- National Nutrition Month - March 18, 2021
- National Diabetes Month - November 26, 2019
- National Nutrition Month - March 7, 2019
By: Katherine Geoghagan, RD, CDE
How many servings of fruit and vegetables do you eat in a day? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states we should try to include a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day! 5 A DAY? Yes, 5 A DAY. It is easier than you may think. For one thing , this time of year we have a wide variety of fresh produce to choose from…just check out your local Farmer’s Market. Second, a serving is smaller than you may realize. 1 cup raw or ½ cooked vegetable and a small piece fresh fruit (size of a baseball) or 1 cup berries or melon is equal to a serving. So, getting 5 servings a day is easier than you think. BUT you still have to work and making those choices.
Here are a few ways to increase your produce intake daily:
- Try blueberries in 6 oz of low fat yogurt for breakfast
- Add small apple for mid morning snack
- Crunch on carrot sticks at lunch ** hint** buy whole carrots instead of baby carrots—they taste much sweeter
- Make your sandwich on whole wheat tortilla and fill with baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers
- Include salad with at least one meal a day
- Incorporate more dark green, orange and yellow vegetables at dinner
- Always keep fresh produce washed, cut and ready to eat in refrigerator
Fruits & Vegetables are full of much needed fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. So what will your answer be the next time someone asks “What’s in your diet?”
Grilled Okra
1 lb fresh okra, steams removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1tsp salt or to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper