Eating fruits and vegetables each day may be the simplest and most effective thing Americans can do to lead a healthy long life.
Not interested you say? You’ll take the easier route and skip fruits and vegetables and simply down a vitamin pill instead. When researchers studied the affects of vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene (a type of vitamin A) in supplements versus foods, food won. Supplemental forms of these vitamins where not as effective as the real food in reducing disease risk. It may be that there is interplay between the vitamins and other substances such as antioxidants or pigments also naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Or, there may be substances in plants, yet to be completely understood, that offer the disease-prevention affect.
Some suggestions to help you eat a plant today –
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal or snack.
Add extra fruits or vegetables to recipes, even when they are not called for.
Stock the house with fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits and vegetables. All varieties offer a nutrition bonus for less calories.
Use sparingly those fruits and vegetables that come with added sugar, syrup, cream sauces or cheese that add calories. Consider these a once-in-a-while choices.
Don’t fall for marketing gimmicks like veggie chips or chocolate covered fruits. These are long on fat and calories and short on actual fruit.
If you buy fruit leathers for kids make sure they are 100% fruit.
Drink 100% fruit juice. Dilute it with seltzer, if you prefer, but steer clear of sugary fruit drinks.
Think of ways to add more fruits and vegetables to your meals and snacks – add a sliced banana or apple to a peanut butter sandwich; use fresh vegetables instead of crackers for dips; couple fruit or veggies instead of crackers with cheese; add more chopped celery, cucumber or dried cranberries to tuna salad; add more veggies to chili or stews; make fruit juice ice pops.
