A method for operating an LED lighting device (L), wherein the LED lighting device comprises: at least two color channels (Ch1, Ch2, Ch3), wherein each color channel (Ch1, Ch2, Ch3) comprises at least one LED (LD1, LD2, LD3), wherein the LEDs (LD1, LD2, LD3) of a color channel (Ch1, Ch2, Ch3) each have the same color, and wherein each color channel (Ch1, Ch2, Ch3) is able to be activated separately, and at least one photodetector (D), which is configured and arranged to detect a portion of the light radiated by the LEDs (LD1, LD2, LD3), wherein the method comprises the steps of: switching over the LED lighting device (L) from an operating phase (BP 1) into a measurement phase (MP); and temporally consecutive activation of the color channels (Ch1, Ch2, Ch3) so that a light radiated during the measurement phase (MP) by the LEDs (LD1, LD2, LD3) has an integral mixture which substantially corresponds to a color mixture of the operating phase.