Day 28: Eat a full 5 servings of fruits and veggies for a month!
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These fruit and veggie cartoons are almost too cute to eat! However, the cuteness of fresh produce is not what is hindering most people from obtaining the adequate 5 servings recommended by the United State’s Department of Agriculture. Most likely, it’s the fact that they do not taste as good as donuts or a double cheeseburger. Sigh, one day 🙂 Either way, as much as I love vegetables and fruits [seriously, I have an obsession] I still see days, weeks, sometimes months where I don’t meet the 5 servings requirement.
So in true nutrition fashion, I set a goal to eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day for a month! Hopefully by then [March 28th], eating enough of these delicious superfoods will become second nature and not something I need to keep a strict eye on. [And maybe my waistline will be slimmer and my vision will be perfect, thanks to the natural fiber found in many vegetables and the sight boosting power found in carrots!]
She probably has 20/20 vision!
What’s the best way to up your veggie and fruit intake? Well, it’s easy! Just add a piece of fruit to your breakfast, have a mixed greens and veggie salad for lunch, have a piece of fruit for a snack and have a side of veggies with dinner! Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it is, in essence, but actually adhering to that is where I find myself in trouble. For me, as much as I know I need to, eating breakfast is sometimes nearly impossible. I blame my sensitive stomach, but it’s often really difficult for me to digest anything first thing in the morning. However, for this mini-lution, I will conquer my fickle tummy and will eat a fresh piece of fruit when I get up and will choose an apple over pretzels when my mid-afternoon hunger strikes!
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Cereal with a banana
Orange glazed chicken
Fruit and yogurt parfait
Some other great tips to incorporating fruit and veggies to your diet are add them as a supplement to what you already eat. For example, add a banana or strawberries to your cereal or oatmeal in the morning. For lunch, add lettuce, tomatoes and/or peppers to your sandwiches and for dinner, make an orange glaze for your chicken to add an oriental flair or maybe add a lemon glaze to your fish. If you a person that can’t stand the taste of many fruits and vegetables, adding them to your favorite dishes as a glaze, a jelly or as a supplement may help to hide the flavors you dislike. For a great list of fruit and vegetable recipes, visit http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnparecipe/recipesearch.aspx.
If you are interested in some more recipes, stay tuned. I am working on a new section called Eat Skinny: Be Skinny recipes, where I will feature tons of recipes that I have made and found that work to keep you full and aid your weight loss!
So why does the US dept. of Agriculture recommend eating so many darn fruits and veggies? For starters, fruits and vegetables naturally contain very key vitamins and minerals that help to prevent many chronic diseases. Some of the key vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables include: fiber, folate, potassium and vitamins A and C. Each of these vitamins work with our bodies to keep skin and hair healthy, regulate blood pressure, decrease risks of coronary artery disease and helps to regulate the digestive system. Fruits are also largely made up of water, which works to keep us hydrated as well as works to fill us up faster.
So join me in my forever long battle to eat healthier and be healthier, realistically!
