Are you eating enough vegetables? Vegetables are full of nutrition and they are low in calories. You can easily piles your plate full of vegetables and it will have a very low calorie count. They easily fill you up too.
How about fruits? Are you eating enough? Are you eating a variety of colors? Different fruits have different health benefits. Many people find that it’s easier to eat the required amount of fruits because they are sweeter then veggies.
Eating a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables
Did you know that you should eat more vegetables and fewer fruits? You should aim to eat at least 3 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruits. The great thing about fruits and veggies is that there are so many to choose from. You can easily find the ones you prefer.
While eating fresh is always thought to be best, there is a place for canned and frozen fruits and veggies in our diet. Sometimes it is just easier and less expensive to choose the canned and frozen options. Just make sure you aren’t choosing the fruits that are in sugary syrups.
It’s a good idea to make a list of fruits and veggies so you can find something from every color of the rainbow, and try one new item a week. For example you could make a list of RED fruits and veggies and try to eat a few of these every week:
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Grapefruit
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Grapes
- Pomegranates
- Raspberries
- Tomatoes
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Red Potatoes
- Peppers
Now do the same for every color of the rainbow. You can use google to help you and then look for recipes online and get creative in the kitchen. Try your fruits and veggies in different ways to find what you like. For example, Turnips can be eaten raw, boiled, mashed…
If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to avoid frying your veggies. The added oil adds a lot of calories and fat and might make it harder to shed the pounds. Instead of frying your veggies, you could roast them in the oven with a bit of olive oil, this will be much healthier.
Fruits and veggies are sometimes a bit pricey so make sure you plan your meals and shop the deals. Watch for the store flyers and buy what is on sale. You can also save money by buying frozen/canned, as mentioned above. I know there is sometimes some debate when it comes to frozen and canned versus fresh produce, but the truth is if you are able to afford the frozen and canned stuff, it can be just as good as the fresh produce! Just make sure to rinse off any salt or fruit juice.
Now, I don’t want to overwhelm you. There is no need to suddenly add ten fruits and veggies to your daily meals. (although, that would be awesome!) Work on adding one or two new servings a week, once that becomes a habit, add some more!
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