Fruits And Veggies: How To Get More Of These Superfoods, And Why
Here are some facts about fresh fruit and vegetables, along with a quick tip guide for getting enough produce to keep your skin, heart and digestion healthy.
Kids aren't the only ones not getting enough fruits and vegetables in their diet. Studies have shown that Americans of all ages eat too little produce. But why is it so hard for us to force ourselves to eat fruits and veggies? After all, if they're so good for us, shouldn't our bodies crave them more than sweet and salty snacks?
Well, yes and no. It's not that simple, unfortunately, and much of it has to do with what tastes good...
Here are some facts about fresh fruit and vegetables, along with a quick tip guide for getting enough produce to keep your skin, heart and digestion healthy.
Produce: Nature's gift to our bodies
No one can live without produce. Fresh fruit is loaded with vitamins B, C, D and E, and minerals like potassium and calcium, and vegetables are too. Both also provide your heart with much-needed antioxidants and your colon with valuable fiber.
In fact, as we age, eating produce becomes more important rather than less. This is because fruits and vegetables—or nutritional health supplements made from them—provide your body with most of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs.
Think about the old adage that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It's hard to argue that eating a daily apple isn't good for you,
but in fact research shows that it isn't good enough for you.
Multiply by five
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an adult needs to eat at least 4.5 cups of produce each day. Since one cup of fruit is roughly the same as one small apple, this is tantamount to saying that FIVE apples a day keep the doctor away!
Well, do you eat five apples a day? Who does?
Even if you get plenty of produce in your diet, there's a good chance you still don't consume enough. This is one reason why eating right is such a chore: it's harder than it sounds.
Fortunately, between fresh produce, frozen veggies, fruit juices and dietary supplements, you can fill your diet with the vital nutrients your body needs.
The right ratio: Half a plate of fruits and vegetables
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently came out with a quick, handy way to gauge whether a meal has enough produce in it. It's simple, really—the agency recommended filling one-half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. That's it. (And no cheating by piling the meat-and-starch half higher.)
In this way, you can eyeball the amount of produce a meal needs. There's just on little problem. Some meals, by their very nature, are tough to pack with fruits or vegetables.
Breakfast is a prime example. The first meal of the day tends to be protein- or carbohydrate-heavy, especially for people who are used to eating cereal, toast, pancakes, breakfast bars, eggs, ham or bacon.
Sure, you can put a little fruit on the side, but how do you make such a meal consist of one-half produce?
Never fear. It's easy enough to get all the produce you need into any meal. Just try these quick and easy tips for sneaking fruits
and vegetables into any dish.
Tips for pushing produce
—Snack on fruit. If you have trouble integrating apples, oranges, strawberries or bananas into your meals, munch on them throughout the day whenever you feel peckish for a guilt-free snack.
—Build a breakfast around fruit. Try mixing chopped fruit into yogurt and granola. Eat a grapefruit along with your toast. Load your pancakes with banana slices or blueberries—or both! If you like omelets, they're the perfect opportunity to fill your belly with peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes and spinach.
—Get creative. If your pasta dinners are boring you, blend a veggie puree to mix into the sauce, and spice it up with peppers.
—Take multivitamins or nutritional supplements made with all-natural herbs, fruits and vegetables. This can keep your immune health and digestive well-being in ship-shape, especially if you're prone to missing the occasional serving of produce.
—Make your salad a veggie cornucopia. You can add beans, onions, corn, nuts or berries to any green salad to really make it pop.
—For a healthy snack, dried fruit will fill you up. Also, try hummus and pita chips, or blend together a rich fruit smoothie.