Fruits and Veggies, Anyone?

There has been a lot of push recently regarding the importance of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our daily diets in an effort to encourage healthier decisions. The rise of cancers and other diseases are increasingly being linked to what we eat. The tide is turning, however, against super-sizing the amount of food we eat to looking at being more responsible for our health and the health of our families.

Adults and children alike, though, struggle with a number of issues related to making healthy choices. One is convenience. In our often busy lifestyles, adding the required amount of fruits and vegetables is often difficult. We find it much easier to make a quick stop at a fast-food joint than pack a healthier alternative. Effort is another factor, as some fruits and veggies require a little preparation to make them more bite-sized. Probably, one of the biggest factors, though, is flavor. Much of the off-season produce we get in the stores is tasteless, at best. This is caused by produce being picked in their green state so it ships better and with less damage. However, because it has not had the chance to either ripen on the vine or tree, it has much less of its intended flavor.

One of the best ways to get around that is to purchase produce during their peak season. Granted, you can’t do that with all fruits and vegetables, but a large majority you can. For instance, this is a great time to take advantage of the citrus crops. Oranges are hitting their peak around this time. Many Farmers Markets are also open longer throughout the year, which gives you the opportunity to purchase locally grown produce while helping to support the farmers in your area.

If you have made or are thinking of making the move to organic foods, your local organic food store is an excellent place to purchase from. Because organic foods have no preservatives added, the have a shorter shelf life, however the flavor is superior to what you purchase in your local chain store. Often, much of what they supply is from local farmers who have developed greenhouses to enable them to grow a lot of crops year round.

If you are wondering how to better incorporate more fruits and veggies into your daily meals, but have some finicky appetites, here are a couple of very useful websites to help you. The first is My Pyramid www.mypyramid.gov , which will give you recommendations for quantities, as well as some other great resources. Another fantastic site is the Fruit and Veggie More Matters www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org , which also has some fun ideas to help kids enjoy eating more of what is good for them as well as adults. Both have good recipes and links to other helpful sites, all focused on healthy eating being fun and flavorful.

Good health to you all.