When I encourage individuals to eat the rainbow, I am hoping that they understand from colorful and delicious foods, and less so from vitamin and mineral tablets. The potential need for supplements is a common question that I navigate with my clients, and is of course very individualized.
I certainly support getting all, if possible, essential macro and micronutrients from food. Enjoying the taste, texture, appearance, and smell of food is so much more pleasurable than swallowing a pill.
Our bodies are designed to absorb essential nutrients from foods and not from pills. Does it surprise you to learn that if you are not deficient in a micronutrient that your body will only absorb 10-15% of the vitamin or mineral in pill form? If you are deficient, your body will absorb more to make up for that deficiency, which certainly warrants a supplement.