Eat the Rainbow! | Nutrition Lesson for Kids

Physicians Committee

29 Jun 202005:22

Summary

TLDRIn this educational video, registered dietician Maggie explains the importance of a colorful diet for children. She uses the analogy of a rainbow to illustrate how different colored fruits and vegetables provide unique nutrients essential for various body functions. Red foods are highlighted for heart health, orange for eye health, yellow for immune support, green for strong bones, blue for brainpower, and purple for digestion. The video encourages children to eat a variety of colorful foods for overall health and provides a fun coloring sheet for interactive learning.

Takeaways

🍎 Food is essential for our bodies, providing energy for movement and growth.
🚗 Our bodies are like cars, needing good 'fuel' to function properly.
🌈 Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors, each offering different nutrients.
🍓 Red foods like strawberries and tomatoes contain lycopene, which is good for the heart.
🥕 Orange foods such as carrots and sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene and vitamin A, beneficial for eye health.
🍋 Yellow foods, including lemons and corn, contain vitamin C which supports the immune system.
🥦 Green vegetables like broccoli and peas are sources of calcium, important for strong bones.
🧠 Blue foods, including blueberries, contain anthocyanins that help keep our brains strong and sharp.
🍇 Purple foods like eggplant are high in fiber, aiding in digestion.
🎨 Encourages children to color a nutrition rainbow and to eat a variety of colorful foods for a balanced diet.
📸 Invites children to share their colored nutrition rainbow sheets on social media with the hashtag #PCRM.

Q & A

What is Maggie's profession and what does she teach?
-Maggie is a registered dietician who teaches others about how food impacts our bodies.
What does Maggie compare our bodies to in terms of needing fuel?
-Maggie compares our bodies to a car, emphasizing that just like a car needs good fuel to run, our bodies need the right food to function properly.
What is the significance of the colors in fruits and vegetables according to the script?
-The colors in fruits and vegetables come from nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are essential for various functions in our bodies.
How can one obtain a free coloring sheet to color the nutrition rainbow?
-One can go to PCRM.org/kids to print a free copy of the nutrition rainbow coloring sheet.
What pigment gives red fruits and vegetables their color, and what is its health benefit?
-Red fruits and vegetables get their color from a pigment called lycopene, which is especially good for the heart.
Which nutrient found in orange foods is beneficial for eye health?
-Beta carotene and vitamin A, found in orange foods like sweet potatoes and carrots, can help our eyes stay strong.
What is the role of vitamin C in our body, and which yellow foods contain it?
-Vitamin C supports our immune system and helps us fight against colds or the flu. It can be found in yellow foods like lemons, corn, bananas, and yellow grapefruit.
Which nutrient in green vegetables is known for making bones strong?
-Calcium is the nutrient in green vegetables that gives us strong bones. It can be found in foods like broccoli, peas, and cucumbers.
What nutrients in blue foods are known to help with brain health?
-Anthocyanins are nutrients in blue foods that can help our brains be strong and sharp.
How do purple foods like eggplant contribute to digestion?
-Purple foods, including eggplant, are high in fiber, an important nutrient that helps our bodies digest food.
What is the final challenge Maggie gives to encourage the consumption of colorful foods?
-Maggie challenges individuals to try as many different colored fruits and vegetables every day and to incorporate them into breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Outlines

00:00

🍎 Understanding the Impact of Food on Health

Maggie, a registered dietician, introduces the concept of how food impacts our bodies. She explains that food provides energy for our bodies to perform activities like growing, running, and playing. Maggie uses the analogy of a car needing good fuel to function well, emphasizing that the right food fuels our bodies for health and strength. She then introduces the idea of a 'nutrition rainbow,' suggesting that the colorful nutrients in fruits and vegetables, like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, are essential for our bodies. Maggie encourages viewers to color a nutrition rainbow and provides a link to a free coloring sheet on the PCRM website. She discusses the significance of red foods rich in lycopene for heart health, orange foods with beta carotene and vitamin A for eye health, and yellow foods with vitamin C for immune support.

