Skittles (fruit-flavored sweets) advertised “Taste the Rainbow” in U.S. newspapers in 1988. The saying is trademarked.
 
“Eat the rainbow” is a culinary expression that has been cited in print since at least 2001. Colorful fruits and vegetables contain many essential vitamins and minerals. It’s uncertain who first promoted the “rainbow” eating idea.
 
     
20 March 1988, The Sun (Baltimore, MD), Pg. AA47, col. 1 ad:
“TASTE THE RAINBOW OF FRUIT FLAVORS”
(Skittles.—ed.)
 
OCLC WorldCat record
What color is your diet? : the 7 colors of health
Author: David Heber; Susan Bowerman
Publisher: New York, NY : Regan Books, ©2001.
Edition/Format:   Print book : English : 1st ed
 
3 May 2001, Precinct Reporter (San Bernardino, CA), “Color Your Diet With Spring and Summer Fruits and Vegetables,” pg. 7:
“Here’s the rule to live by when filling up your plate,” advises Gloria Stables, M.S., R.D., director for the NCI’s 5 A Day Program: “Sample the spectrum. The more reds, oranges, greens, yellows, and blues you see on the plate, the more health promoting properties you are getting form thou fruit and vegetable choices.”
 
As Stable points out, aesthetics aren’t’ the only reason to eat the rainbow of colors. Nutrition research shows that colorful fruits and vegetable contain essential vitamins; minerals and phytochemicals that help prevent diseases such as cancer, promote health and help you feel great Here are the specifics:
   
OCLC WorldCat record
WHAT’S COOKING? - Taste the rainbow—with yummy fruits and veggies!
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Triangle Publications, c1944-
Edition/Format: Article Article : English
Publication: Seventeen. (May 2003): 78
Database: ArticleFirst
     
YouTube
Skittles - Taste The Rainbow Of Fruit Flavors
xlogold
Uploaded on Apr 30, 2006
The longest running Skittles commercial so far. Taste the rainbow of fruit flavors…in Skittles!
 
Today’s Dietitian
November 2008 Issue
Color Me Healthy — Eating for a Rainbow of Benefits
By Juliann Schaeffer
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 10 No. 11 P. 34
(...)
According to Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, a lecturer in the department of food science and nutrition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and coauthor of What Color Is Your Diet? a purely beige diet may fill Americans up now, but it could cost them later.
 
Google Books
Naturally Thin:
Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting
By Bethenny Frankel with Eve Adamson
New York, NY: Fireside (Simon & Schuster)
2009
Pg. 123:
Eat the Rainbow
I often tell my clients to eat the rainbow. In other words, look for color in your food. The more colors on your plate, the better. This rule is a great rule for you, and it is also fun to pass on to your children.
   
OCLC WorldCat record
Eat the rainbow! : an evaluation of a short-term fruit and vegetable nutrition education intervention for elementary school children
Author: Elizabeth Diane Miller
Publisher: 2011.
Dissertation: M.S. University of Tennessee, Knoxville 2011
Edition/Format:   Thesis/dissertation : Document : Thesis/dissertation : eBook   Computer File : English
Database: WorldCat
Summary:
Objective: To test differences on mean fruit and vegetable (FV) eaten, liking, preference, and self-efficacy scores among 3 modes of nutrition education intervention after a 3-week intervention. Design: Convenience sample, pre- and post-test, quasi-experimental design. Setting: Three elementary schools in a rural Eastern Tennessee County. Participants: Participants were 160 3rd-5th graders
 
lifehacker
What It Means to “Eat the Rainbow”
Alan Henry
6/23/14 10:00am
Healthy eating advocates often tell people to “eat the rainbow.” It’s a simple way of reminding you that a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet will get you the vitamins and minerals you need.
(...)
When someone says “eat the rainbow,” they’re trying to explain, in a simplified way, that the color of your food can tell you a lot about its nutritional value, and eating a variety of colors is one sure method to get as many of those vitamins and minerals as possible (and eat a broad, diverse amount of food in the process.) The phrase is actually an oversimplification of a real issue. It’s not difficult to get the vitamins and nutrients you need from a solid, balanced diet, but it can be difficult if you’re a picky eater, or have children who don’t exactly like to expand their horizons. In fact, much of the documentation we found that uses the phrase is aimed at parents helping children adopt a more healthful diet.
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Eat the Rainbow: Development and Formative Assessment of a Preschool Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Education Outreach Program
Author: Kristi Wilkerson (AS) Affiliation: East Carolina University, East Fifth Street, Greenville, NC 27858; S Wilden; J Fowler (MS); V Carraway-Stage (RD LDN PhD)
Edition/Format: Article Article : English
Publication: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, v47 n4 (201507): Supplement, S21-S22
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark TASTE THE RAINBOW
Goods and Services IC 030. US 046. G & S: candy. FIRST USE: 19930600. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19930600
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 74498520
Filing Date March 8, 1994
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition March 7, 1995
Registration Number 1896369
Registration Date May 30, 1995
Owner (REGISTRANT) Mars, Incorporated CORPORATION DELAWARE 6885 Elm Street McLean VIRGINIA 221013883
Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED
Attorney of Record Sharon C. Sorkin
Prior Registrations 1538344
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). SECTION 8(10-YR) 20050203.
Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 20050203
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE