Today We Ate a Rainbow!

As you've probably noticed, we've recently discovered Today I Ate a Rainbow, a website all about encouraging kids (and parents) to eat a "rainbow" of different-colored fruits and vegetables.

Peeper was already familiar with, and very enthusiastic about the concept of "eating a rainbow" from a few different Sesame Street videos, so when I ran across this site, I thought it would be something neat to show her once or twice.

Then she "met" Hannah, the eight year old "original Rainbow kid" who inspired her mom Kia to create the  Today I Ate a Rainbow chart, which grew into this website, and additional products.

And she fell in love.

There are several photos and videos of Hannah on the website, including three "Rainbow Kitchen" videos, in which she and Kia show how to prepare a healthy recipe (eggplant chips, kale chips, tropical smoothie), all of which Peeper has watched over and over and memorized.

Peeper thinks Hannah is The. Coolest. Thing. Ever. and will try just about any food if she's seen Hannah cook or eat it.

As if that wasn't enough, as I started reading and commenting on the Rainbow Blog, I learned that Kia was a very picky eater as a child, but once she became a mom, she wanted to teach her daughter healthier eating habits, set a good example for her, and be healthier herself for Hannah.

That all sounded very familiar.

Beyond the whole "Peeper loves Hannah" thing, I think that's what really drew me in to this blog.

I am not a natural veggie-eating person, and when I read most "healthy eating" information, I feel like I should feel guilty for not loving most vegetables, or like I'm just being stubborn or childish in refusing to eat them, when there are many of them that just plain taste yucky to me. (Especially in the whole broccoli / cauliflower / cabbage family. I think I am one of those people who is genetically disposed to taste the bitterness in those vegetables.)

But when Kia admitted that she is not a veggie lover, and that there are still many that she has to force herself to eat, or even still doesn't eat, I really felt like I'd found someone I could relate to, and whose advice I might actually be able to hear as realistic for me.

We're trying our best to be pretty tight with our money right now, so I didn't rush right over and click on the "buy" button to get Peeper a Today I Ate a Rainbow chart, but I did rush over to Photoshop and whip up her own little bootleg version, which we've been sort of keeping track on for a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, when I saw my doctor recently to get some allergy medication (Flonase, a nasal steroid. Don't freak out Anonymama, it's not an antihistamine.) we were discussing such things and I was talking about how much Shrike and I don't like veggies, but maybe there are some that we would like if we actually tried them, and she had a great suggestion.

She said that we should sit down and make a list of all the fruits and veggies that we decided as kids that we "don't like" and challenge ourselves to try one each month, or even each week.

So we combined that with the advice from the Rainbow blog that it can take ten or even twenty exposures to a new food before you (or a kid) like it, and the concept of striving for a "rainbow" each day, and have been trying to take baby steps in that direction, as evidenced by my recent food posts.

Meanwhile, being me, I made several comments and asked several questions on the Rainbow Blog, including telling Kia how much Peeper adores Hannah. A few days ago, she sent me an email and said how much she appreciates the comments, and that Hannah would like to send Peeper a Rainbow Kit, which includes the chart, a book mark, a rainbow shopping list notepad and a book called The Rainbow Bunch!

I was too dumb to think to get a video of the way that Peeper's little face lit up when I told her that "Hannah wants to send you a Rainbow Chart," but I was smart enough to get one of her opening the package today.

Peeper and I are off to Texas in a few days, but as soon as we get back home, we'll go back to using her chart, and I will continue to blog about our efforts to all make more healthy food choices.

And if you and / or your kids want to add more fruits and veggies to your day, I highly recommend checking out Today I Ate a Rainbow and getting your hands on a Today I Ate a Rainbow chart.

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Disclaimer: I received a free Today I Ate a Rainbow chart for making lots of blog comments that somehow managed to stay just this side of stalkery, having a cute kid who worships the owners' kid, and being an all around great person. It was totally my idea to blog about it and to tell everyone else in the world to buy one. I received no other compensation for this review.