and vegetables.

The rainbow kit is really a great tool to help your children become more aware of what they are eating and make better choices when it comes to their nutrition. When my kids want a snack they go right to the rainbow chart and ask for something from one of the food groups. When we grocery shop they look for unusual, bright colored fruits and vegetables to try.

Both of my children are eating at least one rainbow a day now, sometimes two!

i've put together a few rainbow snacks that the kids love.

Rainbow fruit salad.
Layer strawberries/raspberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple chucks, kiwi, blueberries and blackberries and top with a dollop of plain yogurt. Serve in glass bowls or cups so that it makes a rainbow.

Rainbow smoothies.
In a blender mix a cup of plain yogurt, 2 bananas, frozen strawberries and blueberries, and one kiwi peeled and chopped. Blend it all together until smooth. Add enough OJ until it is your preferred thickness.

Rainbow Snack wraps
1 whole wheat wrap (lavash wrap)
3 Tbsp cream cheese
2 cups chopped fruit in rainbow colors (strawberry, orange, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries)
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey

Cut your wrap in half and spread 1 1/2 tbsp of cream cheese on each piece. Drizzle a bit of maple syrup or honey over the cream cheese and allow your child to build a rainbow on the wrap using the fresh fruits. Then roll up the wrap and slice it into bite sized rolls.

You can make a similar one using cream cheese and vegetables (red, orange, and yellow peppers, spinach leaves, shredded purple cabbage etc.)

i really enjoyed reviewing the Rainbow kit, and think it is a really wonderful tool to help teach healthy eating habits. It is really great to see my daughter so excited about eating healthy, and the chart gives her the independence to make the choices herself.


You can find more information and order your own Rainbow kit at Today I Ate A Rainbow.com
You can also find more healthy eating tips on the website, meal ideas and games for the kids.
You can also connect with Today I Ate a Rainbow on Facebook and on Twitter.