Fruits and veggies provide a multitude of vitamins such as A, C and K. They also provide minerals such as folate, potassium, magnesium and phytochemicals which may help lower inflammation. Overall, eating these is linked to a lower risk of many chronic diseases.
Many of us still struggle to get these foods into our daily food intake even though they are loaded with nutrients and low in calories and high in fiber. Less than half of Americans eat the recommended amount of veggies and fruits in a day. The reason I hear the most is I was in a hurry so I just grabbed something else.
Serving sizes of veggies as indicated by the American Heart Association are:
1 cup of leafy veggies such as spinach
½ cup of other non-starchy veggies and vegetable juices
For fruit:
½ cup of chopped, cooked, canned fruit or fruit juice
A medium fruit (size of a baseball) is also considered one serving
Ways to include more produce:
Dried fruit such as apricots, craisins, raisins, dates
Ready to serve fruits with pull back tops or canned fruits are nice when away from home
Fresh fruits and veggies can be purchased already cut up so they can be taken to work
Veggies can be purchased ready to eat in bags such as carrots, broccoli, and celery
Frozen veggies can be cooked in the microwave with your favorite seasonings
Roasted peppers alone in a tortilla or with cheese or eggs or your meat of choice
Dip veggies in hummus (bean dip made from garbanzo beans also known as chick peas)
Make a kabob from fruits or veggies (some stores have these already made)
One slice of a bell pepper (roasted or raw) or a couple of cabbage shreds on a sandwich
Traders Joe’s has frozen cut up bell peppers to add to eggs, pizzas, sandwiches, etc
Fresh tomatoes with basil
Lots of veggies can be roasted in the oven for 10-15 minutes. An example of this is https://eatswithgrace.com/roasted-sprouts-with-apples/
These are some examples to help include more color in your diet. Aim for 5-9 servings a day, remembering that ½ cup is a serving. A starting place can be as simple as a plan to eat 2 servings of fruit and/or veggies a day for one week. Adjustments can be made from there as you move toward the 5-9 a day recommendation.
Grace graduated in 1993 from UT Southwestern Medical Center Allied Health Sciences School with a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition. A few years later she concentrated her efforts in diabetes and became a certified diabetes care and education specialist. During her career she has worked as a registered dietitian nutritionist in long-term care, renal dialysis, home health, and diabetes outpatient care. Currently self-employed, she specializes in wellness and diabetes. Grace is a member of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists. Grace now writes nutrition content for websites using her education, current research, and 29 years of experience.