Ways to increase fruits and vegetables intake

A balanced healthy diet is important to maintain and improve overall body health by providing the body with essential nutrition. The healthy diet can be considered as the combination of rice or grains as the source of carbohydrates, proteins from low-fat dairy, lean meat or soy-based products, while fruits and vegetables as the source of fibers, vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables are also the source of antioxidants, which able to fight against oxidative stress that will affect the body health. According to World Health Organization (WHO), increase consumption of fruits and vegetables help to reduce risk of chronic diseases. WHO suggested that daily consumption of more than 400 gram of fruits and vegetables can improve overall health and reduce risk of certain chronic diseases.

Most of us know the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables, but not everyone has consumed the recommended portion or at least 2 to 3 servings of fruits and 3 to 5 servings of vegetables in their daily meals. So, just start to practice some simple steps to increase your fruits and vegetables intake slowly.

1. Buy fruits and vegetables that are easy to prepare.

• Almost all fruits are easy to prepare since fruits can be eaten in raw. You can buy the fruits that are smaller such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and grapes, these fruits are more convenient where you can eat directly after wash to remove dirt and pesticides on it. Besides, some medium-sized fruits such as apples, pears, plums, persimmons, and apricots, these fruits are also can be eaten after wash thoroughly without peel off the skin.
• For vegetables, there are some choices which can be eaten in raw, such as lettuces, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, celery, etc. These vegetables after wash and cut can used to serve as salad, blend into juices or smoothies, serve as snacks or directly add into your meal. Besides the fresh vegetables, you may consider to buy frozen mixed vegetables pack which normally contained corn, carrots and green pea. It is also a good choice that are convenient and inexpensive.

2. Make your own meal or cook at home.

• You can increase the servings of fruits and vegetables when you prepare your own meals. For example, you can prepare a healthier breakfast for yourself by add a serving of salad, smoothies, juices, or vegetable soup to your breakfast. You can simply prepare all the ingredients one day before: slice, cut, or peel the fruits or vegetables into smaller pieces and store overnight in fridge. This will let you to prepare a nutritious meal faster and more efficient.
• Besides, you can always by incorporate them into your meal. You can add some vegetables to the dishes: when you are making sandwich, you may put some lettuces, tomatoes, and cucumbers with your egg mayo or tuna; add mushroom, cubed tomatoes or carrots into your omelet; include bean sprout, green leafy vegetables, or carrot into fried noodles or vermicelli.

3. Serve fruits and vegetables as healthy snack.

• Fruits can be added into your snack: you can add some fruits into plain yogurt and oatmeal to increase the flavor and taste; you can also use fruits to make your own healthy snack, such as chocolate-covered berries, fresh fruit popsicle, and fruity yogurt bites.
• Some fruits and vegetables can be served as snack, such as 3 tablespoon of raisins, ½ cup of berries, 1 cup of cherry tomatoes or carrot/cucumber/celery sticks. Fruits have higher sugar content, hence limit your fruits intake to 3 or 4 servings per day. All foods should be eaten in moderation, overeating will harm your body health.

4. Eating fruits or vegetables as a habit.

• You can always have a serving of fruit or vegetable add-on to your meal. For example, eat a slice of watermelon after your lunch; eat a banana with your breakfast; or eat a bowl of vegetables salad before having your dinner. Eat fruits or vegetables before meal can control overeating because this can allow you to feel full for longer and hence you will not eat too much from your meal.

There are many ways to increase fruits and vegetables intake. You can start to practice by adding your favorite fruits and vegetables to your meal, then slowly increase the servings in every meal. However, never eat only fruits or vegetables to replace your meal. Your body may require nutrients such as protein, B vitamins, essential fatty acids, etc., from other foods to maintain functions.

References