Fruit and Vegetables: Americans Fall Short
Science continues to unveil the health benefits of following a whole foods diet that includes more fruits and vegetables. Indeed, it seems as if we're always reading or hearing about a new study that links the reduction of certain health risks, such as heart disease and cancer, to the nutrient compounds found in fruit and vegetables.
With so much information readily available to us about why we should be eating more fruits and vegetables, have we, as a nation, taken notice and increased our daily consumption? Sadly, we have not.
In fact, according to a recent report published by the
In 2000, the U.S. government initiated a 10-year program, Healthy People 2010, to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by Americans. Unfortunately, a decade later, the results of the program indicate the country is not even close to achieving the program's goal. In fact, not even one of the 50 U.S. states met the objectives of Healthy People 2010 for 75 percent of people to eat at least two servings a fruit a day and 50 percent to eat at least 3 servings of vegetables per day.
So, on a daily basis, how many fruits and vegetables are we actually eating? The results indicate, 32.5 percent of adults, 18 years and older, consumed fruit two or more times per day and 26.3 percent consumed vegetables three or more times per day, far short of the national targets.
As a holistic nutritionist, I'm always encouraging my family, friends and clients to eat more fruits and vegetables. Among several reasons why, these foods contain antioxidants which can help protect against many diseases, and fiber which aids the digestion process. As a busy mom, I also understand how difficult it is some days to remember to include the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetable in our diets.
Between work and family, there seems to be little time left over in the day, for washing, chopping, mincing, dicing, pureeing, or even juicing produce. The availability of fresh produce also requires more trips to the grocery store and sometimes, by the end of the week, our pickings at home are slim.
With this in mind, here are five tips to help increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables. These strategies can be easily incorporated into anyone's lifestyle and the reward is better health and increased energy:
1. Start Right:
Breakfast is the perfect time to include at least one serving of fruit. A ¾ cup of juice equals one serving. Another idea is to add ½ of chopped fruit to your morning cereal or yogurt. If you're short on time, a banana is a convenient option that you can simply peel and eat, either at the breakfast table, or as you bolt out the door. If you have a little more time, a smoothie is wonderful way to get at least one or even two servings of fruit. Toss in a few vegetables such as celery, carrots or spinach and you've now taken care of some of your vegetable daily requirements, too.
2. Make it Visual:
If you see it, you might eat it. Keep a piece of whole fruit, such as an apple, pear, orange or banana on your desk, in your purse, briefcase, or on the kitchen counter at home as a reminder that you need to eat your fruit today.
3. Buy pre-washed, pre-cut vegetables:
Many organic produce such as lettuce, spinach and carrots, are available in prewashed, precut bags. Although more expensive, these are convenient options on those busy days when you need to cut down on your preparation time and get food on the table quickly. It's too easy sometimes, to choose a less than healthy option when we are short on time, or to pick up take-out on the way home.
4. Freeze it:
Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. Keep your freezer stocked with chopped fruit and vegetables that can be easily added to smoothies, cereals, stir fries or soups. Most frozen food aisles at your local grocery store will contain organic fruits and vegetables, but you can also purchase fresh produce and make your own convenient serving size packages to add to your freezer.
5. Plan ahead:
Carve out some time each week to plan and prepare your meals and snacks. Although this might seem time consuming at first, trust me, the reward is a healthier lifestyle. Clean, chop and store in the refrigerator all the vegetables and fruit you will use for your weekday meals and snacks in individual airtight containers. When we take the time to plan our food choices, we not only reduce our chances of eating prepackaged processed foods, we are also more likely to make a concerted effort to meet our daily nutritious requirements.
Thankfully, nature has provided us with a plethora of tastes, colors and textures to please even the most discriminating palate so that selecting which fruits and vegetables to eat should be easy. Now, if we can just incorporate a few simple strategies into our busy lifestyles we can surely meet the nation's consumption standards and reap the benefits of eating well.
