What color are your groceries?

Hey, Mom! We still need a blue and a green!" shouted Katrina across the green bean display, measuring six fistfuls. "We've got to get to my soccer practice," chimed in 7-year-old Kirsten as she chose a box of blueberries. From her seat in the shopping cart, toddler Kelsey showed her siblings that her box of crayons was full, and our task was completed. All Mom did was hand Kelsey a crayon the color of each food that the kids selected, until five shades were accounted for.

Buying groceries with three children on a tight schedule may sound like a nightmare, but it doesn't have to be. It could be a way to make nutritious meals a family affair.

Healthful meals can be found at the end of the rainbow.

Recent research in education and nutrition points to the importance of building strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is especially critical to do as kids are developing eating habits that may last a lifetime. Kids learn best when they participate and are able to make choices for themselves.

"We've come to think of learning that lasts as an apprenticeship," said Suzanne Wegener Soled, cognitive psychologist at the University of Cincinnati. "Kids learn by doing, with mentoring and guidance."

This idea works not only in the classroom but also in the grocery aisle and kitchen. Researchers at Tufts University have found that the bright colors of fresh foods are indicators of the nutrition they provide. Parents can help children adopt healthy habits by using a color strategy.

Can your kids say "phytochemicals"? These are plant chemicals, the natural substances in our foods that protect against the effects of aging and disease. The colors on the grocery shelves indicate a range of phytochemicals that may help ward off maladies from memory loss to heart disease.

Start talking to your family about the following color categories and how our diets are related to health. Then take the kids and their crayons to the grocery store to choose a rainbow of foods.

Radical Red

Science now stands behind the old adage about apples keeping the doctor away. The bright red peels contain chemicals that have inhibited the growth of cancer cells at Cornell University research labs. When you see red in the produce aisles, think of free radicals. These are unstable oxygen molecules in our body that are associated with disease and aging. Some plant chemicals are antioxidants that zap free radicals and help spare healthy cells from damage. Lycopene is one of the red phytochemicals that has been linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer. By choosing "radical red," you could spare a family member from cancer and other ailments in the future.

Red Tips: Kids of all ages love to mix, so hand them the spoon! Mix red bell peppers into macaroni and cheese. Let them combine tomatoes, olive oil, and grated mozzarella cheese with spices for a salad. Kids can stir a can of whole cranberry sauce into baked beans. For dessert, wash and serve fresh strawberries and raspberries.

Blues Are Best

If you choose only one thing to change about your family's diet, make it the addition of blueberries. Of the fruits and vegetables tested by Tufts University, blueberries took the prize for antioxidant activity. This means that adding blueberries may be your smartest move to help fight illnesses. Tufts experiments showed that a diet rich in blueberries protects against age-related memory loss and declining motor skills. Anthocyanin is the phytochemical responsible for this deep blue pigment and can be found in other darkly colored foods, such as plums and purple grapes.

Blue Tips: Blueberries are so easy! No need to peel, cook, or plan. It's simple to color cereals blue with a handful of berries. Kids can warm them in the microwave and toss them into frozen yogurt for a guilt-free dessert. Prunes travel well in lunch boxes and come in citrus flavors that kids enjoy. Have children lightly bread eggplant that you've sliced for a meatball substitute in spaghetti sauce.

Go for the Green

Rich green foods, such as spinach and kale contain lutein, the chemical linked to prevention of blindness and improved vision. Your children don't like spinach? They may be surprised to learn that you've added frozen greens to their favorite pasta sauce or stir-fry. The Food and Drug Administration has concluded that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good as fresh, and some may even retain nutritional value longer.

Beans and peas are loaded with plant chemicals linked to lower cholesterol and cancer prevention. By inhibiting the growth of small blood vessels that allow tumors to grow, these chemicals may lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Green Tips: Don't forget the edamame, which is the Japanese name for these bright-green soybeans still in the pod. After cooking the frozen variety for five minutes, kids can shell them to add to salads or casseroles. Break up broccoli tops to put in cheddar cheese soup. Sugar peas and snap peas are a great raw snack for after school.

Sunshine: Oranges and Yellows

Corn has gotten flack for high calories and carbohydrates, but it has a wealth of lutein and zeaxanthin. Together these chemicals lower the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, two conditions that destroy normal vision. Other yellow helpers are in peaches, squash, and apricots. These all contain beta-carotene, which helps protect the immune system and thus the ability to resist diseases.

Don't overlook plain old oranges. If you peel them, kids will eat them. Oranges rank in the top 20 for antioxidant ability and contain more than 150 different phytochemicals. Orange foods have been linked to maintaining vision, preventing cancer, and even warding off the common cold.

Sunshine Tips: For a rainy day activity, create trail mix using dried apricots. Liven up a peanut butter sandwich with sliced banana. Choosing fresh pineapple together is fun, and pineapple is a kid favorite. Prepeeled baby carrots with low-fat dip make an easy snack.

