Taste the Rainbow: A Simple Game for Trying New Foods
A free printable chart and a week of colorful, plant-powered ideas to help kids try new foods without pressure.
Getting kids to try something new can feel like a negotiation. So skip the negotiating and make it a game.
Our Taste the Rainbow chart gives kids a simple goal: taste as many colors as they can this week. Each time they try a food, they color in a circle. One bite counts. Eating a range of colors is also one of the easiest ways to get a range of nutrients, so the game works on two levels.
How to play
Print the chart and put it somewhere your child will see it, like the fridge or next to their seat at the table. Whenever they taste something from the chart, they color in its circle. At the end of the week, count up the colors together and celebrate.
Ideas for every color
Red. Slice strawberries into little hearts, halve cherry tomatoes for snack plates, or serve red pepper strips with hummus. Watermelon triangles and raspberries on fingertips are always a hit.
Orange. Roast sweet potato wedges until they're crispy at the edges. Carrot coins, orange "smiles," mango cubes, and cantaloupe make easy snacks.
Yellow. Stir corn into black bean tacos, add pineapple to a fruit skewer, or slice banana onto toast with peanut butter. Yellow pepper and summer squash are mild and crunchy, which makes them good first tries.
Green. Call broccoli "little trees" and serve it with a favorite dip. Give snap peas a crunch test, scoop kiwi with a spoon, or let your child help blend spinach into a bright green smoothie.
Blue & Purple. Blueberries are an easy win. Purple cabbage adds crunch and color to tacos and slaws, and eggplant is great roasted. For little ones, cut grapes lengthwise into quarters.
Plant Protein Power. This row covers protein-rich plants. Crumble tempeh into taco filling, roast chickpeas until crunchy, add black beans to burritos, cube baked tofu for dipping, or make a cozy pot of lentil soup.
Keep it low-pressure
New foods often take several tries before kids like them, so a "no thanks" today isn't a "no" forever. Let your child touch, smell, or lick a food before tasting it. Try serving a new food next to one they already enjoy, and eat it yourself. Kids notice what you eat.
The goal isn't a clean plate or a full chart. It's curiosity. Every taste is a win.
Download the free Taste the Rainbow chart
Brighter Table is a nonprofit supporting plant-forward school food and family nutrition. This post is for general education and isn’t a substitute for medical or nutrition advice from your child’s doctor or a registered dietitian.
