Fruits & Veggie Nutrition

1. Fruits & Veggie Nutrition Fruit & Veggie Nutrition

2. How much should we eat? • Dietary Guidelines recommend a minimum of 5 -11 servings per day. • Visit https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/default.aspx for YOUR specific amount • Most Americans are not meeting this recommendation. (oh no!)

3. Why is it so important? • Fruit & vegetables are FULL of vitamins and minerals, which serve an array of important functions in the body. • For example…

4. FIBER -Decreases risk of Coronary Artery Disease. Fruit/Veggie Sources: navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, white beans, soybeans, split peas, chick peas, black eyed peas, lentils, artichokes

5. FOLATE (B-Vitamin) • Reduces a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect • Helps prevent heart disease Fruit/Veggie Sources: black eyed peas, spinach, great northern beans, asparagus

6. POTASSIUM • Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure • Promotes proper nerve and muscle functioning Fruit/Veggie Sources: sweet potatoes, bananas, beet greens, white potatoes, white beans, lima beans, cooked greens, carrots, plums

7. VITAMIN A • Maintains eye and skin health • Boosts the body’s immunity to infectious diseases Fruit/Veggie Sources: sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, winter squash, cantaloupe, red peppers

8. VITAMIN C • Helps heal cuts and wounds • Keep teeth and gums healthy. Fruit/Veggie Sources: red and green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, sweet potatoes, kale, cantaloupe, broccoli, pineapple, brussels sprouts, oranges, mangoes, tomatoes, cauliflower

9. In addition to our daily 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies…it is also highly recommended that we eat a variety of COLORS too. Why? Brightly colored fruits and vegetables have the highest doses of phytochemicals – which help to prevent chronic illnesses and cancer! Each color boasts of its own benefits, and that’s why it’s important to select a variety of colors when choosing the produce to eat. Lets talk about COLOR!

10. Blue/Purple These fruits/veggies reduce the risk of heart disease, help prevent formation of blood clots, and are good for memory function and healthy aging. Blueberries are full of anti inflammatory and cancer fighting chemicals. New research suggests they may also help keep memory sharp. Some purple foods, such as berries and grapes, contain ellagic acid, an anti aging compound that may guard against cancer. Fruits: blackberries, blueberries, black currants, purple figs, purple grapes, plums and raisins Vegetables: purple asparagus, purple cabbage, eggplant, purple peppers, purple-fleshed potatoes

11. Green Green veggies contain lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that protect eyesight and reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that can lead to blindness. Broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables contain compounds known as isothiocyanates, which may have anti cancer properties. Green fruits/veggies help to promote strong bones and teeth, vision health and may lower the risk of some types of cancer. Fruits:avocados, green apples, green grapes, honeydew, kiwifruit, limes, green pears Vegetables: artichokes, arugula, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, green beans, celery, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, green onions, peas, green peppers, spinach, watercress, zucchini

12. White White fruits/veggies (also tan and brown) help promote heart health and help lower cholesterol levels that are already healthy. Allicin, a compound in onions and garlic, may inhibit tumor growth. Some white foods also contain flavonoids, which help reduce your risk of heat disease and some cancers. Fruits: bananas, brown pears, dates, white nectarines, white peaches Vegetables: cauliflower, garlic, ginger, jicama, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, white-fleshed potatoes, turnips, white corn

13. Yellow/Orange These fruits/veggies are beneficial for heart and vision health, a healthy immune system and a lower risk of some cancers. In the lab, limoniods (compounds found in citrus fruits) have been shown to help fight cancers of the skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon Yellow peppers are full of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system. Orange foods are loaded with beta carotene, which may help boost the immune system, maintain healthy skin and bones, and keep eyesight healthy. The potassium in citrus fruits helps ward off heart disease. Fruits: yellow apples, apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruit, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, yellow pears, pineapples, tangerines Vegetables: butternut squash, carrots, yellow peppers, pumpkin, rutabagas, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, yellow tomatoes, yellow winter squash

14. Red Red fruits/veggies promote heart and urinary tract health, memory function and a lower risk of some cancers. Lycopene, a substance in tomatoes and watermelon, may reduce your risk for heat disease. The resveratrol in grapes may help treat lung disease and asthma and also lower your risk for heart disease. Fruits: red apples, cherries, cranberries, red grapes, pink/red grapefruit, red pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon Vegetables: beets, red peppers, radishes, radicchio, red onions, red potatoes, rhubarb, tomatoes

15. Quick Ways to Make Veggies Taste Great • Toss fruit in your salad to naturally sweeten up your greens • Go Asian…instead of steaming vegetable, try stir frying…snow peas, scallions, broccoli, etc, stir fry and sprinkle with sesame seeds and reduced sodium soy sauce • Pop ‘em in the oven…roasting really brings out the flavor in vegetable. Heat oven to 375, lightly coat vegetable with olive oil, cook for 15 to 60 minutes depending upon the vegetable. • Make soup…add more vegetables to your favorite soups.

16. THE CHALLENGE Can YOU eat something from eachcolor…eachday??? Use your tracking paper to record all the fruits and veggies that you eat tomorrow (Thursday) through Sunday. Next week we will create a bar graph to see which color vegetable YOUR diet is lacking.