“Don’t trade your banana at lunch!”

“Yes, you have to clean your plate. Yes, that includes the Brussels sprouts!”

Most of us heard these messages – or something similar – from our parents when we were kids. Fruits and veggies may not always have been the most tantalizing foods back then (and they still may not be now), but there is no denying that we need lots of them in our diet¹.

September is Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month, an annual celebration that puts the focus not just on eating more fruits and veggies but also on how they can lower our risk² of:

• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Certain cancers
• Obesity
• High blood pressure

Did you know that…

…a low-fat plant based diet can control and/or reverse³Type 2 diabetes?

…plants are loaded with protein³?

…veggies and fruits are packed⁴ with calcium, iron, and vitamin D, among other nutrients?

…leafy greens⁵ help protect our tissues against free-radical damage, help keep our nerves, brain, and spinal cord healthy,

and help bone marrow make new red blood cells?

…fruits and veggies⁶ are considered nutrient-dense and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages increased consumption of these plant-based foods?

According to the USDA’s Choose My Plate⁷ program, half your plate of each meal should be fruits and veggies. That may seem like a lot, especially when your diet doesn’t currently meet that recommendation, but here are some tips to help you on your journey to healthier eating:

• Keep a bowl of fruit on your counter. This keeps it convenient, in your line of sight, and attractive – three qualities that will make it more likely
• for you to choose a piece of fruit over less healthy options the next time you go to the kitchen.
• Take a few minutes each week to cut up fruits (or buy bagged frozen options) to store them in convenient – and portable – containers for later use.
  Grab a container when you head out the door each morning.
• Challenge your loved ones to try a new veggie with you each week.
• Add (or increase the amount you normally add) veggies to your standard dishes like pasta, soup, or sandwiches.
• Choose frozen fruit bars (100% fruit – no added sugar) instead of ice cream or yogurt.
• Add greens to your breakfast smoothie.
• Replace carbs with vegetables. Instead of making mashed potatoes, make mashed cauliflower.
• Use lettuce instead of bread for sandwiches and wraps.
• Make overnight oats and add steamed veggies or fruit to the top.
• Swap the noodles you typically use for veggie noodles. With a spiralizer, you can make noodles from vegetables such as zucchini and squash.
• Add carrots, squash, broccoli, kale, or other veggies to your tomato sauce.
• Slice veggies such as avocados, carrots, or zucchini and bake as fries until crispy.

Looking for a farmers’ market near you for fresh fruits and veggies? Click here⁸.

Know someone who could use help eating healthy? Click here⁹ for tips on how to start the conversation:

September is also National Childhood Obesity Month. Click here¹⁰ for information on how fruits and veggies can help support healthy growth in children. Click here¹¹ for information on the Salad Bars to Schools project.

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Sources:

¹: “Everything You Eat and Drink Matters.” https://www.choosemyplate.gov/variety. United States Department of Agriculture.

²: “September: Fruit & Veggies – More Matters Month.” https://healthfinder.gov/nho/SeptemberToolkit2.aspx. United States Department of Health and Human Services.

³: “What the Health: Facts.” http://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/facts/.

⁴: “Power Sources.” http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/pplate/power-sources. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

⁵: “Why Eat Dark, Leafy Greens?” http://doctorklaper.com/answers/answers16/. Dr. Michael Kapler.

⁶: “More Plants on the Plate.” http://nutritionstudies.org/plants-plate/. T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

⁷: “MyPlate.” https://www.choosemyplate.gov/MyPlate. United States Department of Agriculture.

⁸: “Local Food Directories: National Farmers Market Directory.” https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets. United States Department of Agriculture.

⁹: “Healthy Eating: Conversation Starters.” https://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/nutrition-and-physical-activity/nutrition/healthy-eating-conversation-starters. United States Department of Health and Human Services.

¹⁰: “September is National Childhood Obesity Month.” https://www.cdc.gov/features/childhoodobesity/index.html. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

¹¹: “Salads Bars to Schools.” http://www.saladbars2schools.org/.