Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables each day?
At the grocery store, I noticed that about 25% of my cart was filled with fruits and vegetables. Here is what I came home with…
I have found that even though many of my patients like fruits and vegetables, when I evaluate their current eating intake of fruits and vegetables the number of servings are severely lacking! Personally, on most days I reach my fruit servings but some days I lack a bit on my vegetable intake.
How many servings of fruits and vegetables should you get each day?
According to MyPyramid.gov, adults need 1.5-2 cups of fruit each day and 2.5-3 cups of vegetables each day depending on your age, gender, and level of physical activity.
What counts as 1 cup or a serving?
1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the fruit group.
1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens (such as spinach) is considered 1 cup from the vegetable group.
Here are some tips to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet:
- Add bananas or blueberries to pancake, waffle, or muffin batter
- Mix raisins, dried apricots, or berries into oatmeal or cereal
- Add peppers, onions, or spinach to an omelet or scrambled eggs
- Make a smoothie with fruit, fat free yogurt/milk, ice, and maybe even spinach if you want to try a Green Monster
- Top a pizza with mushrooms, peppers, spinach, zucchini, or pineapple
- Put a slice of avocado or spread some guacamole on a sandwich or in a wrap
- Add a few slices of tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich
- Bulk up regular canned soup by adding some extra mixed vegetables
- Add layers of frozen spinach or eggplant to lasagna
- Top a baked potato with salsa or steamed broccoli
- Mix fresh fruit and granola into yogurt
- Add broccoli or diced pepper to macaroni and cheese
What are some ways you increase your fruit and/or vegetable intake? Are you consuming the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day?
Hope you are having a wonderful week!
Kasey
11 comments 
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March 9th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
girl those are some great tips! i LOVE brocc in my mac and cheese!
March 9th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Thanks for the tips on added fruits and veggies to daily meals. I think I lack my serving of fruits. I will be more conscious about it! Thanks for the great info!!!!
March 9th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Great tips for incorporation more fruits & veggies!
Several months ago, I took a good look at how many fruits & veggies I was really eating (I had always believed I was eating a lot). However, I realized that I was eating less than I thought. I started to build every meal around veggies and fruits (versus just “adding them in”.) I also started juicing several times per week.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
Happy RD Day!
I do pretty well in the fruit area but sometimes come up short with veggies! Great tips! I do a lot of the tips so I think I am on the right track. Whenever I can, I will try to sneak in my veggies like you had mentioned..on sandwiches, omelettes, pizza…you name it!
March 10th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
I do very well in the veggie area, but not always the fruit. I grill my veggies (and make a huge batch) and they taste so good!
March 11th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
This was such a good post! Do you want to know something embarrassing? I do NOT know the MyPyramid serving sizes. I had no idea, until last month, that 1/2 cup cooked vegetables did NOT equal one cup! And, I didn’t know I had to eat 2 cups of green leafy veggies to equal one cup. YIKES! I think I may be falling a little short of my F/Vs. Thanks for the information, I NEED to review!
March 13th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Have a great weekend!
I nominated you for a Creative Writer Award!
March 15th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Happy Belated RD Day! I have trouble getting patients to eat their F&V’s too…and even I have trouble getting in that last veggie every day! The fruit I’m usually really good about. I’m starting to add a small side salad at lunch to help get that last veggie in every day
March 16th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Great veg stock! It’s always good to assess the cart proportions and make sure that a good chunk is filed with fruits and vegetables!
July 9th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Goal setting is very important specially if you want to plan long term.;”-
September 6th, 2010 at 1:18 am
sometimes i am having some problems when setting goals~”`