About fruits and vegetables

Government guidelines recommend consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, but studies show most Americans don’t meet that goal. It’s sound advice to eat plenty of produce. Fruits and vegetables have important functions, including promoting good health, providing satiety and weight maintenance and supplying a variety of colors, textures and tastes. Grabbing a juicy apple instead of a bag of chips when the munchies hit will pay off in a variety of ways.

Disease Prevention

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients that protect against disease. MayoClinic.com notes the plant compounds in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of heart disease, while the American Heart Association reports that they help control blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. A diet that includes fruits and vegetables may also reduce the risk of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to providing essential vitamins and minerals, these plant foods contain phytochemicals that research shows may have health benefits, as well as a host of components that are still being identified and tested for their health benefits, notes Iowa State University Extension.

Weight Control

Most fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber. Fiber fills you up without causing weight gain. Studies show that people who eat more fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, weigh less than those who avoid fiber, reports the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Plus, feasting on fruits and veggies won’t leave much room for fattening, high-calorie fare. Another way fruits and veggies help keep you trim: Fiber-rich foods are digested more slowly than other foods, which helps ward off blood sugar dips that can lead to mindless snacking and weight gain, says registered dietitian Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.

Variety

Diekman recommends eating fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors. Each plant pigment provides specific health benefits. The lycopene in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit, for instance, have been shown to defend against prostate cancer, while the beta-carotene in carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin promotes good vision and healthy mucous membranes. Another function of fruits and vegetables is to give your diet variety. “Without all the colors, tastes and textures that fruits and vegetables provide, your diet would become pretty boring over time,” Diekman says. Fruits and vegetables stimulate your taste buds, provide many different sensations in your mouth and add a burst of color to your meals.

Tips

To get more fruits and vegetables into your diet, the American Heart Association suggests challenging yourself to eat a different color each day. Make Monday a red day when you eat apples, tomatoes and strawberries, for example, and Tuesday an orange day for carrots and sweet potatoes. Also try adding fruits and veggies to foods you already love, such as veggie toppings on pizza and slices of fruit on top of ice cream. Sneak vegetables into your family meals by grating, shredding or chopping zucchini, spinach and carrots and adding them to casseroles and other dishes. If traditional green smoothies turn you off, try adding raw spinach to a dark-colored fruit smoothie, such as one made with blueberries, banana, honey and plain yogurt, Diekman suggests. It won’t change the color or flavor much, but you’ll still get a healthy dose of fruit and a green vegetable.