Color study

This week I wanted to turn the rule of color in regards to healthy eating on its ear. One simple way to help you eat a balanced diet is to include a rainbow of colorful foods...but can you still obtain a balance of nutrients from a monochromatic meal?

Monday - pink/red day:
Ryan's pink/red lunch: strawberries; cranberry sauce; apple "rabbit"; red bell pepper strips; sun-dried tomato hummus; beet chips; macaroni with tomato & "bacon".

AJ's snack:
apple "rabbits";
beet chips;
sun-dried tomato
hummus.




AJ drawing at the
computer before
school.







Later, our trio of
energetic vegan
boys. Never a dull
moment around
here!






Tuesday - orange day:

Nate's lunch:
a dried apricot; a
strawberry; tempura
sweet potato; a
pickle; marinated
mushrooms; cube
of cantaloupe; 1/4
sunflower butter &
jam sandwich; soy
cheese "Wubbzy".

AJ's snack: a baby
carrot; 2 quarters
sandwich; soy cheese
cubes; cantaloupe
cubes.



Ryan's orange lunch: soy cheese cubes; sweet potato chips; cantaloupe cubes; sweet potato tempura; bbq soy crisps; baby carrots; dried apricots.

My (late) breakfast:
soba noodles with
sweet potato
tempura & scallion.




Wednesday - yellow day:















Ryan's yellow lunch: yellow bell pepper strips; oshinko maki (with yellow soy wrapper instead of nori); slice of broccoli tofu quiche; Tings; corn; lemonade.

AJ's snack:
Tings; apple-pear
nudgie bar; 1/3
banana.




Tofu Broccoli Quiche

1 head broccoli florets, steamed (or 1 cup frozen florets, thawed, chopped)
1 onion, diced
2 T. olive oil (or 1 T. olive oil, 1 T. margarine)
1/3 cup grated soy cheese (optional)
1 lb. water-packed firm tofu
3 T. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, peeled

Steam or thaw broccoli. Chop. Set aside.
Chop onion. Heat olive oil. Saute onion over low heat until soft.
In a food processor, add tofu, nutritional yeast, turmeric, salt, soy sauce, garlic. Process until smooth.
Stir in broccoli, onion, (& soy cheese if using). Mix until combined.
Pour into greased (I use spray olive oil) pie plate.
Cook at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes.

Thursday - green day:

Ryan's
lunch:
green
beans;
spinach;
green
pasta
w/ peas;
steamed
broccoli;
edamame;
a pickle;
celery.






Nate's lunch:
same as Ryan's,
but in smaller
portions.





AJ's snack:
Annie's Saltine
crackers; edamame;
spinach; broccoli;
a pickle; green
beans.



Friday - blue/purple day:

Ryan's
violet
lunch:
Luna
Sunrise
blueberry
bar;
black-
berries;
Annie's
berry
patch
Bunny
Fruit
Snacks;
blue
corn
tortilla
chips;
blue rice rolls wrapped with steamed purple cabbage; steamed peeled purple potato.

This really made me realize how few naturally blue foods there are, especially during the winter. In fact it got me thinking about the total lack of edible aqua-colored foods! In Japan, colored fish paste is often used to create those colors. The only artificial food coloring I used here was a few drops of blue in the rice cooking water.