5 Benefits of Serving Fruits and Vegetables to Your Family
You may have heard it time and again, that fruits and vegetables are good for you, but how often do you hear about the benefits of serving fruits and vegetables to your family? Here are five benefits of serving fruits and vegetables to your family.
1) Eat more fiber
A diet rich in fiber has many benefits. It can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. The recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. However, most Americans only consume about 15 grams of fiber per day. One way to add more fiber into your family’s diet is by serving them a colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables each day. Here are some ideas: -Cut up veggies (cucumbers, carrots, celery) with ranch dressing as a dip
-Serve sliced apples with peanut butter or almond butter
-Slice an avocado with bread or crackers for guacamole
-Cauliflower pizza crust topped with sauce and toppings like cheese or pepper-Wrap thin slices of zucchini around meats, cheeses, and tomato sauces for zoodles.
-Add fruit salad to breakfast cereals such as oatmeal or granola. -Blend up fresh fruit with yogurt for a healthy smoothie that the kids will love.
-Toss shredded chicken breast, diced pineapple, and chopped cilantro together for a quick tropical salad.
-Fruit kebabs made from strawberries, grapes, melons, pineapple chunks, blueberries make eating healthy fun! -Eating out? Order watermelon and cucumber salad as a side dish.
-Instead of ordering chips, order corn tortillas cut into wedges and filled with salsa, beans, veggies, and cheese; or fill mini bell peppers with hummus or lentils.
-Use butternut squash instead of noodles when making spaghetti. For other pasta dishes, replace regular pasta with penne (a short tubular shape), farfalle (bow tie shaped), or fusilli (twisted corkscrew shaped). -If you want to serve your family something fried and crunchy, bake sweet potato fries. They are healthier than regular fries because they contain beta-carotene, which helps protect against certain cancers. Sweet potatoes also have fiber and potassium which lowers blood pressure. When preparing fries, season with salt, pepper, and any spices your family likes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy on the outside. These fries are best eaten right away. Enjoy these delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables with your family today! Fiber isn't the only benefit to fruits and vegetables. There are plenty of reasons to keep your family in a balanced diet!
2) Fiber helps lower cholesterol
Fiber is an important nutrient that helps the body in many ways. One way fiber helps the body is by reducing cholesterol levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, Fiber can reduce your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the bad cholesterol that clogs arteries. This is because fiber binds with cholesterol in the intestine and prevents it from being absorbed into the bloodstream. Additionally, fiber helps keep you regular and can even help prevent some types of cancer. Although fiber is crucial for a healthy diet, there are different types of fiber. For example, soluble fiber dissolves in water and slows down digestion which leads to feeling fuller for longer periods of time. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water but still provides all the same benefits as soluble fibers but without the slowed digestion effect. Different fibers can be obtained through different foods like fruits and vegetables or foods high in protein like meats or beans. The type of fiber consumed will have varying effects on health depending on the type and amount eaten. If a person has too much insoluble fiber their stool may become too soft and difficult to pass, which can lead to problems with constipation. However, if someone eats too much soluble fiber they may experience excessive gas and bloating due to food moving too quickly through their system before digesting properly. The goal should be to consume enough insoluble and soluble fibers so that your stool is easy enough to pass while maintaining optimum health. A good rule of thumb would be about 25 grams per day for each individual's personal needs. Foods high in insoluble fiber include green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds while foods high in soluble fiber include oats, lentils, apples and berries.
A study done by University of Melbourne found that when children ate more than three servings of fruit or veg per day they were more likely to develop better eating habits over time and had less risk of developing conditions such as obesity later on in life. Another study conducted at UCLA found that when mothers increased their vegetable intake during pregnancy it helped with fetal development among other things like improving moods among pregnant women.
All this research shows how important it is to eat at least five servings a day! Fruit and vegetables provide nutrients like Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, iron and beta carotene. Providing these nutritious foods to your family will lower their risk of developing chronic diseases and allow them to live healthier lives. By serving fresh fruits and vegetables to your family, they'll benefit from reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. In addition, a greater variety of nutrients is available. It's best to choose raw and non-processed options, since cooking can remove valuable enzymes and vitamins. There are many ways to incorporate fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. For instance, breakfast can be a smoothie made with spinach, blueberries, strawberries, bananas and skim milk or a bowl of oatmeal topped with shredded zucchini. These snacks offer the perfect opportunity to sneak in those needed fruits and veggies. Adding sweet potatoes or chickpeas to a salad is another option that can give it added texture and flavor. Snacks like celery sticks with peanut butter or carrots dipped in hummus can also satisfy any cravings for salty foods. There is also no need to limit yourself to just fruit and vegetables either; adding mixed frozen veggies to spaghetti sauce adds extra nutrients as well!
3) Fiber helps you feel full longer
Fiber is an essential nutrient that helps you feel full longer. This can be helpful when trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Fiber also helps regulate blood sugar levels, which can be beneficial for people with diabetes. Additionally, fiber can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. When eaten with whole grains, fiber may reduce your risk of colorectal cancer. Other benefits include improving digestion, regulating bowel movements, lowering the risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, reducing constipation in children and helping promote oral health.
