Eat the Rainbow: 30 Plants per Week Summer Challenge
Join my FREE summer challenge and include your whole family all summer long!
TO DOWNLOAD RAINBOW CHART —> RIGHT CLICK and “SAVE AS” TO YOUR COMPUTER.
*Rainbow chart design credit: I purchased this from Jessica Haas via Etsy.
HAPPY (almost) SUMMER!
How is it nearly June already? This year seems to be flying by and I hope this season finds you well and you’re getting excited for summer! It’s definitely one of my favorite season of the year with lots of summer birthdays and celebrations on the horizon. One of my biggest priorities this time of year is teaching my clients that yes, you can be healthy during the summer! In fact, it should be the one time of year when you get a chance to easily eat more fruits, vegetables and plants in general because most produce is in-season and tastes the BEST in the summer months!
I’m also a big believer in the 80/20 rule. If 80% of the time we’re choosing nutrient-dense foods that love us back - then that 10% should (and needs to) be reserved for indulgences! The idea is that “the majority” is what counts and that small 10% won’t “break the bank” if you will. As humans, we can never be 100% perfect, 100% of the time - it’s not possible and there is no need to strive for it. So with that said, this summer - try focusing on the 80/20 rule which allows you to feel good throughout the summer! How exactly? Do what you can to control how and what you cook in your own home and then when you’re out for a friend’s birthday - have the birthday cake and truly enjoy it! Letting go of shame and guilt around food is incredibly important.
So, please join my EAT THE RAINBOW: 30 PLANTS PER WEEK SUMMER CHALLENGE! This will allow you to naturally focus on the 80% and also lead by example, our kids are always watching our behavior. Here’s my WHY behind creating this fun FREE challenge:
#1) GET MY KIDS TO EAT MORE FIBER: most kids are fiber-starved hardly meeting the minimum daily fiber requirements of (at least) 25g. On that note, adults who are eating the Standard-American-Diet (SAD) are also lacking fiber! Fiber is essential for gut health, regularity and blood-sugar balance! Here is a great resource which outlines the types of grains, veggies & fruit and how many grams per fiber in the serving size. Artichokes, beans, lentils, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, avocados, guava, raspberries, blackberries, pears, passion fruit, apples, kiwifruit are some of my favorite highest fiber plants!
#2) EDUCATE: my kids are at the age of knowing how certain foods make them feel, it’s important as parents that we start the conversation. Avoid language such as “this is good food and this is bad food” rather - all food has a place and when we focus on the majority of our meals coming from colorful fruits & veggies - it will allow for our children’s bodies to grow, have enough energy to play and overall, feel good!
#3) DIVERSITY: my daughter is particularly “selective” (the new PC way of saying picky) so by introducing this EAT THE RAINBOW challenge, she is already excited to try some new colorful foods that she can “mark off” on her chart. I like to encourage touch, smell, kiss, lick and a sample bite for the foods she’s not loving. Offering diversity in the types of plants that we eat is vital to our microbiome success - the microbes feed off fiber and especially new types of fiber. So, it’s important that we’re not always eating the same types of plants but rather, rotating in new fruits/veggies that you haven’t had in awhile. Hence, why this can be so successful during the summer months when we have access to plants that are grown locally in-season.
#4) FAMILY BONDING: lastly, it goes without saying but a fun summer challenge can be a great experience for the entire family! It’s a nice conversation starter and a great way to get your kids to make their own grocery list or start your own little garden/herb pot together. Take them to the farmer’s market, buy locally and of course spend time in the kitchen cooking with your children - might be a little messy but it’s all a WIN WIN WIN!
**WEEKLY REWARD: this is optional of course but I decided to put together a treasure chest of small prizes (mostly from the dollar bins @ Target) that our kids can pick out each weekend if they have tried/eaten 30 plants that week. They can just put a star or circle the plants on the chart. Our goal is to keep this going all summer long, yes - even when traveling it is still possible! I also like the idea of a small toy as a reward vs. food as a reward.
Lastly, stay tuned for more info on my next 21-day group-coaching program happening September 9-29 - a mind, body, spirit reset - all things gut and hormone health related!
ENJOY AND HAVE A FUN HEALTHY SUMMER,
Rynell
PS: feel free to follow me along this summer on IG, where I’ll be sharing more SUMMER HEALTHY HABITS for you and your families! I would also love to see your colorful plate creations on IG - please tag me! @wellwithrynell
Have your kids show you which plants they would like to try each week. Have them make a market list and take them shopping or try planting a small little garden together.
Plant foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds grains, herbs and spices! By focusing on 30 plants per week, this is a natural way of getting more than enough fiber per week - over 25g without even counting! Remember that a complete meal includes PROTEIN, FIBER AND HEALTHY FATS.
WEEKLY REWARD: TREASURE CHEST
I found this cute checker box from Home Goods and went to the dollar bins @ Target and filled it with things I know the kids would love as prizes each week! Click on the photo for my LTK page to purchase some of these small toys/books.