There are many varieties of vegetables and fruits available and there are many ways to cook, prepare and serve them. It is recommended that you should eat at least two kinds of fruit and five types of vegetables every day in order to attain good health. The importance of fruits and vegetables as part of your diet can never be overemphasized, this is why nutritionists and doctors advise their patients to always make consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables a part of their meal.
They are naturally good for the body because they contain minerals and vitamins that can help to keep the body healthy. They also help to boost the immune system and as such they protect against certain type of diseases. The health benefits from eating fruits and vegetables as part of your well-balanced, healthy, regular diet, and active lifestyle is enormous and should not be underestimated.
The interesting part is that there are different types of fruits and vegetables to choose from.
Vitamins and Minerals in Vegetables and Fruit
Fruit and vegetable contain vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Vitamin E, Vitamin C, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and folic acid among others. Folic acid helps to reduce blood levels of homo-cysteine, a substance that reduces the chance for contracting coronary heart diseases.
Fruits and Vegetables Protect Against Diseases
Fruits and vegetables contain biologically active substances such as plant chemicals or phytochemicals that help to protect from diseases. If you eat fruits and vegetables regularly, you will have a lower chance of contracting stroke, type 2 diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and cancer among others.
Fruits and Vegetable Enhances Good Health
Fruits and vegetables are low in sugar, salt, fat, and they are a good source of dietary fiber. A regular intake of fruits and vegetables will help you to lower cholesterol level, burn out excess fat in the body, and also helps you to lower blood pressure.
Types of Vegetables
Vegetables are available in different varieties and can be classified into the following biological groups;
- Cruciferous: Vegetables that fall in this category include Broccoli, Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, and sprouts among others.
- Root: Examples include potato, yam, and sweet potato.
- Leafy Green: Examples include Spinach, silverbeet, and lettuce.
- Allium: Vegetables that fall in this category include garlic, shallot, and onion.
- Marrow: Examples include cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini.
Types of Fruits
Fruits are fleshy, sweet, and edible part of plants. They usually contain seeds, they are eaten raw, although some varieties of fruits can be cooked. There are different types of fruits depending on their shapes, colors, and flavors. The common types of fruits that are can be easily gotten and introduced into your diet include pears, apples; citrus such as oranges, mandarins, and limes; stone fruit like plums, peaches, apricots, and nectarines; berries like blueberries, kiwifruit, strawberries, and raspberries; Melons such as watermelon, melons, and rockmelons; tomatoes, and avocados among others.
The easy with which these fresh fruits and vegetables make it easy for you to easily introduce them into your diet and you will be amazed at the results you will get. Hence, make it a point of duty to take enough fruit and vegetable and you will be healthier for it. – Tyler Grasham