I began this series by emphasizing the single most important factor in our relationship with food: being thankful.

Sometimes it may feel ritualistic and silly to pray over your food, but I think it is a good and wise habit. Giving thanks is not a bad thing to habitually do.

Ok, now I’ll get into some of the more practical things that we do in relation to food…

#2. More Color & Diversity

No, I’m not talking about race or ethnicity, though there are probably some interesting connections. I’m talking about ‘eating the rainbow.’

The more diversity in your diet, the broader your nutritional intake.

Hippocrates is quoted as saying, “Let food be thy medicine,” and this is right-on.

Although I often recommend nutritional supplements to people, if they’d just eat a broader diet with more color in it, most people wouldn’t need to spend the extra money!

I should emphasize that the primary source for your colorful foods should be vegetables.

We really try to eat veggies with every meal.

Since we started that when the kids were really young, it is normal for them now. In fact, people are shocked when my 4-year old asks for a salad when we go out for dinner! They’ll even pull tomatoes and green beans off the plants in our garden and munch while they play outside. We’re very fortunate that our kids never developed the typical vegetable-phobias.

So, starting from a menu rich in colorful veggies, we also do a variety of fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and lean meats like fish, poultry, and occasional beef. This ensures that we are getting the whole gamut of nutrition.

We try new things a lot as well.

Some people don’t like to leave the comfort of their 15 safe foods. Again, I don’t mean to be judgmental at all, but on a strictly objective analysis, we really are better off with a broader diet.

So, I do encourage you to venture out of your comfort zone. There are a million amazing foods out there – and so many of them are very healthy.

I also think that it makes eating more fun when you treat it as an exploration of God’s wonderful and diverse creation.

Ok, so as a review…

1. Approach all food with gratitude and thanksgiving
2. Increase the color and diversity in your diet, primarily focusing on veggies, but also experimenting with other new foods.

Tomorrow we’ll come full circle back to some of the issues around things like milk.

I hope these are helpful posts for you!