Eat the Rainbow Preschool Food Game

Fruits and vegetables come in all colors. Have fun with your preschooler by keeping track of what colors you eat each day. More colors at the end of the day means more healthy fruits and vegetables. Your preschooler will practice identifying colors and start to appreciate how colorful eating can be!

Identify Colors of Fruits and Vegetables

At each meal and snack, ask your preschooler what colors are on the plate. Getting close is good enough. You might call blueberries blue and your preschooler might call them purple. No worries! The goal is to appreciate that food comes in different colors and that it's healthy to eat the colors of the rainbow. 

Keep Track of Colors You Eat

There are lots of ways you and your preschooler can count the colors you eat throughout the day:

1. Use the Bowls 'n Bears Counters. This simple toy is perfect for counting fruit and vegetable colors. The set comes with six bowls and 102 teddy bears in all colors of the rainbow. Each day, choose a bowl and let your preschooler place the correct color teddy bear on the plate to mimic what is on their own plate. Since there are six bowls, each member of your household can play!

2.  Use colorful stickers or markers. Take one piece of paper and divide into sections - one for each day of the week. At each meal and snack, your preschooler can fill the day with the colors s/he eats.

3. Use colorful balls. Using a big basket to hold the 'rainbow,' your preschooler can throw balls into the basket for each color s/he eats.

4. Cut out images from magazines or use a fruit and vegetables coloring book. Instead of simply counting colors, your preschooler can keep track of real fruits and vegetables s/he eats each day.

As the day goes on, you and your preschooler will be able to see which colors you are missing. Plan meals and snacks to include the colors you still need.

Fruit and Vegetable Color Guide

Red: Strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and tomato sauce, watermelon

Orange: Sweet potatoes, carrots, oranges and orange juice, mangoes, cantaloupe, peaches, pumpkin and other orange squash

Yellow: Pineapples, yellow peppers, lemon, yellow grapefruit

Green: Spinach and leafy greens, beans, peas, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, avocado

Blue and Purple: Blueberries, blackberries, dark beans, purple grapes, eggplant

White: Don't forget white! Think bananas, potatoes, onions, white beans, apples and cauliflower.

Recommendations for Preschoolers

Don't feel that your preschooler has to finish a complete serving to count the color. Trying one green bean for the first time should get a green mark! For reference, it is recommended that preschoolers eat about 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. One serving is ½ cup of fruit or vegetable, ½ piece of fruit, ¼ cup dried fruit like raisins, ½ cup cooked beans, or 1 cup of lettuce. For more information about preschooler servings, see the Food Guide Pyramid for Preschoolers.

by Kati Chevaux

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