A fun activity to encourage children of all ages to try more different types of veg.
Display bowls of as many different veg (fresh, frozen, tinned) as you can:
Red – red pepper, tomatoes
Orange – orange pepper, carrots
Yellow – sweetcorn, yellow peppers
Green – peas, cucumber, green pepper, spinach, green beans, brocolli
Blue – mmm, suggestions please!
Purple – beetroot, cooked red cabbage
How to Eat your Rainbow!
Make a rainbow on your plate and gobble it up straight from the plate
Spread oatcakes/crackers with cream cheese (dairy or non-dairy) and decorate with veg eg make faces.
Make a rainbow pasta/orzo/rice salad with veg and dressing of your choice.
Make a frittata, pizza, quesadilla, Rainbow Burger or a Cheesey Rainbow Scone.
Toddler and Parent sessions
This activity works well for toddlers and parents who, cooking together, chop and use the veg to make healthy snacks. Adults also learn how to make a hot meal with the veg, including soup, curry and bolognese. Participants take away portions to enjoy at home. It’s a supportive session for families where they can introduce their little ones to a wide range of veg and don’t have to worry about the cost or the mess!
Feedback from HomeStart West Berkshire:
“It was a fun, informative and child-led activity. Giving time and opportunity for parents to talk and interact with their children. It gave parents the information and practicle skills to prepare two healthy meals and a snack for their families. It demonstrated how quick and easy this was and there was a discussion about how the food can be batched prepared and frozen
The children were in a peer group, so were more inclined to try and enjoy new foods during the session. Parents saw this and will hopefully be encouraged to buy these new healthy foods. Weaning littles one, it helped for the families to get a better idea of the different foods to try them with but also how happy the babies were to try different foods, encouraged fine motor and hand eye coordinate with the chopping, picking food up from the trays. Letting the children decide for themselves and make choices with what they wanted to use and if they like the texture or flavour.
Encouraging positive conversations between parent/child and as well as parents to parents about food. One Mum said she “couldn’t believe how well her child has sat concentrating, enjoying it and tasting new foods”
The session helped children and parents look at their eating habits, encouraging different flavours and textures and healthy alternatives. The session encouraged home cooking with more vegetables and fibre into their children’s diet.
Showing parents different ingredients that they might not necessarily think to buy or afford. One Dad said he had “forgotten how quick and easy pesto was”.
HomeStart West Berkshire family group
Supplies required:
Small bowls to display veg with spoons
knife & chopping board/grater & plate to cut veg
one plate per child to make rainbows on
Bowls & forks per child for pasta salad
aprons
kitchen roll
take-away containers for families to take portions home
Eat the Rainbow tick charts
sense of humour
Rainbow Nutrition
For an understanding of the chemical compounds and nutritional benefits of each colour see healthline.com/rainbow.
