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Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
for Good Health
How many servings of fruits and
vegetables have you had today? What about each
day this past week? Take a minute to add them
up. If you can’t count more than five servings
every day, you may not be doing all you can to
be your healthiest. Not only are fruits and vegetables
loaded with vitamins and fiber and low in calories,
but studies show that they may also help prevent
cancer. Here are five ways you can get more into
your days.
1. Give Yourself Choices
Eating well begins with smart shopping. When you
shop, buy a variety of fresh, frozen, dried and
canned fruits and vegetables so that you have
plenty to choose from. Don’t be afraid to try
varieties you’ve never had before. You can even
make it a habit to try one new fruit or vegetable
every week or two. You might be surprised at how
many different types there are. Plan to use the
fresh produce that spoils easily within a few
days, and save the frozen, dried and canned fruits
and vegetables for later.
2. Begin With Breakfast
There are a lot of easy ways to start the day
with fruit. Here are a few:
- Pour yourself a tall glass of juice. (Check
the label before you buy to make sure that it’s
100 percent juice.)
- Slice a banana or add other fruit to your
cereal.
- Top your pancakes or waffles with berries,
apples, peaches or bananas.
- Add fruit to yogurt or cottage cheese.
3. Load Up at Lunch
Be creative when lunchtime arrives to add more
fruits or vegetables to your meal. Consider these
ideas:
- Have a salad for lunch. Experiment with different
types of salad greens, such as romaine lettuce
and spinach. Top your salad with different kinds
of fruits and vegetables. For example, you might
try broccoli, peas, mandarin orange slices,
apples, dates or chickpeas. Try whatever appeals
to you.
- Load up your sandwich with vegetables.
- Enjoy a bowl of vegetable or bean soup.
- For a sweet ending to lunch, have a piece
of fruit.
4. Turn the Tables on Dinner
Are you used to having vegetables as a side dish?
Try featuring vegetables as the main course at
least once a week. Here are some ideas.
- Substitute beans for meat. Make burritos or
tacos with beans instead of beef. Try three-bean
chili and black beans over rice.
- Have a vegetable stir-fry.
- Try a meatless recipe for stuffed tomatoes
or peppers.
- Make lasagna with spinach or other vegetables
instead of meat.
- Load veggies onto a pizza.
5. Make Snacks Count
Eat a piece of fruit or vegetable sticks instead
of other less nutritious snack choices. Keep freshfruit
or sliced vegetables handy. Summer is also the
perfect time for making fruit salad. Also, try
eating dried fruit.
Don’t wait — pick up some fresh
produce today and start counting your way to good
nutrition.
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