Fitting in Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables a Day

The U. S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. This is because fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and nutrients and because most are quite low in cholesterol, calories, fat, and sodium. Many also contain dietary fiber. All of these qualities make fruits and vegetables a very important part of any healthy diet.

You probably already knew that you should be eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Perhaps you also understood why it is so important to include these foods in your diet. But, if you are an average adult, you are likely having trouble fitting five servings in each day. So, here are some tips you can try to help make sure that you are reaching the goal of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day:

Prep some veggies for snacks as soon as you get home from the grocery store. You will be much more likely to snack on some celery sticks or some cucumber slices if they are already chopped and ready-to-eat. Take a few moments and slice a few stalks of celery and put them in a dish of water in the refrigerator-just two medium stalks counts as one serving of vegetables. Prepare a quick salad with one-third of a cucumber (that is equal to a serving; leave the peel on for more nutrients)-simply slice and add vinaigrette, then chill until later. You can also prep carrots (one large carrot equals one serving). Broccoli is another vegetable you can prep ahead of time-one medium stalk, chopped, is a serving.

Also prep veggies for meals as soon as you buy them. Go ahead and chop up some onion and some bell peppers (one medium of either equals one serving). You can slice rings or strips or you can do a dice, and then you can refrigerate them for later in the week or freeze them. Having these vegetables already chopped makes it easy to add them to many different meals.

Always have fresh fruit available. Make sure to buy fruit that you like. A basic rule is that one medium piece of fruit (such as a banana, apple, or peach, for example) is equal to one serving of fruit. Try to eat the fruit as it is before it goes bad-but, if you see that the fruit is starting to get past its prime, think of other options. Bananas that have turned brown can be baked into banana bread (or you can even toss them in the freezer in their peels to use them in baking later). Stone fruits (such as plums and peaches) can be mashed up and added to a cobbler or pie.

Prep some types of fresh fruit and keep them in the refrigerator. As soon as you get home from the store, cut up your cantaloupe or honeydew melon into chunks and place them in a sealed storage container in the refrigerator. One-fourth of a cantaloupe equals one serving of fruit, or one-tenth of a honeydew melon. You can prepare grapes as well-remove them from the stems, wash them, and keep them in a storage container. A serving of grapes is about one and a half cups.

Plan meals in advance so that you can make sure a fruit or vegetable is included. Before heading to the grocery store, think about the meals you will be making during the week. Figure out a way to add a fruit or vegetable to each meal. Perhaps you can add some chopped veggies (the bell pepper and onion you already prepped) to a breakfast omelet or cut up half of a grapefruit (that equals one serving) to enjoy with your morning cereal. Plan to have a piece of fresh fruit with lunch every day. Tomatoes are easy to add to dinners, and one medium tomato equals one serving. Or, you can have a salad with dinner-one cup of lettuce is a serving of vegetables, and you can add even more chopped vegetables to the salad. If you plan ahead, you will be much more likely to eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Try something new. There are hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables available. So, don't just stick with eating the same types all of the time; if you do, you will definitely get into a rut and begin to really dislike them. Make it a goal to try a new fruit or vegetable once a week or so. You can begin with ones that are similar to fruits and vegetables that you already enjoy-for example, if you like oranges, try a tangerine. Or, if you enjoy the sharp taste of an onion, perhaps you should try radishes. You can also ask the produce manager at any grocery store for tips and suggestions.

These tips should help you to reach the goal of including five servings of fruits and vegetables in your diet each day. It won't be easy--especially if you aren't used to eating very many fruits or vegetables--but it is well worth it to make the effort because these foods are so nutritious. Give these tips a try-you will be glad you did.