Healthy Life ~ Fruits and Vegetables

“Eat your fruits and vegetables.” You’ve likely heard this statement since childhood. Research shows why it is good advice:

• Healthy diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
• Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are important for good health.
• Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling.

Need some new ideas for adding more fruits and vegetables to your daily diet?

• Check out Fruits & Veggies Matter for tips, recipes, and more! You can find easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables into your daily eating patterns. Visit the fruit and vegetable of the month pages to find seasonal fruits and vegetables, preparation tips, and great recipes.
• In addition, you can find many new ideas in our recipe database. The database enables you to find exciting fruit and vegetable recipes that fit your needs. Searching by meal, by ingredient, or by cooking needs is easy.

Not sure how many fruits and vegetables you should be eating each day?

• Visit Fruits & Veggies Matter's fruit and vegetable calculator. Here you can calculate your fruit and vegetable recommendations based on your calorie needs for your age, sex, and activity level. This site also has helpful tips and photographs of 1/2 cup and 1 cup fruit and vegetable examples.
• You can also visit MyPyramid.gov to find more information about vegetable sub-groups and tips and ideas for fitting healthy foods into into an overall eating plan.

Curious as to whether fruits and vegetables can help you manage your weight?

• Take a look at this How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage your Weight brochure and learn about fruits and vegetables and their role in your weight management plan. Tips to cut calories by substituting fruits and vegetables are included with meal-by-meal examples. You will also find snack ideas that are 100 calories or less. With these helpful tips, you will soon be on your way to adding more fruits and vegetables into your healthy eating plan.