Start National Nutrition Month off Right with a Balanced Diet of Fruits and Vegetables

2/23/2018

Maintaining a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables is essential to leading a healthy life, yet many of us struggle with this. There is a general understanding that fruits and vegetables are healthy for us, but this tends to be the extent of many people’s knowledge on the topic. The truth is, incorporating a wide variety of fruits in veggies into your daily diet can benefit your body in more ways than imaginable. March is National Nutrition Month, and the theme for 2018 is “Go Further with Food.” Taking your food further is more than just eating an apple a day, and -- news flash -- it takes more than that to keep us doctors away. In order to take your food choices further, let’s tackle the topics of which fruits and vegetables to choose, their health benefits, and helpful tips to bring more of them into your daily routine.

How Do I Choose the Right Fruits and Vegetables?
Sadly, there isn’t one fruit or vegetable that gives you all of essential nutrients that your body needs. This is why it’s incredibly important to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, color is an important factor in choosing the right fruits and vegetables. When strolling along the produce aisle, you should go for dark green leafy vegetables and brightly red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. For example, kale, spinach and cabbage are all important for your body’s vitamin and antioxidant needs; while bell peppers, tomatoes, apples, and oranges give you essential fibers.

Why Does Color Matter When Selecting Produce?
The pigment in brightly colored fruits and vegetables comes from carotenoids, such as lycopene and beta-carotene. Lycopene, which is mainly in red coloring, and beta-carotene, found in orange and yellow fruits and veggies, are converted to Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is important for the body because it promotes healthy vision and tissues, as well as helps prevent certain diseases, such as cancer.

Why Are Fruits and Vegetable So Good Anyway?
Think of the nutrients that fruits and vegetables provide you with, as bricks—bear with me. These “bricks” are all essential building blocks for your body’s defense system, or in this case, walls. We all need strong walls to protect us from diseases and the general wear and tear of life. Now, imagine having your body defenseless… scary right? This is why it’s important to adopt a well-balanced diet consisting of many fruits and veggies.

Evidence shows that the nutrients of fruits and vegetables help prevent and reduce the risk of many diseases and health issues, such as:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Certain types of cancer (mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and lung cancer)
• Diabetes
• Cataracts and macular degeneration
• Digestive issues

With this list in mind, it’s safe to say these foods are pretty useful in your day-to-day life. Even better, maintaining a heavy fruit and vegetable diet can protect you from the flu, which is important, considering the nature of this year’s flu season.

Helpful Tips for Eating More Fruits and Veggies
Now that you know why you need to eat more fruits and veggies, let’s talk about how to do that. First of all, incorporating fruits and vegetables into your meals is incredibly easy!

Breakfast

• Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries add great flavor to cereal, oatmeal and yogurt
• Oranges, apples and bananas are a great part of any breakfast
• Adding chopped vegetables, such as onion, garlic, spinach and green and red bell peppers to eggs or omelets

Lunch

• Salads are an easy way to get a large variety of fruits and veggies into your diet
• Adding vegetables to any sandwich not only make it healthier but more favorable
• Cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, etc.

Dinner

• When using your oven to cook dinner, throw in vegetables, such as broccoli and sweet potatoes
• Chopped vegetables can be added to any stove top meal for great flavor

Extra Tips

• Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good as fresh ones
• Get adventurous while in the produce aisle, try new things to keep it exciting
• Keep fruit out in your kitchen, that way, when you see it you’re more likely to eat it

So, as you make food choices this National Nutrition Month, keep these tips and benefits in mind and Go Further with your Food. Your body, and your doctor will thank you.

Sam Dabit, D.O., is Chief Resident of Merit Health Wesley’s Internal Medicine Residency Program. To schedule an appointment at the Internal Medicine Resident Clinic, call (601) 268-5200.

Back