Brown Is Better

Whether it's bread, beans, or rice, choose the darker hues. The refining of grains removes many phytochemicals. Whole grains come loaded with flavonoids, the plant chemicals linked to lower rates of heart disease and stroke. Along with the extra fiber you'll be adding, they are protective against cancers and don't forget that nuts are plant products and offer a variety of beneficial compounds. Even tea has flavonoids, so it can make sense to serve noncaffeinated teas instead of soda pop or sugar-laden juices.

Brown Tips: Kids can crush and mix flaxseeds into natural peanut butter. Add walnuts and sunflower seeds to oatmeal or salads. Have children pick a new soup every week such as lentil, mushroom, or black bean. They'll be more likely to try it if they choose it. Use this strategy with different types of bread, such as rye and oat bran, and read the label together to be sure whole grains are used.

White Knights

Just as in fairy tales, white foods can come to your nutritional rescue. The common potato contains glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. Tofu is rich in isoflavones, which appear to offer protection against breast and prostate cancers, and lower cholesterol.

Although dull in color, onions and garlic dazzle with their health benefits. The allyl sulfides contained in these foods may protect against stomach cancer, boost immunity, and keep carcinogens such as cigarette smoke and car exhaust from damaging cells. They thin the blood and can reduce the chance of heart attack or stroke.

White Tips: Can't tempt your kids with tofu? For a less squishy texture and more appeal, buy the extra-firm varieties. Let children cube it with a butter knife and toss it into soup, chili, or stir-fry. It picks up the flavor of your recipe. Cauliflower can be cooked with low-fat cheese or nibbled raw with dip. Tiny tummies will barely notice the addition of garlic and onions when chopped finely and blended into sauces, tacos, or potato casseroles.

Choosing foods from a spectrum of colors provides your family with a banquet of phytochemicals. Both the American Heart Association and the American Institute for Cancer Research agree that a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, and grains is the key to better health. Fortunately, there's no need to file all the facts away next to what time soccer practice starts or whose turn it is to set the table. Just think color. Bring your children and the crayon box to the grocery store, and your family will be on their way to a healthier diet.

RELATED ARTICLE: One Bag, Four Recipes.

Here's a sample bag of color-strategy groceries. This one bag makes the following four dinners. Kids can help with selecting, washing, chopping, mixing, and cooking, depending on their ages.

Reds: Red bell peppers, 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, one can pizza sauce, radishes

Blues: Blueberries, shredded purple cabbage Greens: Celery, broccoli, sugar peas, iceberg lettuce, fresh spinach

Sunshine: Carrots, yellow peppers, pineapple, orange-colored cherry tomatoes

Browns: Whole-wheat pizza crust and noodles; rye and oatmeal bread, brown rice

Whites: Onion, garlic cloves, cauliflower

Other: 2 14-ounce cans vegetable bouillon, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese (dairy or soy), salt, fat-free Italian dressing, sweet and sour sauce

Veggie-Noodle Soup

Ingredients: 1 t. olive oil; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1 clove garlic, chopped; 2 14-ounce cans vegetable bouillon; 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes; 1 cup of your choice of noodles; 1 cup chopped broccoli; 1 cup chopped carrots; 1 cup sliced celery.

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic, and cook 2 minutes.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat.

3. Add broccoli, carrots, and celery to the soup, and cook 10 minutes.

4. Salt to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with rye bread.

Veggie Stir-fry

Ingredients: 4 t. olive oil; 1 cup broccoli; 1 cup sliced carrots; 1 cup cauliflower; 1 cup sliced celery; 1/2 cup sliced red pepper; 1/2 cup sliced yellow pepper; 1 cup sugar peas; 3/4 cup sweet and sour sauce, 1/2 cup sliced pineapple.

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and celery. Cook 2 minutes, stirring.

2. Add bell pepper and sugar peas. Cook 2 minutes.

3. Add sweet and sour sauce and pineapple. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Serve with brown rice.

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients: 3/4 cup pizza sauce; 1 large whole-wheat pizza crust; 1 cup chopped broccoli; 1 cup shredded carrots; 1/2 cup yellow bell peppers; 1/2 cup orange cherry tomatoes (halved); 5 ounces shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 450[degrees]F.

2. Spoon pizza sauce on pizza crust.

3. Put pizza crust on pizza tin or cookie sheet. Arrange veggies on sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

4. Bake 10 minutes. Cool pizza for 3 minutes and slice.

Popeye Salad

Ingredients: 4 cups broccoli; 2 large carrots, sliced; 1 large red pepper, sliced; 1 bunch radishes, halved; 2 stalks celery, sliced; 8-ounce bottle fat-free Italian dressing; 1/2 head iceberg lettuce; 2 cups spinach leaves, torn; 1 cup of shredded purple cabbage; 8 ounces blueberries

1. Combine broccoli, carrots, red pepper, radishes, and celery with salad dressing, and toss. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. Tear lettuce and spinach leaves, and mix with shredded cabbage.

3. Toss all ingredients together.

4. Garnish with blueberries, and serve with oatmeal bread.

Dr. Susan Keiffer-Barone teaches secondary English at the Inter-community School in Zurich. Marian Wilson is a registered nurse who loves to share health information.