Broccoli Cupcake

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This week, I’m on a whole foods cleanse with Melissa from Thrive Whole Living.  It hasn’t been easy, but I’m feeling great at the half way point.  The best part has been how much I’ve learned about easy ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our daily diets. 

The average American consumes just 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day – less than half the recommended daily servings.  The latest dietary requirements call for 5 – 13 servings a day or the equivalent of 2 ½ to 6 ½ cups.

 Some of the healthiest fruits and vegetables are the ones many of us pass up in the grocery store aisle and would never think to plant in our gardens.   Below I’ve listed some of the top picks to get the most nutritional value from your fruits and vegetables.  I’ve also included 5 tips for uping your intake and 3 reasons it’s worth the effort. 

 Fruits and Vegetables You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Apricots – fiber, Vitamin A, and antioxidants that may reduce the risks of colon and lung cancer
• Cherries – loaded with anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and anti-cancer compounds
• Grapefruit – can aid weight loss, lower cholesterol and fight cancer - loaded with Potassium and Vitamin C.
• Raspberries – insanely rich in fiber, plus antioxidants
• Arugula – a little bit of everything with so few calories – this is a must for salads
• Broccoli sprouts – one of the healthiest vegetables with calcium and lots of vitamins and anti-oxidants
• Green cabbage – Vitamins K and C plus dietary fiber – said to help reduce the risk of breast cancer
• Spinach – calorie for calorie it provide more nutrients than most foods - a great source of Vitamin K, which is essential for building strong bones - it’s also a great source of calcium, especially for those who avoid milk – Plus Vitamin A, folic acid, iron, Vitamin C and anti-inflammatory agents
• Peppers – low in calories, high in vitamins, and versatile – great for snacks, stir-frys, salads and omelets
• Pumpkin – high in potassium and Vitamin A – we should eat pumpkin all year round – canned pumpkin and fresh pumpkin have nearly the same nutritional value

 5 Tips for Increasing Your Fruit and Veggie Intake:

1.  I learned this tip from Melissa at Thrive Whole Livingand I love it because it’s SO easy and you don’t actually have to eat 5-7 servings of vegetables – you can drink them.  Bring a pot of water to a boil, drop in a ton of veggies, reduce the heat and let simmer for 2 hours.  All the vitamins and nutrients are now in the water/broth.  Add some miso, garlic or other seasonings and drink as a soup.  This is also a great way to use up any veggies about to go bad.
2. Chop up a mix of several of your favorite veggies or some of the most nutritious listed above.  Keep them in a bowl and toss them into dishes at each meal.  Use them in an omelet at breakfast, a soup or salad at lunch or spaghetti sauce or rice at dinner.
3. Smoothies are a daily ritual at our house.  Sometimes they’re breakfast, some days a snack and some days they’re frozen fruit pops for dessert.  But every day they include both fruits and vegetables.  Spinach, carrots and celery mix well with various berries and pineapple is a natural sweetener.
4. Salads don’t have to be a side.  They can be a meal all by themselves.  Add fish, chicken, nuts and seeds and lots of extra veggies and fruit.  Blueberries and strawberries are delicious on salads.  We also like oranges and apples.  Mix up a dressing of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, sea salt and pepper.  Or just squeeze some lemon juice over it.
5. Veggies are great raw and fresh dipped in hummus, guacamole or homemade ranch dressing.  Fruits can be dipped in sunbutter or greek yogurt with cinnamon and honey.  If it wasn’t for snack time we would never get in all of our fruits and veggies.  Pepper slices, cucumbers, carrot sticks, apples, grapes, and cantaloupe.  We also make fresh dips like guacamole (made with avocadoes) and hummus (made with chickpeas). 

 3 Reasons This Is Worth The Effort:

• Diets rich in fruits and vegetables can lower your risk of heart disease (the number one killer of women in America) and stroke.
• Most fruits and vegetables are packed with cancer fighting agents.  Different agents protect against different cancers so getting a variety is a good idea.  Use the rainbow theory and try to eat foods of every color every day.
• Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will help fill you up and reduce inflammation, which can help ease aches and pains, and stabilize your weight.

 How many servings are you getting each day?  What’s your favorite fruit or vegetable rich dish?