Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables

The most important proactive eating behavior that we can adopt today is to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent many chronic diseases, including some cancers (oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-rectum), heart disease, and diabetes, as well as protect against macular degeneration in the eyes.

The previous Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That recommendation was not based on what was optimal for good health, but rather on what seems a realistic objective given the fact that most Americans were eating just two servings per day! That’s right: Think potatoes and tomatoes, also known as French fries and catsup. The current Dietary Guidelines recommend 2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables per day for a reference 2,000-calorie intake, with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level.

Explore Lesser-Known Fruits

• Kumquat: a member of the citrus family that looks like a small, olive-shaped orange. A kumquat is eaten with the peel on, either uncooked or cooked.

• Longan: a small, round, cherry-sized fruit with a thick, nonedible brown shell. Inside, the white, juicy fruit, which surrounds a large black seed, is fragrant and sweet.

• Blood orange: a tart, yet sweet orange with flesh that is either bright red or white with red streaks.

• Starfruit: has a unique shape that resembles stars when sliced. The flavor varies from sweet to tart. It can be eaten alone, in salads or as a garnish.

Follow the rainbow for optimal nutrition and buy fruits and vegetables local and/or organic as much as possible.

Whole Fruit vs. Fruit Juice

Generally speaking, it is best to consume whole fruits (fresh, frozen, canned, dried) as much as possible. By eating fruit whole, you will consume all of the fiber available in the food. Dried fruits like raisins, prunes, and dried apricots contain the same nutritional value of fresh fruit, with the possible exception of fiber. To help ensure adequate intake of dietary fiber, it is best to choose whole fruits over fruit juice as often as possible. That’s because juices usually do not include the skins and peel of the fruit which provide significant amounts of fiber.

Look for the 100% Juice on the Label

Products with the following labels are not 100-percent juice and can contain a lot of added sugar:

• Fruit drink

• Cocktail

• Beverage

• Punch

In addition, many fruit drinks are fortified with vitamin C but again, they may not contain much juice.  Whether it’s fruit or vegetable, for the most nutrition, check the label and be sure you’re buying 100 percent juice.