05:03

🥦 Exploring the Benefits of Colorful Foods

Continuing the discussion on the 'nutrition rainbow,' Maggie highlights the importance of green vegetables rich in calcium for strong bones, blue foods with anthocyanins for brain health, and purple foods high in fiber for digestion. She invites viewers to guess which body part blue foods help, revealing it's the brain. Maggie suggests trying different colored fruits and vegetables daily and encourages sharing these healthy choices. She also mentions the availability of yummy recipes for incorporating colorful foods into daily meals, promoting a balanced and colorful diet for overall health.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Registered Dietician

A registered dietician is a nutrition expert who has met the necessary educational and professional standards to provide safe and effective dietary advice. In the video, Maggie, the registered dietician, educates viewers on how food impacts our bodies, emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet for overall health.

💡Energy

Energy, in the context of the video, refers to the capacity of food to fuel the body's activities such as movement, growth, and maintenance. Maggie explains that food provides the energy that helps our bodies function, akin to how fuel powers a car.

💡Nutrients

Nutrients are substances found in food that the body needs to function properly. The video highlights that nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors and are essential for various bodily functions.

💡Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which can contribute to chronic diseases. In the video, Maggie introduces the term 'antioxidant' and explains that these are important nutrients found in colorful foods that help maintain overall health.

💡Lycopene

Lycopene is a pigment found in red fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries and tomatoes, which gives them their color. The video mentions that lycopene is beneficial for overall health, particularly for heart health.

💡Beta Carotene

Beta carotene is a pigment that gives orange fruits and vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes, their color. It is a precursor to vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining good eye health, as discussed in the video.

💡Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that supports the immune system, helping the body fight against infections like colds and the flu. The video mentions that yellow foods, such as lemons and grapefruits, are rich sources of vitamin C.

💡Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that is crucial for strong bones and teeth. The video points out that green vegetables, contrary to common belief, are a good source of calcium, with broccoli being one of the examples provided.

💡Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are pigments that give blue and purple foods their color and are known for their potential brain-boosting properties. The video explains that blue foods, such as blueberries, contain anthocyanins, which can help keep the brain strong and sharp.

💡Fiber

Fiber is an essential nutrient that aids in digestion and is found in high amounts in fruits and vegetables. The video mentions that purple foods, like eggplant, are high in fiber, which helps the body digest food effectively.

💡Colorful Foods

The concept of 'colorful foods' in the video refers to the idea that a variety of fruits and vegetables with different colors should be consumed for a balanced diet. Each color represents different nutrients that benefit various parts of the body, from the heart to the eyes and brain.

Highlights

Food provides energy for our bodies to move and work.

The body needs the right fuel to function properly, similar to a car.

Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of colors, like a rainbow.

Nutrients in colorful foods include vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Red fruits and vegetables contain lycopene, which is good for the heart.

Orange foods like carrots and sweet potatoes have beta carotene and vitamin A for eye health.

Vitamin C in yellow foods like lemons supports the immune system.

Green vegetables are a source of calcium for strong bones.

Blue foods contain anthocyanins, which help keep the brain sharp.

Purple foods like eggplant are high in fiber, aiding digestion.

Each color of the rainbow corresponds to a different health benefit.

Red is for the heart, orange for eyes, yellow for the immune system, green for bones, blue for the brain, and purple for digestion.

Encourages children to color a nutrition rainbow and print a free coloring sheet from PCRM.org/kids.

Challenge to try different colored fruits and vegetables every day for a healthy diet.

Provides recipes and ideas for incorporating colorful foods into daily meals.

The importance of a varied diet rich in different colored fruits and vegetables for overall health.

The presentation is interactive, engaging children to participate and learn about nutrition.

The session concludes with a summary of the key points and a call to action to eat colorful foods.