When thinking about eating healthy, often we think of all of the foods that we should avoid or limit in our diets. In the case of fruits and vegetables, our concern should be whether we eat enough.
The USDA recommends people eat 5-to-9 servings (combined) of fruits and vegetables each day.
Why so many?
Fruits and vegetables are a good source of fiber, plus a whole range of vitamins and minerals, and because they are low in calories, they make an important addition to any diet.
Scientific studies also have shown that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables may have lower risk of getting illnesses, such as heart disease and some cancers.
While 5-to-9 servings may seem like a lot, reaching this goal is not as difficult as you may think when you look at how small one serving really is:
* 1/2 cup of fruit
* 1 medium piece of fruit
(about the size of a baseball)
* 1/2 of a banana
* 1/4 cup of dried fruit
* 1/2 cup of 100% fruit or vegetable juice
* 1 cup of leafy vegetables
* 1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables

Try to figure out how many fruits and vegetables you are currently eating, and see if you can build from there.
Every little bit counts, but it doesn’t work very well to wait until the end of the day to try to get them in.
The sample menu below put out by the American Cancer Society will give you some ideas of how to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your day:
Breakfast: Slice 1/2 of a banana into your cereal. Drink 1/2 cup of 100% juice with your meal. With 2 servings at breakfast, you’re on your way to your goal!
Midmorning snack: An individual-sized container of applesauce, 5-6 baby carrots, or a small handful of dried fruit will add 1 more serving - you’re now up to 3.
Lunch: Put vegetables on your sandwich or have a cup of hearty vegetable soup. Either of these gives you one more serving. Add a small side salad with low-fat dressing, and you’ve added 2 more servings - you’re already at 5.
Dinner: Heat canned or frozen green beans or cauliflower for a quick side dish. Add veggies to casseroles and soups. Top a potato with broccoli. If you are having pizza, load it with veggies instead of high-fat meat. Any one of these will add 1 more serving to your day, and you have 6 servings in.
Dessert: Have a frozen treat made of 100% juice, or top some low-fat frozen yogurt with 1/2 cup of berries, peaches or another favorite fruit. Fresh fruit all by itself can also be a great dessert! This will add one more serving, bringing your daily total to 7 servings.

As you can see, each meal and snack incorporates fruits or vegetables in one way or another. It may seem like a challenging task to incorporate 5-9 servings each day, but if you start small, and make it a habit, you’ll be surprised how easy it can be.
Take advantage of the wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables that are currently available, but remember that canned, frozen and dried varieties will also count toward your goal. Challenge yourself to up your intake of a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables and enjoy the health benefits of better nutrition.

To learn more about tips on health and exercise, contact Dawn Hedlund at 218-463-2500.