Eat A Variety Of Veggies For A Healthier You

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day.  When you first hear that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.  For one thing, the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables.  In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket.  With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  For instance, the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day.  When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available.  Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to choose a variety of different colors.  This is for more than purely artistic reasons.  Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before.  For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes?  How about spinach or kale?  Trying new things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement.  Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.  That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills.  While these micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.  These elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills.  Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive, especially when purchased in season and grown locally.  In the long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.   It may seem like a lot, but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

Enjoy a variety of vegetables for healthy living

Eating healthy is important for everyone, and one of the most important keys to eating a better diet is eating more fruits and vegetables.  Many people are unsure how to use vegetables more effectively as part of their diet, but it may be easier than you think to provide yourself and your family with healthy, nutritious meals at a great prices.

One way to create wonderful meals that are healthier than ever is to take a stroll through the produce section of your local grocery store.  Most major grocery store chains have huge produce sections, containing a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables from all corners of the world.

Trying a variety of different fruits and vegetables is a great way to keep your meals interesting and exciting in addition to nutritious.  It is all too easy to become bored when trying to follow a healthy diet, and boredom can lead people to abandon their healthy habits.  Avoiding diet burnout is important to the long term survival of even the most sensible eating plan.

So if you’ve never had vegetables like collard greens, asparagus or kale before, why not give them a try.  Not only can trying new things allow you to make great new discoveries, but it can increase your level of fitness as well.  Leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and kale are rich sources of many important vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.

Another great way to increase the variety of vegetables you enjoy is to combine fresh, frozen and canned vegetables.  While fresh vegetables are generally better and healthier, frozen and canned vegetables can be great alternatives for when the fresh varieties are out of season.

One of the best things about fresh fruits and vegetables is the great variety of flavors, colors and textures available.  Eating a variety of different colored vegetables and fruits does much more than provide much needed variety.  It also provides a great variety of nutrients.  For instance, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables tend to be very high in beta carotene, while green leafy vegetables are often great sources of calcium and other important nutrients.  So why not spice up your plain old green salad with a splash of color in the form of yellow peppers or orange carrot slices?

Many people wrongly think that they can make up for a crappy diet by using vitamin and mineral supplements.  This mistaken belief is apparently very widespread, since sales of these supplements continue to break records.

When considering vitamin and mineral supplements, however, it is important to remember that foods contain many different minerals, trace elements and other micronutrients.  That means that for every nutrient that has been discovered and synthesized, there may be ten, twenty or more of these micronutrients that have yet to be fully understood.  That is why no vitamin supplement, no matter how complete, can truly replace a healthy, balanced diet.

In addition, vitamin and mineral supplements are quite a bit more expensive than a good selection of vegetables and fruits, and not nearly as tasty. 

When changing your diet and eating for a healthier lifestyle, it is important to educate yourself about eating right, and go choose the right fruits and vegetables for your tastes.  After all, the best diet is the one you can follow for the rest of your life.

One of the best ways to start eating a healthy diet is to choose the freshest fruits and vegetables.  Not only do fresh fruits and vegetables taste better, but they are less expensive and more nutritious as well.  Choosing a variety of in season fruits and vegetables every week is a great way to enjoy healthy and varied meals.

Of course your favorite fruits and vegetables will not always be in season, so it will sometimes be necessary to supplement those fresh fruits and vegetables with canned and frozen varieties.  When choosing canned fruits, try to avoid those packed in syrup; choose canned fruits packed in fruit juice or water instead.  They will be healthier and contain less sugar.

Adding fresh fruit, such as apple slices, mandarin oranges, nectarines and the like is a great way to make plain salads more interesting and more delicious.  Combining fruits and vegetables is a great way to enhance your nutrition as well.

Dieting is not normal. It's not sustainable. It doesn't work over a lifetime.

Good Nutrition | Eat Healthier For Good Nutrition & Good Health