Fun Vegan Rainbow Unicorn Foods
As vegans, you and your family probably already eat all colors of the rainbow—in your fruits and veggies—but we’re one-upping the usual colorful foods with these tips and tricks to make beautiful and magical foods that you’ll want to take a pic of before you and your kids devour them. ?
Unicorn Noodles
These are so simple to make—all you need are rice noodles, some red cabbage, baking soda, and lemons or limes. Magic, I tell ya. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself.
Rainbow Pasta
Yes, you can dye regular pasta, too—no unicorns necessary. Just use some blue spirulina powder (which is an all-natural colorant and antioxidant derived from algae—more on that later).
Rainbow Sushi
Just when you thought sushi was already the perfect food, rainbow sushi comes along to add some sparkle to your family’s life. ✨
Dreamy Summer Rolls
It’s easy to behold the beauty, power, and overall rainbowness of these plant-filled wraps when they’re made using translucent rice paper.
Unicorn Smoothies
These have layers and layers of drinkable rainbow goodness—yes, please!
Galaxy Bowls
OK, so these are basically smoothie bowls, but they’re extra-stellar. ?
Unicorn Toast
Remember when toast used to be considered a bland and boring food? Well, not anymore. Just grab your pink pitaya powder or butterfly pea flower powder (scroll down for more information on these magical substances) and dye your favorite vegan cream cheese or yogurt—then, spread and swirl away.
Don’t have toast? Rice cakes will do.
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Want to recreate this magic at home but aren’t sure how to do it? Well, standard fruits and veggies will take you pretty far, rainbow-wise. But some companies—such as Rawnice and Just Blends, which sell colorful plant-based superfood coloring powders—are making it easy to make your kids’ vegan rainbow-food dreams come true. Here are some tips on getting the dreamiest shades for smoothies and other foods:
Pinks
- Pitaya powder: This vibrant superfood is made from pitaya—aka “dragon fruit”—which is a yummy fruit known for its neon-pink skin and black-and-white polka-dotted flesh and seeds.
- Beetroot powder: Anyone who’s cooked a beet or even just eaten one knows how very magenta they are. While you can use puréed ones or beet juice to color foods, beetroot powder makes things even easier.
Purples
- Red cabbage: This is one of the basic yet magical ingredients in Unicorn Noodles, which are about to become your family’s latest obsession—if they’re not already.
- Butterfly pea flower powder: This cool color-changing powder goes from blue to purple, so it’s in both categories. Find out all about it below.
Blues
- Butterfly pea flower powder: Yes, it’s made from flowers! Butterfly pea flowers are usually made into tea, but they also turn food a brilliant blue color that transforms into purple if you add something acidic, like lime or lemon juice.
- Blue spirulina: This powder is derived from blue-green–colored algae and is also a powerful antioxidant.
Greens
- Matcha green tea powder: Matcha is energizing (it contains caffeine) and full of antioxidants. Add it to smoothies or other foods to achieve a rich, pastel-green hue.
- Spirulina: This is the regular version of the vividly colored algae and will give a beautiful green hue (and a health boost, too) to nice cream or other foods.
Yellows
- Turmeric powder: You probably already have this sitting in your spice cabinet right now. The super-healthy root has an intensely bright yellow color and has been used as a dye for centuries.
- Mango: If you’re looking for a gorgeously rich-colored yellow smoothie that tastes like a creamy tropical dream, look no further than mango.
Blacks and Grays
Activated charcoal: Activated charcoal is a super-detoxifying supplement that can turn foods into every anti-rainbow shade of gray and black. We get it—full-time unicorn life isn’t for everyone.
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Rainbows are magical, and so are those who save animals—which makes eating vegan rainbow foods very magical. ?✨
Under 13? Ask your parents bee-fore you continue!