Available at Amazon.com:
- Fruit and Vegetables: Americans Fall Short
- How to Properly Eat Your Veggies
- Healthy Eating Tips for a Busy Lifestyle
- Top 10 Surprising Facts About Smiling
- Bad Habits That Are Good for You
- How to Decipher Product Labels
- New Applications Turning Cell Phones Into Medical Devices
- The Virtual Therapist Will See You Now
- New Findings Turning Coffee Into A 'Health Food'
- Food Allergies: When Food Bites Back
- Healthy Hot Drinks Avoid Caffeine and Sugar
- Have Glowing Skin for All Seasons
- Best Health Advice I Ever Got
- The Serious Hazards of Soda
- How to Turn Setbacks into Bounce-backs
- Stay Healthy When Everyone Else Is Sick
- How Personality Affects Your Health
- A Sensitive Issue: Salt Restriction
- Would Your Kitchen Pass a Restaurant Inspection?
- Should I Stop Taking B12 Supplements?
- Tap Water Toxins: Fact or Fiction?
- Love Your Liver: Natural Liver Support
- Healthy Eating Guide to Cereal
- Load Up On Vitamin C
- Vitamins That Keep Your Brain Young
- 5 Superfoods You're Not Eating
- Boost Dental Health with Honey and Agave Syrup
- Oral Health Sweet Shocker
- Screening Tests That Can Save Your Life
- Eat Fiber and Feel Better
- The Worst and Best Sweets for Your Teeth
- The Truth About Extreme Smile Makeovers
- A Smart Guide to Dietary Supplements
- Beat the Bedbug Epidemic
- Healthy Eating All Day
- Recreational Drugs Go Straight
- Normal Weight Obesity - A Growing Concern
- Fruit and Vegetables: Americans Fall Short
- Hybrid Fruit: The New Super-food
- Is Indian Cuisine Healthy Cuisine?
- Is 'Ethnic' Cuisine Healthier?
- Is the H1N1 Flu Pandemic Over?
- 5 Ways to Boost Your Immune System
- Surviving Cold Season: How Not to Get Sick
- 7 Healthy Habits in 7 Weeks
- Sleep More and Live Longer
- 4 Dangerous Health Emergencies: What to Do
- Heartburn-friendly Diet with Your Favorite Foods
- Put Brakes on Inflammation Through Diet and Lifestyle Strategies
- The Vibrant and Healthy Flavors of an Authentic Latin Diet
- Is It Hunger or Just Appetite?
- Stay Healthy the Easy Way
- The Importance of Dreams
- Boost Your Energy: Hour by Hour
- Stop Information Overload
- Breathe Like a Baby
- 5 Healthy Foods That Wreck Your Teeth
- Are You Falling for Dental Myths?
- Is Heart Attack Going Out of Style?
- Flu Season
- Preventive Care & Electronic Medical Records Guidelines Set
- Stone Age Diet Surprisingly Good For a Healthy Life Today
- New Tools Fuel Progress on Development of Genetically Engineered Farm Animals
- Beat Your Afternoon Energy Slump
- Small Healthy Habits With Big Health Benefits
- Relieve Stress and Uplift Spirits with Aromatherapy
- New Things To Try That Lift Your Spirits and Relieve Stress
- 5 Fast Breakfasts That Boost Your Health
- Much to Consider When Looking for a Primary Care Physician
- Apples Are the New Fish
- Watermelon: Summer's Antioxidant
- Prescription for Better Health: Go Alfresco?
- Are All Omega-3 Fats The Same?
- Sample a Semi-Vegetarian Lifestyle With a Flexitarian Diet
- Milk: When the First Food May Be the Best Food
- Foraging is Green Eating at Its Purest
- How to Lose Weight Safely
- Colleges Joining Effort to Turn Around Skyrocketing Obesity Rates
- Medical Claims for Marijauna - Just Blowing Smoke?
- The Hidden Health Benefits of Adult Braces
- 5 Things Your Dental Insurance Will Not Cover
- 4 Effortless Steps to Whiter Teeth
- 5 First-aid Tricks You Need to Know
- Heat Can Beat the Heart
- Eating for Your Blood Type -- Truth or Fiction?
- Salt Sensitivity Issue: Salt Restriction
- 5 Tips to Bulldoze a Bad Mood
- Genetically Engineered Foods Update: More Common Than You Think
- 5 Celebrity Trends That Could Harm Your Health
- Should You Travel Abroad for a Dental Procedure
- Super Foods to Boost Your Dental Health
- The Fight Escalates Against Fake Drugs
- Fermented Foods Are Making a Comeback
- Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps
- An Update on Soy: It's Just So-So
- Is it OK to Take Ibuprofen P.M.?