Eating fruits and vegetables every day can also provide important vitamins like A, C, E and K; as well as minerals like potassium, calcium magnesium and iron.
A study published in 2008 found that eating two servings per day of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of dying from heart disease by up to 22%. Vegetables have been linked to reducing asthma symptoms. And according to one study, green leafy vegetables have been shown to protect against age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness among older adults.
The bottom line is that while no single food will give you everything you need (we still need our dairy and meat), most people could stand to eat more fruits and vegetables! The good news is they're so delicious! It's not hard at all--and pretty much any fruit or vegetable tastes good if it's prepared right. You might want to start with some of these easy recipes:
-Green smoothie made with avocado, banana, spinach and almond milk (add some protein powder for added nutrition)
-Grapefruit salad made with grapefruit, avocados, red onion and fresh parsley leaves
-Roasted cauliflower tossed in garlic butter sauce (serve over rice) -Creamed spinach with crispy bacon bits (serve over mashed potatoes)
-Brussels sprouts sautéed in olive oil, then roasted until golden brown and caramelized
4) Fruit contains antioxidants and other nutrients
antioxidants are important because they can help protect your cells from damage. Other nutrients in fruit include vitamins, minerals, and fiber. All of these nutrients are important for good health. Fiber is especially important because it helps keep you regular and can help lower your cholesterol. Some fruits also contain prebiotics which are food for the bacteria that live in your gut.
Fruits have a short shelf life: The rule of thumb is if a fruit or vegetable has been sitting on the counter too long, don't eat it! If you're not sure how long an item has been sitting out just ask yourself if its still crisp or moist when you cut into it? If not, throw it away. In the fridge fruits will last up to 2 weeks while vegetables will last up to 3-4 weeks! When considering fresh produce it's important to buy what is in season - this ensures quality and lowers prices. You can store fresh produce by washing them with cold water, patting them dry with paper towels, storing them in containers with lids that allow air circulation, then placing them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator or on the top shelf of your refrigerator (if available). You should avoid storing any raw meat or fish together with fresh produce as this may cause cross contamination between the two items. Lastly make sure to always wash hands before handling both fruits and vegetables to avoid any risk of transferring bacteria from one surface to another. As you can see there are many benefits to eating more fruit and vegetables. Whether you want better skin, a healthier heart, or more energy - serving more fruits and vegetables in your diet is a great place to start! For example, increasing consumption of tomatoes can lead to higher levels of lycopene, a nutrient associated with healthy skin. And spinach provides over twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in just half a cup! With all these delicious benefits available why would you not want to serve your family more fruit and vegetables?! Eating healthier is easier than ever with recipes like our Easy Green Goddess Dressing Recipe or our Brussels Sprouts Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Don't forget about salad dressings! There are so many recipes for salad dressings including Avocado Citrus Salad Dressing Recipe, Creamy Basil Dressing Recipe, Creamy Garlic Herb Dressing Recipe, and Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe. Get creative with your salads by adding fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried cranberries or raisins. They provide a nice variety of flavors and textures to keep you interested! So next time you need a quick and easy recipe to try, reach for your spice rack and find the perfect combination of spices to use with your favorite fruit or vegetable.
5) Vegetables give you energy
When you consume vegetables, your body gets a natural energy boost. This is due to the fact that vegetables are packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients help your body function properly and give you the energy you need to get through the day. The best part? You can eat an unlimited amount of veggies without worrying about gaining weight.
A veggie a day keeps the doctor away: One serving of veggies per day can lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and many other diseases. Eating more vegetables has also been shown to slow down the aging process by reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality. Studies have shown that if people increased their intake of fruits and vegetables just 1-2 servings per day, they could significantly reduce their risk for chronic illness in as little as two weeks! There's always room for greens: Even if you're not big on eating vegetables because they seem too bland or boring, there are tons of ways to add flavor to your greens. You can try roasting them, adding herbs and spices or making them into a soup. There's no excuse not to incorporate more vegetables into your diet! Make sure to include at least one vegetable dish each day to reap all the benefits it offers.
Here are some great tips for getting your family involved in this endeavor:
Teach kids how to make their own healthy food choices – Show them pictures of different vegetables, what they taste like and what they should look like when cooked so they know what kind of food they should be choosing. They'll be excited to make new foods once they learn how much fun cooking can be!
Get everyone involved – Involve children in the grocery shopping experience by allowing them to pick out new produce items or asking them what kind of meal ideas would be good for dinner tonight. Kids will start being excited about food and want to experiment with recipes. Pick up cookbooks from the library that teach children how to cook – It will ignite their curiosity and give them something else they love doing besides playing video games!
Meal plan together – Creating weekly meal plans will help avoid fast food runs, cut down on unhealthy snacking, and allow you to see what vegetables are in season (which means cheaper prices!). Don't forget those leftovers! If you have leftover ingredients from last night's dinner, use them in a new recipe for lunch today.
