Information provided by Federal Occupational Health

FRUITS & VEGGIES — MORE MATTERS

September is Fruits and Veggies—More Matters Month. Take this time to educate yourself on the many benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables fuels your body with essential vitamins and minerals so you can be your best. These foods can improve your health and lower your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Plus, fruits and veggies are energizing, loaded with nutrients, low in calories, and full of water to help you maintain a healthy weight. 

 It doesn’t matter which fruits or vegetables you eat; they’re all good for you. Eat a wide variety of fruits and veggies to reap all their benefits.

Disease Prevention

 Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables—especially leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower), and citrus fruit—may help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and gastrointestinal health issues.

All-Natural Additions
Adding fruits or vegetables to your meals adds nutrition, fiber, and bulk to your diet, which can make what you eat lower in calories—while remaining just as filling. Enhance your meals using these healthy substitutions:

• Breakfast: Cut down on cheese in your omelet and opt for onions, spinach, peppers, or tomatoes instead.
• Lunch: Build sandwiches around roasted eggplant, peppers, or mushrooms rather than high-fat meats and cheeses.
• Dinner: Swap veggies for half the bread, pasta, or rice in your meal or soup.

Fight Off Infection
Fruits and vegetables offer a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals including but not limited to vitamin C (citrus fruits, leafy greens, peppers, strawberries), vitamin B6 (bananas, chickpeas), vitamin A (carrots, sweet potatoes, squash), iron (peas, broccoli, beans, leafy greens), selenium (garlic, broccoli), and zinc (beans, chickpeas). The vitamins and minerals obtained through fruits and vegetables play a significant role in boosting your immune system.

Increase Your Intake 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) MyPlate nutritional guide says to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables for each meal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults consume anywhere from 1½ to 2½ cups of fruit and 2–4 cups of vegetables daily, depending on age, sex, and activity level.

Serving Sizes Made Simple 
Eating any of the following amounts of fruit or vegetables is equivalent to one cup (in some cases, other equivalent portions also shown).

Fruit:

• 1 medium-sized apple (about the size of a tennis ball)
• 32 seedless grapes
• 8 large strawberries

Vegetables: 

• 2 cups of raw spinach (about enough to fill a cereal bowl)
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 stalks of celery

For additional information on increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, go to https://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.