Why You Should Eat the Rainbow This Summer

Summer is the season when healthy eating feels effortless.

Markets and supermarket shelves are bursting with vibrant berries, juicy tomatoes, crisp salad leaves, colourful peppers and fresh herbs. Not only do these ingredients look beautiful on your plate, but they also provide a wide range of nutrients that support overall health and wellbeing. That’s why nutritionists often encourage us to “eat the rainbow”.

What does eating the rainbow actually mean?

Eating the rainbow simply means including a variety of naturally coloured fruits and vegetables in your diet. Different colours often indicate different vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, so the more colours you eat, the greater variety of nutrients you’re likely to consume. While no single food contains everything your body needs, a colourful diet helps you enjoy a broader range of beneficial nutrients.

Red Foods

Think tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries and beetroot. These foods contain antioxidants and plant compounds that help support overall wellbeing.

Orange and Yellow Foods

Peppers, oranges, carrots and sweetcorn are rich in nutrients including beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.

Green Foods

Leafy greens, herbs, asparagus and cucumbers provide vitamins, minerals and fibre that support a healthy diet.

Purple and Blue Foods

Beetroot, blueberries and blackberries contain naturally occurring compounds that contribute to their vibrant colour.

White Foods

Foods such as onions, garlic and cauliflower may not be as colourful, but they still provide valuable nutrients and flavour.

Why Summer Is Perfect for Colourful Eating

During warmer weather, many of us naturally crave lighter meals. Salads, grain bowls, grilled vegetables and fresh seasonal produce become more appealing, making summer the ideal time to embrace colourful eating. Adding flavour is often the key to making healthy meals exciting. A drizzle of dressing or a quick marinade can transform simple ingredients into something you’ll genuinely look forward to eating. We believe healthy eating should never feel restrictive or boring and our dressings and marinades are designed to help you create vibrant, flavour-packed meals with minimal effort.

To inspire your own rainbow eating journey, we’ve pulled together five colourful recipes that make the most of summer ingredients.

Grilled Halloumi & Raspberry Salad

This stunning salad brings together deep reds, vibrant greens, bright orange segments and fresh raspberries for a plate that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

3–4 tbsp Drizzle It! Raspberry & Mint Dressing

2 oranges

4 handfuls rocket leaves

2 cooked beetroots, chopped

80g halloumi, thinly sliced and halved

80g pomegranate seeds

Handful of raspberries

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

Handful of mint leaves

Method

Put the sliced onion in a bowl, add 2 tbsp Raspberry & Mint Dressing and toss well.

Cut the peel and pith from the oranges and segment over the bowl, catching any juice.

Arrange the rocket on serving plates and scatter over the beetroot and orange segments.

Add a drizzle of Raspberry & Mint Dressing to a non-stick frying pan and fry the halloumi for 1–2 minutes on each side until golden. Add the pumpkin seeds towards the end of cooking.

Stir the pomegranate seeds into the onions and spoon over the salad.

Top with the halloumi, raspberries, pumpkin seeds and fresh mint before serving.

Lemon Roast Chicken & Asparagus Salad

Packed with greens, yellows and fresh summer flavours, this salad is light, satisfying and perfect for warmer days.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 skin-on chicken breast

3–4 tbsp Drizzle It! Lemon Dressing

100g fine asparagus, trimmed

1 small pitta, torn into pieces

1 tbsp dill, half finely chopped and half roughly torn

1 ready roasted pepper from a jar, cut into chunks

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp capers, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

Place the chicken skin-side up in a roasting tin. Drizzle with 1 tbsp Lemon Dressing and season.

Roast for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Halfway through cooking, place the asparagus and pitta onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1–2 tbsp Lemon Dressing and roast for 10–12 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a board and shred.

Whisk the chopped dill and remaining Lemon Dressing together, then whisk in the chicken roasting juices.

Combine the asparagus, pitta, pepper and onion with some dressing and leave for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken, capers and remaining dressing, toss and serve.

Sweet Chilli Rice Salad with Cajun Salmon

A colourful combination of spicy salmon, sweet tomatoes and fresh herbs makes this an ideal summer lunch or dinner.

Serves 1

Ingredients

120g salmon fillet

2 tbsp Drizzle It! Cajun Marinade

60g basmati and wild rice mix

4–5 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 spring onions, sliced

Drizzle It! Sweet Chilli Dressing

25g feta, crumbled

Method

Coat the salmon in Cajun Marinade and leave to marinate.

Cook the rice according to the pack instructions.

Place the salmon skin-side down in a cold non-stick pan.

Cook over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes before turning and cooking for another 1–2 minutes.

Toss the cooked rice with Sweet Chilli Dressing, tomatoes and spring onions.

Serve alongside the salmon and top with feta and an extra drizzle of Sweet Chilli Dressing.

Any leftover rice salad makes a delicious lunch the following day.

Sweet Chilli Crunch Chicken Salad Wraps

Bright orange carrots, green leaves and juicy tomatoes make these wraps a colourful and satisfying option for lunch.

Serves 2

Ingredients

200g chicken breast

1 tbsp olive oil

Drizzle It! Sweet Chilli Dressing

¼ chicken stock cube dissolved in hot water

Salt and pepper

For the salad

Handful mixed salad leaves

1 tomato, sliced

1 carrot, grated

1/2 red pepper

Fresh mint

To serve

2 large wraps or flatbreads

4 tbsp hummus

Drizzle It! Sweet Chilli Dressing

Method

Flatten the chicken slightly to an even thickness.

Drizzle Sweet Chilli Dressing over the chicken and toss to coat it well.

Leave to marinate for 10 minutes if possible.

Mix together the salad ingredients.

Cook the chicken in a hot frying pan for 2 minutes per side.

Add the stock and cook until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Warm the wraps and spread with hummus.

Slice the chicken and add to the wraps along with the salad.

Finish with a generous drizzle of Sweet Chilli Dressing and a drizzle of mayonnaise if liked.

Italian Summer Pasta Salad

A Mediterranean-inspired rainbow of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and fresh basil makes this the perfect sharing dish for picnics, BBQs and summer gatherings.

Serves 6

Ingredients

450g fusilli or rotini pasta

10–16 cherry tomatoes, halved

220g mini mozzarella balls

1 red pepper, diced

½ cucumber, diced

½ red onion, thinly sliced

¾ cup Kalamata olives

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Drizzle It! Italian Sauce & Marinade

Sea salt and black pepper

Fresh basil leaves

Method

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Drain and toss with a little Italian Sauce & Marinade before cooling.

Combine the pasta with the tomatoes, mozzarella, pepper, cucumber, onion, olives and parsley.

Add more Italian Sauce & Marinade and season well.

Stir through the basil and serve garnished with extra leaves.

A Colourful Plate Is a Happier Plate

Healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated. Simply aiming for more colour, more variety and more seasonal produce

is a great place to start.

This summer, challenge yourself to add an extra colour to every meal. Whether it’s a handful of berries, a few slices of pepper or a vibrant dressing drizzled over a salad, small changes can make meals more exciting and enjoyable.

Because when food looks good, tastes good and makes you feel good, healthy eating becomes something to savour rather than something to stick to.