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Fruits and Vegetables
American Heart Association recommendation: Eat a variety of fruits
and vegetables. Choose five or more servings per day.
How
to Get More Fruits and Vegetables in Your Diet
Produce has certainly
earned its healthy reputation. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants,
phytochemicals, and fiber, while being low in calories and fat. All of
these factors help make your heart healthier. Specifically:
- Soluble fiber helps
lower blood cholesterol
levels.
- Antioxidant nutrients
— beta-carotene and vitamins A and C — are believed to help
prevent atherosclerosis and lower the risk for coronary artery disease.
- Phytochemicals,
which are plant chemicals found in fruits and vegetables, are believed
to decrease the risk for many diseases, including heart disease.
- A diet rich in
fruits and vegetables helps to lower blood
pressure.
A total of five
fruits and vegetables each day may sound like a lot, but a serving
is probably smaller than you think.
One serving of fruit
equals:
- 1 medium piece
of fruit, such as an apple, banana, orange, pear, or peach
- 1/2 grapefruit
- 1/4 avocado (Note:
there's more fat in an avocado than in your average fruit; about 30
grams for a whole avocado, but the majority of this fat is the healthy,
monounsaturated kind)
- 1/2 cup chopped,
cooked, or canned fruit, including berries and grapes
- 1/4 cup dried fruit
- 3/4 cup 100 percent
fruit juice
One serving of vegetable
equals:
- 1 cup raw,
leafy vegetables, such as spinach, romaine lettuce, and broccoli
- 1/2 cup of
other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
- 3/4 cup 100
percent vegetable juice
Within your five
daily servings, try for one rich in vitamin
A or beta-carotene and one rich in vitamin C.
How to Get More
Fruits and Vegetables in Your Diet
For breakfast:
- fresh or dried
fruit mixed with cereal or oatmeal
- bagel or English
muffin topped with avocado and tomato or cucumber and cream cheese
- glass of tomato
juice with a spear of celery
For lunch and snacks:
- Bake a sweet
potato (microwave on high for 5-8 minutes) and top with black beans.
- Stir fresh
fruit into yogurt.
- Pop open a
can of mandarin oranges.
- Dip carrot,
celery, red pepper, and zucchini sticks into hummus, yogurt, or
low-fat dip.
For dinner:
- Roast vegetables-onion,
squash, peppers, and eggplant-and spread on a pizza crust with
tomato sauce and cheese.
- Top baked
potatoes with steamed broccoli, beans, and salsa.
- Add dried
fruit to rice and stuffing.
- Grate carrots
and zucchini into pasta sauce.
For dessert:
- Top frozen
yogurt with sautéed apples, fresh peaches, or canned pineapple.
- Choose a fruity
dessert, such as a cobbler, over a heavier treat, such as cheesecake.
No cheating!
While it
may be tempting to just pop an antioxidant supplement instead of eating
more produce, this is not the best way to go. The majority of the research
has shown positive health effects from foods rich in antioxidants, and
not from isolated antioxidants. Experts think it may be the package of
nutrients in fruits and vegetables that delivers the biggest health benefits.
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