Eat the rainbow.
(But, first, move over Skittles®.)
I initially came across this concept while I was pregnant with my daughter, Niko Blue. While I had associated certain aspects of nutrition with specifically colored fruits, I had not yet distinctly shopped by color before.
This shift in thinking, about what I was choosing to put in my body, reinvigorated the activity of playing with my food. And in so many ways, food should be aligned with play. Tasting orange, chewing on red, digesting purple, taking in the aroma of blue—beautiful synesthesia. These ingredients began to come to life in a new way for me. And I immediately thought of how much fun this concept would be for children as well. Enticing little ones (and adults) by building a shopping list based on colors.
What shade of purple would you like to eat today, love?
Sweet potato?
You got it.
While we already know that fresh produce has healthy and nutritious advantages on its side, I keep imagining how much more fun it would be at retail to shop by color—promote both color breaks but also color blocks. Signage with the nutritional benefits of each color. Make the produce department a place of both health and play.
Picturing the opportunities yet? Here are some ideas. According to Harvard Health, here’s what shopping by color can look like:
Red: Rich in the carotenoid lycopene, a potent scavenger of gene-damaging free radicals that seems to protect against prostate cancer as well as heart and lung disease
Found in: strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, tomatoes, cherries, apples, beets, watermelon, red grapes, red peppers, red onions
Orange and yellow: Provide beta-cryptoxanthin, which supports intracellular communication and may help prevent heart disease
Found in: carrots, sweet potatoes, yellow peppers, oranges, bananas, pineapple, tangerines, mangos, pumpkins, apricots, winter squash (Butternut and Acorn), peaches, cantaloupe, corn
Green: These foods are rich in cancer-blocking chemicals like sulforaphane, isothiocyanates, and indoles, which inhibit the action of carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds)
Found in: spinach, avocados, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kiwifruit, collard greens, green tea, green herbs (mint, rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil)
Blue and purple: Have powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins believed to delay cellular aging and help the heart by blocking the formation of blood clots
Found in: blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, Concord grapes, raisins, eggplant, plums, figs, prunes, lavender, purple cabbage
White and brown: The onion family contains allicin, which has anti-tumor properties. Other foods in this group contain antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol
Found in: onions, cauliflower, garlic, leeks, parsnips, Daikon radish, mushrooms
So, let’s enjoy the flavors of fresh produce we love so much, and let color be a playful advantage to selling it. 
