Ochsner Baton Rouge Gives Tips on How to Incorporate More Fruits and Veggies into your Diet

September is Fruits & Veggies – More Matters Month, and it’s a good time to stop and ask, are you getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet?

Sure, an apple a day can keep the doctor away. But did you know that eating at least 1½ cups of fruit and two cups of vegetables daily can also reduce your risk for cancer, heart disease, and stroke? According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, consuming 1½ to 2 cups of fruits and 2 to 4 cups of vegetables is optimal. The amount depends on the number of calories per day recommended for your healthy weight. 

Start boosting your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables with a few easy eating tips from the Produce for Better Health Foundation and Philip Saigeon, clinical dietitian, Ochsner Baton Rouge. 

Anytime:

• Put fruit and vegetables at the top of your shopping list.
• Buy many kinds of fruits and vegetables when you shop, so you have plenty of choices and you don't run out. Buy fresh, frozen, dried, and canned.
• After shopping, use soft fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, peaches, and tomatoes first, because they go bad easily. Save hardier varieties, such as apples and acorn squash, or frozen and canned products for later in the week.
• Increase portions when you serve vegetables and fruits.
• Keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table or counter.
• Keep packs of applesauce, raisins, or other dried fruit in your car or office.
• Create portioned out “grab and go” bags of vegetables on the top shelf of the refrigerator for quick lunch bag fillers
• Don't smother vegetables or fruits in high-calorie, high-fat sauces, or glazes.
• Avoid overcooking or boiling vegetables because this may reduce their nutrient content. Certain nutrients end up in the cooking water, which is usually discarded.

Breakfast:

• Start your day by making a vegetable or fruit smoothie with added protein powder.
• Eating fruit in the morning can be your nutrition ignition key to stimulating your metabolism.
• Add chopped fruit to your breakfast cereal. Try sliced bananas, apples, or dried fruit, such as raisins or apricots.
• Top toast with mashed strawberries or bananas.
• Add sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms, and asparagus to an omelet.

Lunch:

• Put at least one salad vegetable in your sandwich. Try tomato, lettuce, cucumber, grated carrots, or avocado.
• Consider using lettuce wraps for sandwiches in place of breads or tortillas.
• Eat a piece of fruit for dessert. When fresh fruits aren't in season, choose canned fruit packed in juice or consider frozen fruit that will have a longer shelf life.
• Spoon some fresh salsa over a ham or chicken sandwich before adding the top slice of bread.
• Choose vegetable toppings for pizza.
• Add fruits and veggies to prepared salads. For example, add grapes, raisins, or apple slices to chicken salad; chopped onions, green peppers, and carrots to tuna salad.
• Add berries or sliced bananas to plain low-fat yogurt for a sweet treat.
• Snack on raw veggies dipped in salsa.

Dinner:

• Have one or two vegetables besides potatoes with your dinner. A simple way to add vegetables is to buy frozen packaged combinations of them: succotash or peas and carrots, for instance.
• Become creative with spicing up entrees with flavor, enhancing vegetables in place of salted ingredients.
• Add vegetables to soups, sauces, and casseroles. For example, grate carrot and zucchini into spaghetti sauce.
• Add onions, green peppers, and diced tomatoes to a bean burrito or quesadilla.
• Top fat-free ice cream, ice milk, or sherbet with sliced bananas, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.

“Eating more fruits and vegetables will provide the body with more soluble and insoluble fiber, promoting satiety and improved intestinal health,” said Saigeon. “Make eating fruits and vegetables fun – plant your own vegetable, spice and herb garden. This can also save you money!”