Choose Fruits and Vegetables Every Day

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• Choose Fruits and Vegetables Every Day

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Tips and Tastes Session

• Reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables
• Number of servings to eat daily
• MyPyramid serving sizes
• Ways to add more
• Make it easy, Make it fast
• Make it fresh, frozen or canned
• Make it colorful

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Challenges for the 5 A Day Program

• Only 20 of Americans meet the 5 A Day minimum
• Only 22 of Wisconsin adults eat 5 A Day
• Only 13 of families eat the recommended minimum
  servings
• Average number of servings is 3.6 per day
• Only 6 fruits and vegetables account for 50 of
  consumers produce consumption

PBH, 2002. State of th1e Plate Study of
Americas Consumption of Fruits and
Vegetables 2Putnam, et al, 2002. USDAs Economic
Research Service
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Reasons to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

• The 2005 Dietary Guidelines report important
  health benefits of eating more fruits and
  vegetables
• Help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic
  diseases such as heart disease, stroke and
  diabetes

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Reasons to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

• They contain Vitamins and Minerals that are
  important for health
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Folate
• Magnesium
• Potassium

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Reasons to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

• They contain Phytochemicals that are important
  for health
• Help protect the body from everyday wear and tear
• Help reduce risks of chronic diseases
• Phytochemicals work together with vitamins,
  minerals, and fiber to keep you healthy, so it is
  better to eat the fruits and vegetables rather
  than take a vitamin pill

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More Reasons to Eat Fruits and Vegetables

• They are
• naturally low in fat and cholesterol
• naturally low in sodium
• low in calories and filling
• fast and easy to eat
• high in fiber

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Dietary Guidelines/MyPyramid Number of Servings
to Eat Daily
www.mypyramid.gov
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Dietary Guidelines/MyPyramidNumber of Servings
to Eat Daily
www.mypyramid.gov
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Serving Sizes of Fruits

• Fruit servings are measured in cups
• You can eat fruit in ½ cup portions
• 1 medium fruit
• ½ cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit
• ¼ cup dried fruit
• 4 ounces of 100 fruit juice

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Serving Sizes of Vegetables

• Vegetable servings are measured in cups
• 2 cups of leafy raw 1 cup of vegetables
• You can eat vegetables in ½ cup portions
• ½ cup raw or cooked vegetables
• 1 cup leafy raw vegetable
• 4 ounces vegetable juice

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Reasons for not eating more fruits and vegetables

• Dont know how to prepare
• Too much work, time, mess or thinking involved
• Price and affordability, especially for fruits
• Real and perceived quality shortfalls
• Taste/spoilage risks associated with buying
  produce

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Ways to Add More Fruits and Vegetables

• Make it Easy, Make it Fast
• Make it Fresh, Frozen or Canned
• Make it Colorful

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Make it Easy, Make it Fast

• Look for ways to make it easier to eat more
  fruits and vegetables
• They are the original fast food

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Make it Easy, Make it FastAt the Supermarket

• Purchase pre-prepped vegetables
• Salad mix in a bag
• Cut up broccoli and cauliflower
• Pre-washed spinach
• Cut up stir-fry vegetables
• Baby carrots and grape tomatoes
• Purchase pre cut fruit, such as melon

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Make it Easy, Make it FastFor Breakfast

• Make a fruit smoothie with fruit, berries and
  yogurt
• Add dried fruit like raisins, craisins and dried
  apples to instant oatmeal
• Top cold cereal with bananas or blueberries
• Have a glass of 100 fruit or vegetable juice

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Make it Easy, Make it FastFor Lunch

• Pack small fruit cups
• Pack a tangerine, banana, or grapes
• Pack baby carrots, broccoli, and celery with a
  low fat dip
• Have a sub sandwich loaded with vegetables
• Have cup of hearty vegetable soup

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Make it Easy, Make it FastFor Dinner

• Have a salad and add different vegetables
  broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, red cabbage
• Add fruits to salads
• Crushed pineapple to coleslaw
• Mandarin oranges or grapes in a tossed salad
• Plan some meals around a vegetable main dish,
  such as vegetable stir-fry or soup.

