Healthy Hoopie Habits - Day 7: Fill Your Plate with Color

Following up on Habit #5, where we talked about building your meals around protein, we’re now layering in the next step:

👉 Filling your plate with color.

Once you’ve got your protein locked in, adding color is the easiest and most effective way to round out your plate. We’re talking about real, vibrant foods from the earth like fruits and vegetables that deliver powerful micronutrients your body actually needs to function well.

Why Color Matters

The most colorful foods on your plate are the ones packed with micronutrients. These are the vitamins and minerals your body needs to perform all its essential functions.

We’re talking about:

  • Vitamin C from citrus and berries

  • Vitamin A from carrots and sweet potatoes

  • Magnesium from leafy greens

  • Antioxidants from colorful peppers, beets, and blueberries

My Favorite Way to Build a Plate

One of the reasons I love this habit is because it gives you a visual.
It’s not about tracking grams or reading labels.
It’s simply about asking, “Where’s the color?”

I aim to build meals around my protein first, then add colorful fruits or veggies to fill in the rest. It’s a flexible, no-stress way to ensure my plate is nutrient-dense and fiber-rich — without overcomplicating things.

Add Variety, Not Perfection

You don’t have to eat a rainbow at every meal. Honestly, even aiming for that every day would be a stretch.

But you can zoom out and look at your week.

Did you rotate your fruits and veggies?
Did you throw something new in your grocery cart?
Did you try a seasonal food you haven’t had in a while?

Every color offers different benefits — so intentional variety matters.

Bonus: Fiber Without the Tracking

Another major perk of this habit? When you build your plate with color, you’re naturally increasing your fiber intake. Trying to count grams of fiber all day can feel overwhelming, but adding berries to breakfast, a handful of spinach to lunch, or roasted veggies with dinner? That adds up fast — and it actually feels doable.

There is a time and place to track food, but in general, you don’t need to do so meticulously to build a strong, capable, and well-nourished body. Just aim for color, variety, and consistency — and your body will thank you.

Thanks for being here - see you tomorrow for #8.

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Healthy Hoopie Habit - Day 8: Consistent Strength Training

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Healthy Hoopie Habits - Day 6: Outdoor Morning Movement