8 ways to eat all the colours of the rainbow

We all know we need to eat a colourful range of sustainably-farmed fruit and veg for optimum wellbeing… but getting your quota of the good stuff daily can sometimes be a challenge. Here’s some inspiration from every hue of the rainbow to help you put more colour in your diet (and keep things interesting while you’re at it).

RED

Flavourburst nectarine-and-tomato gazpacho

Blend 8 Flavourburst nectarines and 15 exotic tomatoes, 1 cup tomato juice, ½ red seeded chilli, juice of 1 lime and ½ large peeled and chopped cucumber until smooth. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and 2 T olive oil. Divide the soup between 4–6 bowls and serve chilled topped with a mixture of sliced tomatoes, green chillies, nectarines, sliced spring onions, a handful of coriander and a drizzle of olive oil.

ORANGE

Roasted baby carrots with fennel and sage

Slice 1 fennel bulb into wedges and arrange on a baking tray with 200 g baby carrots. Drizzle with olive oil, dot with 100 g butter and sprinkle over a small handful of torn sage leaves. Season and roast at 180°C for 30 minutes. (Cook's note: serve warm with pork chops)

GREEN

Get up-and-go green smoothie

For a bursting-with-goodness smoothie that serves 4, blend the following (adding more nut butter or lime juice as needed): 1 ripe banana, 2 peeled and halved kiwi fruit, ½ cup plain yoghurt, 1 ripe, peeled avo, 2 stoned dates, 1 T nut butter, 100 g baby spinach, a squeeze of lime juice. Or, save yourself the work and make Woolies’ Easy to Juice range your new best friend.

BLUE

Blueberry compote with soft cheese

Place a small saucepan over a medium to low heat. Add 3 125 g punnets of blueberries, 1 stick cinnamon, 2 star anise, 1 vanilla pod (split and seeds reserved), ½ t fennel seeds, 1 cup grenadine and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave to bubble away until the berries become plump, absorbing all the flavours. Spoon over creamy gorgonzola or mascarpone cheese and serve immediately. (Cook’s note: the spices in the compote punch up the flavours of the blueberries and the juices trickle beautifully over the creamy cheese in this deceptively easy dessert.)

INDIGO

Marinated grilled baby brinjals

Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat. Slice 500 g baby brinjals in half lengthways and brush with a little olive oil, season and grill on both sides until charred and cooked through. To make a dressing, combine: 190 ml olive oil, 1 T sugar, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 4 T white wine vinegar, 2 T harissa paste, juice of 1 lemon, 1 T roughly chopped parsley, 1 T roughly chopped mint and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss the cooked baby brinjals in the dressing and allow to cool. (Cook’s note: serve as a side dish with lamb chops or on bruschetta with feta.)

VIOLET

Frozen grapes with dark chocolate

The easiest (and most delicious) way to eat this rainbow shade is to freeze 500 g seedless pink or red grapes for 8 hours, then melt 100 g of your favourite dark chocolate and drizzle over the grapes. Serve immediately.

YELLOW

Pineapple-and-coconut salsa

Mix together: 1 ripe pineapple; peeled and roughly cut into chunks; 50g fresh coconut chunks, thinly sliced; 4 T granadilla pulp; 4 T coriander, roughly chopped; 1 finely chopped red chilli, juice of 2 lemons, juice of 2 limes, 4 T olive oil. Allow to stand for at least 15 minutes before serving. (Cook’s note: delicious with fish!)

Fill your fridge with Woolies’ freshest fruit and veg, and earn Discovery Vitality points for making better choices.