Fruits And Veggies: More, More, More
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Christopher Kaita chomps
down on his salad greens
The old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” implies what we’ve known to be true for years - that fruits and vegetables are important for good health.
Most of us know that fruits and vegetables provide good-for-you vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most people also know that they should be eating lots of them - five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day is the general recommendation. But 90 percent of Americans don’t eat near this amount. The average American only eats one serving of vegetables and one serving of fruit per day.
Ask anyone, and I’ll bet they’ll tell you that they should be eating much more fruits and vegetables than they currently are.
“Five or more servings? What’s a serving? One banana? What if it’s a small apple banana? Do apple bananas count as half a serving or one serving?”
This is the common chain of questions that seems to follow any recommendation. It can be confusing to figure out what constitutes a serving and count how much you’re eating, so let’s forget the numbers when it comes to fruits and vegetables.
So what’s one to do? Easy, just eat more. That’s right, just eat more fruits and vegetables than you are currently eating.
A national call-to-action launched as the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters campaign urges people to do just that - eat more fruits and vegetables for improved health. Launched by the Produce for Better Health Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the initiative provides numerous tools to help individuals overcome various barriers to increasing consumption.
Why more matters. As I mentioned, fruits and vegetables provide a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. They also contain natural substances called phytochemicals that work synergistically with the other nutrients found in plants to provide a health benefit.
Phytochemicals are thought to possibly slow the aging process and also reduce the risk of many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. They function as antioxidants that prevent cell damage, and as immune system enhancers. You may have recently heard certain foods such as blueberries, tomatoes and red wine being touted as great for your health. What makes these foods healthy are the specific phytochemicals contained within each - anthocyanins in blueberries, resveratrol in red grapes and wine, and lycopene in tomatoes.
Phytochemicals are often associated with the color pigments in plants. Choosing a variety of colored plant foods every day (i.e. green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon and white onions) ensures a variety of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and also a good amount of fiber. All of these good nutrients add up to health benefits, which include protection from certain types of cancer and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
How to get more. When I ask people why they don’t eat more fruits and vegetables, most people tell me that it’s an availability issue - most people like fruits and they like the idea of eating more. However, a common response is that it’s a chore because they’d have to shop for them often, wash, cut, peel and/or prepare them in some way. If fruit was there for them to eat, they would eat more of it.
If this sounds like you, try buying prepared fruits or vegetables. There are a variety of fresh, precut fruits and prepped vegetables available at the grocery store like fruit platters or bagged salad greens. Or opt for canned, frozen or even dried fruit, or 100 percent fruit juices. These all come in forms where the preparation you need to do is minimal if at all. Another suggestion is to eat fruits and vegetables when you dine out. Add on a side of steamed veggies or have a fruit bowl for an appetizer or dessert. They’re found on most menus, and you definitely don’t have to do any prep work!
Whatever your reason for not getting more fruit or vegetables in your diet, identify it and find a way to work around it. Check out www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org for more tips on incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet and to learn more about the campaign. It’s sure to have a solution for you.
I have a friend who eats vegetables, minus tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, cauliflower, sprouts and probably much more. Her favorite is lettuce. I asked her what it would take for her to eat more vegetables every day. Her response: “Lots of dressing or lots of mayonnaise on ‘em.”
I say, use fat-free/light dressing or mayonnaise and go for it!
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