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Make it Easy, Make it FastFor Dinner

• Add vegetables to foods you already eat
• Add red and green pepper to cheese pizza
• Add shredded carrots or zucchini to spaghetti
  sauce, casseroles, or meatloaf
• Have cut up fruit with a dip of low fat yogurt
• Make kabobs and include cherry tomatoes,
  mushrooms, green peppers, and onions

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Make it Easy, Make it FastFor Snacks and Desserts

• Keep a bowl of fresh fruit in the kitchen
• Keep cut-up vegetables (broccoli, celery, baby
  carrots) and low fat dip handy in the
  refrigerator
• Have grab and go bags of fruits (like grapes)
  and cut up vegetables ready
• Have a fruit salad with seasonal fruits for
  dessert

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Make it Easy, Make it FastWhen Eating Out in
Restaurants

• Look for fruits and vegetables on restaurant
  menus
• Salad with low fat salad dressing
• Veggie pizza or wrap
• Pasta with vegetables
• Side salad instead of French fries at fast food
• Sliced apples or mixed fruit cup at fast food
• Try an Energize Featured Side at
• participating restaurants

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Make it Fresh, Frozen, or Canned

• Fresh, frozen and canned are all healthy choices
• Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season to keep
  costs down
• Spring asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries
• Summer green beans, summer squash, tomatoes,
  blueberries, melon
• Fall apples, pumpkin, potatoes, squash
• Winter apples, pears, oranges, potatoes,
  broccoli, cauliflower

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Make it Fresh, Frozen, or Canned

• Watch for sales on fresh produce and stock up
• Be adventurous - choose new fruits and
  vegetables to try each week
• Look for recipe cards with preparation tips
• Visit the farmers market for seasonal buys
• Let your children pick a new fruit or vegetable
  and have them help prepare it
• Use your Eat Smart Win Coupon at your next trip
  to the grocery store

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Make it Fresh, Frozen, or Canned

• Use frozen fruits and vegetables as a back up for
  fresh, so you will always have a supply on hand
• Frozen vegetable mixtures can be quickly heated
  in the microwave or used in stir-fry
• Frozen berries can be eaten on cereal or used to
  make smoothies
• Choose frozen juices that are 100 juice

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Make it Fresh, Frozen or Canned

• Select canned fruits and vegetables
• Look for canned fruit in its own juice
• Choose snack pack fruits, like applesauce or
  peaches for lunches and snacks
• Choose canned juices that are 100 juice
• Look for canned vegetables that are labeled No
  Salt Added
• Use canned tomatoes in chili and pasta dishes

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Make it Colorful

• Eat a rainbow of colors of fruits and vegetables
• The phytochemicals that make fruits and
  vegetables healthy to eat also give them their
  color so having a variety of colors each day is
  beneficial

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Make it Colorful

• Enjoy fruits and vegetable from all 5 color
  groups
• Red
• Blue/Purple
• Green
• White/Yellow
• Orange

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Make it ColorfulRED

• Red apples, cherries, cranberries, red grapes,
  pink/red grapefruit, rhubarb, strawberries,
  raspberries, watermelon
• Red cabbage, red potatoes, red onion, red pepper,
  radish, tomato

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Make it Colorful BLUE/PURPLE

• Blueberries, Blackberries, Plums, Prunes, Purple
  Grapes, Raisins
• Eggplant, Purple Belgian Endive, Purple Potatoes

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Make it ColorfulGREEN

• Green apples, green grapes, honeydew melon,
  kiwifruit, green pears, lime
• Asparagus, avocados, green beans, broccoli,
  Brussels sprouts, cucumber, leafy greens,
  lettuce, green onion,
• green pepper, spinach, zucchini

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Make it ColorfulYELLOW / WHITE

• Yellow apples, bananas, yellow grapefruit, lemon,
  yellow pear, pineapple
• Cauliflower, garlic, mushrooms, onions, parsnips,
  yellow peppers, white and yellow potatoes,
  rutabagas, summer squash, corn, sweet potatoes,
  yellow tomatoes, turnips

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Make it ColorfulORANGE

• Apricots, cantaloupe, mangoes, nectarines,
  oranges, papaya, peaches, tangerines
• Butternut squash, carrots, pumpkins, yams

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Make it Colorful

• Create a veggie tray with your favorites
  broccoli florets, baby carrots, celery sticks,
  cauliflower, yellow squash, grape tomatoes, and
  brightly colored bell pepper strips or rings
• Invent your own tasty fruit salad by combining
  pineapple chunks, red and green grapes, peach
  slices, cherries and your favorite low-fat yogurt
• Have a vegetarian pizza with your favorite fruit
  or veggie toppings such as mushrooms, bell
  peppers, spinach, pineapple, broccoli florets, or
  red onions

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Points to Ponder

• Make it Easy, Make it Fast
• Make it Fresh, Frozen, or Canned
• Make it Colorful
• Set a goal to eat more Fruits
• Vegetables!

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• For more information contact
• Lisa Eierman, RD
• Eat Smart Win Project Assistant
• 839-4796 or lisa.eierman_at_co.eau-claire.wi.us