Your subconscious mind whispers: "Eat your vegetables. Grab some fruit. They're good for you." Yet your busy lifestyle answers, "No time!" When you're time-challenged and over-tasked, eating enough fruits and vegetables may seem like one more chore. To free your mind from guilt, you rationalize, "I'll eat smarter… tomorrow!"
You're not alone. Consumers want more balance in their lifestyles, and they have far more to do than just prepare meals. Everyone wants quick, simple ways to put nourishing meals on the table. That includes simple ways to fit in great-tasting fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and Veggies 101
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005, reminds us that fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients, including fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamins C and E. Wrapped in their colorful sweet or savory "packages," the nutrition in fruits and vegetables promotes your overall wellness by being low in fat and cholesterol-free. They have phytonutrients with an array of health-promoting benefits, that may cut your risks for some cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and perhaps other ongoing health problems. Another benefit: eating more fruits and vegetables may help you manage your weight since most are naturally low in calories, and they're filling.
The amount of fruit and vegetables you should eat depends on your age, gender, and activity level. As a general guide, MyPyramid advises the amount and variety of fruits and vegetables to fit in: 2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables daily, or the equivalent, if you eat 2,000 calories a day. Eat a little more if you're physically active and need more calories. (To know how to add up the fruits and vegetables you eat in a day, refer to www.MyPyramid.gov.)
Different fruits and vegetables provide a different profile of nutrients and phytonutrients (or plant substances). To get their many benefits: the more variety, the better! MyPyramid advises choosing among citrus fruits, melons, and berries; other fruits; dark-green leafy vegetables; bright-orange vegetables; legumes (dry beans); starchy vegetables; and other vegetables.
A way to think about variety: color your plate with fruits and vegetables from each color group every day if you can. In today's stores you have so much to choose from.
From Barriers to Solutions!
You know they're good for you. So what keeps you or members of your family from eating enough fruits and vegetables? And how can you turn barriers into solutions?
Barrier 1: "I don't have time to prepare fruits and vegetables."
No problem. Even when time is short, fruits and vegetables take little time or effort if you know how. It's this easy:
Start with breakfast. Pour a cup of 100 percent juice. Grab a tangerine or banana to go with toasted Healthy Choice Bread to eat on-the-run. Or toss some raisins or dried cranberries atop breakfast cereal, or canned fruit on French toast.
Harness convenience. Turn bagged pre-cut packaged greens and salad mixes into hearty chef's salads with Healthy Choice Deli Meats. Heat up Healthy Choice Soups - perhaps Country Vegetable or Creamy Tomato soups—as a ready-made source of vegetables. Keep your freezer stocked with Healthy Choice Frozen Meals with vegetable side dishes that complement each entrée.
Cook in the fast lane. "Zap" a potato or other vegetables in the microwave oven, or stir-fry pre-cut packaged veggies. Make a fruit salad in a minute or less; combine canned mandarin oranges with berries and a sliced banana, peach, or apple. Grill vegetables - eggplant, squash, asparagus, more - alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or steak. Make a quick pasta dinner with Healthy Choice Pasta Sauce; made with tomatoes and other vegetables, these sauces are veggies, too!
Barrier 2: "My family won't eat 'em."
Creative but simple solutions can make vegetables and fruits taste great and more fun for the entire family to eat.
Drink your fruit. Besides 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice enjoyed as-is, make flavorful smoothies with fresh, frozen, or canned fruit of all kinds, blended with low-fat milk or yogurt, or Healthy Choice Vanilla Ice Cream.
Spoon them on top. Who wouldn't love fruit when it's served over their favorite flavor of Healthy Choice Ice Cream?
Build your own. Layer all kinds of vegetables in foods your family enjoys already: extra veggies (including leftovers) on store-bought pizzas, in burritos, in deli sandwiches, and in stews.
Cook in a new way. Make a homemade salsa to eat with tortilla chips; combine tomatoes, mangoes, avocados, red onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Grill vegetables that you've always steamed, or try them raw; raw zucchini, asparagus, and cauliflower taste great!
Barrier 3: "We don't keep many fruits and vegetables on hand."
That's an easy issue to fix, too - especially with so many more choices these days. Just make them available!
Stock up. You don't need to head to the store. Just keep frozen and canned fruits and vegetables in your freezer and pantry so they're available whenever you're preparing meals and snacks. Nutritionally speaking, they're all great choices: canned, frozen, or fresh.
Pack and go. Take fruits and veggies with you as a quick snack: whole fruit, grapes, dried figs or plums, raisins, cut-up vegetables (bell pepper, cucumber, broccoli) and yogurt dip, baby carrots, and single-serve fruit juice or applesauce. Or bring canned Healthy Choice Vegetable Soup to heat in a microwave oven.
Keep them within reach. Keep clean, cut-up produce in your 'fridge. Or have a bowl of apples, grapes, peaches, or cherry tomatoes ready-to-eat and on your table.
For more tips for smart living and eating, click onto Live Well.
