5 Tips For Eating More Fruits and Vegetables
Most of us know that we need to be eating more fruits and vegetables.
The problem is that most of us do not know how to experience them in an enjoyable way.
Even those of us who love certain fruits and vegetables do not always eat as many as we should.
In fact, most people do not even know how much they should eat.
What is the right amount? The current recommendation is 9-13 servings per day and a serving is the size of your fist or about a cup.
Here are some practical tips that will make it easier than you think to get those fruits and vegetables in your diet: 1.
Eat them raw! Raw fruits and vegetables are packing a lot more nutritional value than ones that have been cooked.
Cooking will completely destroy the food enzymes that aid digestion.
It also denatures other vital nutrients such as vitamins, Phyto-nutrients (anti-oxidants), and minerals.
This is the reason we are told to just "lightly" steam our vegetables, but it is best to skip it all together and eat them raw.
It also makes them easier to grab and go.
2.
Make smoothies.
This is an easy way to get a lot of fruits and vegetables in one meal.
Mix fruits with greens to pack in the nutrients.
Smoothies can also be made from just fruits or fruits with nut milk, or you can make a savory smoothie with greens, garlic, herbs etc.
Blend your produce with water until it is creamy.
Blend in ice at the end to cool it down.
Also, have a smoothie first thing to start your day off right.
Now, even if you eat some less-than-optimal foods you have at least taken in some great nutrition.
3.
Eat raw fruits and vegetables with every meal.
This will train you to eat more fruits and vegetables while eating less of the foods that are not optimal.
I am not talking about the lettuce leaf and slice of tomato on the burger either! Get serious about this and eat a nice portion of raw fruits and/or vegetables with your meal.
4.
Eat a large green salad every day.
Add all kinds of vegetables and even some fresh or dried fruit and nuts.
Greens are very important to good health and this is where most of us are missing out big time.
The chlorophyll in greens is a major key to vital health.
Mix up the greens and try some you have never eaten (or heard of!) before.
Add in fresh herbs, too.
5.
Eat a fruit salad everyday.
A small bowl of fresh fruits each day will help you create the colorful diet that we have all been told to eat.
To make it interesting you could pour a freshly made nut-milk over it with some dried fruits and nuts and eat it like a bowl of cereal.
You can even add some avocado to this sweet mixture for an exotic twist.
Even if you only implement one or two of these tips per day, you will get more nutrition on a daily basis, as well as forming the habit of eating more fruits and vegetables.
Use all of these tips on a daily basis and you can easily get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
The problem is that most of us do not know how to experience them in an enjoyable way.
Even those of us who love certain fruits and vegetables do not always eat as many as we should.
In fact, most people do not even know how much they should eat.
What is the right amount? The current recommendation is 9-13 servings per day and a serving is the size of your fist or about a cup.
Here are some practical tips that will make it easier than you think to get those fruits and vegetables in your diet: 1.
Eat them raw! Raw fruits and vegetables are packing a lot more nutritional value than ones that have been cooked.
Cooking will completely destroy the food enzymes that aid digestion.
It also denatures other vital nutrients such as vitamins, Phyto-nutrients (anti-oxidants), and minerals.
This is the reason we are told to just "lightly" steam our vegetables, but it is best to skip it all together and eat them raw.
It also makes them easier to grab and go.
2.
Make smoothies.
This is an easy way to get a lot of fruits and vegetables in one meal.
Mix fruits with greens to pack in the nutrients.
Smoothies can also be made from just fruits or fruits with nut milk, or you can make a savory smoothie with greens, garlic, herbs etc.
Blend your produce with water until it is creamy.
Blend in ice at the end to cool it down.
Also, have a smoothie first thing to start your day off right.
Now, even if you eat some less-than-optimal foods you have at least taken in some great nutrition.
3.
Eat raw fruits and vegetables with every meal.
This will train you to eat more fruits and vegetables while eating less of the foods that are not optimal.
I am not talking about the lettuce leaf and slice of tomato on the burger either! Get serious about this and eat a nice portion of raw fruits and/or vegetables with your meal.
4.
Eat a large green salad every day.
Add all kinds of vegetables and even some fresh or dried fruit and nuts.
Greens are very important to good health and this is where most of us are missing out big time.
The chlorophyll in greens is a major key to vital health.
Mix up the greens and try some you have never eaten (or heard of!) before.
Add in fresh herbs, too.
5.
Eat a fruit salad everyday.
A small bowl of fresh fruits each day will help you create the colorful diet that we have all been told to eat.
To make it interesting you could pour a freshly made nut-milk over it with some dried fruits and nuts and eat it like a bowl of cereal.
You can even add some avocado to this sweet mixture for an exotic twist.
Even if you only implement one or two of these tips per day, you will get more nutrition on a daily basis, as well as forming the habit of eating more fruits and vegetables.
Use all of these tips on a daily basis and you can easily get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
