Last Updated Jul 2011
Proper nutrition is a key factor in maintaining optimum health. The phrase "eat your veggies" is ringing true now more than ever. The recommendation to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day was tough for some of us to swallow, but now the new recommendation will be 7-13 servings. What??? How in the world do you expect us to eat all of that? Well, we just may now that research is finding that to get all the health benefits produce has to offer you need 7 to 13 cups (80 grams a portion) of produce a day.
The old slogan “5 a Day” is being replaced with “Fruits & Veggies – More Matters” to try to get adults to gain the maximum protection against obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. People who ate at least eight portions of fruits and vegetables a day had a 22% lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who ate three portions a day. Each additional portion in fruits and vegetables was linked to a 4% lower risk of death
Not only does that sound like a challenge for many adults, it sounds like a lot of food and it leaves little room for anything else in the daily diet! How can we hope to eat up to 13 cups of fruits and veggies? Although it may take some adjustment, I have some suggestions that may help you to almost effortlessly sneak those fruits and veggies in your diet:
· Add one more serving of fruit in the morning, such as a half of a grapefruit, a handful of berries in your cereal, or eat the whole banana (that’s right—most large bananas are considered two servings of fruit!).
· Serve one more veggie serving on your plate for dinner.
· Add more lettuce or sprouts on your sandwich at lunch.
· Have fruit for dessert, served by itself or with a little sorbet ice cream on top.
· Have cut-up veggies on the counter for snacking as you cook dinner.
· Decorate your dinner plate with edible garnishes, such as fancy-sliced carrots, radishes, and/or orange or cantaloupe slices.
· Try a new vegetable every week.
· Add grated carrot to muffins.
· Grill fruits and vegetables to serve with dinner.
· Buy tons of frozen (no additional ingredients added) veggies and frozen cut-up fruits to have on hand when you run out of the fresh stuff.
Another benefit of eating all of those fruits and vegetables is an increase in energy, and even perhaps weight loss. The new recommendation may be a good excuse to do what we know we need to do anyway—eat healthier food more often!