- Colonoscopy: Is It Time to Go Virtual Colonoscopy
- Sleep Better Tonight (Fight Fatigue Tomorrow)
- Do-it-yourself Sunburn Remedies
- Take the Germ Quiz
- Healthy Mouth Equals Healthy Body
- 5 Biggest Flossing Mistakes
- Health Threat of Nitrates: Nitrites in Cured Meats
- Stop Dry Mouth Now
- Best Ways to Keep Your Teeth
- 5 Instant Ways to Stress Less and Smile More
- Be Suntan Savvy
- 4 Ways to Sneak in Sunblock
- Can Aspirin Do That, Too?
- A Natural Approach to Sweet Slumber
- Boost Your Brainpower
- Seeds of Life: Chia, Flax, Hemp and Pumpkin
- Microgreens Become Macro Trend to Follow
- Eat Your Way to a Healthy Smile
- Why and How to Get More Vitamin D
- Better Alternatives to Silver Fillings
- 5 Beach Safety Tips
- Traveling Light: Healthy Eating for Business Junketeers
- Healthy Snacks for Energy
- Shape-Shifting 'Tube Robot' Could Aid Heart Surgery
- Better Ways to Get Your Produce
- Cutting-Edge Cuisine Engages Senses Beyond Taste
- Eat for Your Eyesight
- Is It Better to Stop Smoking Abruptly or Gradually?
- Relieve Stress in 5 Minutes or Less
- Best Ways to Soothe Sensitive Teeth
- Turn a Clean Home Into a Healthy Home
- Largest Ever Cell Phone Cancer Study is Inconclusive
- Treating Early-Stage Esophageal Cancer
- TNF Inhibitors Offer Relief to Those With Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Advances in Breast Cancer Screening Helping to Fine-Tune Diagnosis
- First Aid for Summer
- The Microscopic World of Food Nanotechnology
- Screening Plays Key Role in Detecting Polyps Before They Become Cancerous
- Learn How to Read Supplement Labels
- Compression-Only CPR Can Replace Conventional CPR in Many Circumstances
- Diabetes: Could You Have Diabetes and Not Know It
- Fighting Inflammation with Food
- Bad Health Habits Rob Years From Life Span
- Beating Back Pandemics is a Cooperative Crusade
- The Importance of Decreasing Dietary Sodium
- Chocolate Reduces Inflammation Associated with Heart Disease
- Healthy Eating Tips for a Busy Lifestyle
- Olive Oil and Health
- Push for Healthier Diets Means Big Changes for the Food Industry
- How to Identify Suicide Risk Before It's Too Late
- Tips for Natural Allergy Relief
- Inflammation May Play Role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Longevity Revolution Will Restructure Life Around the World
- Maximum Fitness: CrossFit Training
- Tests to Optimize Treatment of Breast Cancer
- Enjoy the Health Benefits of Tea
- Can Your Toothbrush Make You Sick?
- Sunscreen Facts You Need to Know
- When does Knee Replacement Surgery Make Sense
- Is Hefty the New Healthy?
- Best Way to Take Heartburn Medication
- Aerobics Without Heartburn
- Stress Less: Ten Strategies That Work
- Paralyzed Limbs Revived by Hacking Into Nerves
- Take the Work Out of Workout
- Cultivate a Nutrient-Rich Approach to Eating for Life
- Treadmill Test Can Reveal Hidden Problems in Heart
- Researchers Break Through to Unconscious Patients
- Key Factors Related to Heart Attack Risk
- Type 2 Diabetes Increases Risk for Cardiovascular Problems
- Middle-Age Spread and How to Avoid It
- Fiber and Weight Loss: Learn the Secrets
- Hypochondria: The Impossible Illness
- Get the Lead Out: The Less Exposure to This Toxic Metal the Better
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sugar
- Cultivate a Healthy Brain Lifestyle As You Age
- Regular Exercise Helps Protect Aging Brains
- Surgeries Can be Combined But May Not be Necessary
Copyright © 2010 Naturally Savvy. All rights reserved.