How To Eat More Fruits & Veggies? Tips & Tricks
People who consume many fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced diet are less likely to suffer from diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, and cancers. Hundreds of different plant compounds are present in each of the nine families of fruits and vegetables, all of which are beneficial to your health.
Furthermore, consuming various fruits and vegetables of different types and colors will help provide the body with the nutrients it requires. For some reason, people find it easier to eat more fruits than vegetables. Although it can seem difficult to fit so many servings into your diet, some tips and tricks can help.
Benefits of Eating More Fruits and Vegetables
Some benefits may enlighten you for anyone who doesn’t know the importance of eating fruits and vegetables.
Vitamins and Minerals
Fruits and Vegetables are a natural source of vitamins and minerals that our body needs to be healthier. You can find vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, E, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, and folic acid in fruits and vegetables. For minerals, you can get potassium that is good for your bones and a lot more.
Make you Healthy
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables make a person healthy because of the nutrients available, as stated previously. Compared to other foods, fruits and vegetables are low in fat, sugar, and salt.
Also, it contains a lot of dietary fiber. A high intake of fruit and vegetables, as part of a well-balanced, regular diet and a healthy, active lifestyle, will help you minimize obesity and maintain a healthy weight, lower cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.
Protects you With Diseases
Phytochemicals, which are biologically active compounds that can help protect against some diseases, are present in many vegetables and fruits. Including them in your diet will reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.
In addition to that, broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, and watercress, in particular, have been related to a lower risk of cancer.
High in Fiber
The majority of fruits and vegetables contain enough fiber to keep you full and improve your gut health, but some have more than others. Vegetables like artichokes, green peas, broccoli, and cauliflower are all high in fiber. High-fiber fruits include raspberries, pears, apples, and pumpkin.
Tips and Tricks to Eat More Fruits And Vegetables
Substitute Your Favorite Meal
While fruits and vegetables have fewer calories than many other foods, they still do have some calories. If you eat fruits and vegetables in addition to your regular diet, you can consume more calories and will gain weight. To avoid these things to happen you have to make use of substitution. Consume fruits and vegetables instead of high-calorie foods.
Make healthier versions of your favorite foods. Identify the items in your diet that you like the most and search for ways to substitute them with healthier choices. To add color, steam your vegetables, use low-calorie or low-fat dressings, and use herbs and spices.
Furthermore, even if you want to taste the natural sweetness of your fruit, eat it raw. Fruits and vegetables that are frozen or canned can be just as nutritious as fresh types. However, pick those that do not contain added sugar, syrup, cream sauces, or other calorie-dense ingredients.
Make Sure it is Visible
To increase your chances of eating your fruits and vegetables, place them on the counter or in a prominent location in the refrigerator. You should enticingly show your fruits and vegetables for you, making it tempting to pick up a fresh golden baguette or a glass of juicy orange apples while also keeping considerations such as health and safety.
Smoothies
If you are not a fan of eating fruits and vegetables, you might want to consider drinking them. Some smoothies, especially those made from whole fruits and vegetables at home, are high in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Furthermore, smoothies made from fruits and vegetables can be a fast and easy way to get vital nutrients into your body. Making it from scratch at home is the perfect way to know what’s in them.
Everything you’ll need is a blender, some fruits and vegetables, and a liquid like water, milk, or yogurt as a foundation. Making your smoothies will help you from wasting fruit and vegetables while still delivering benefits that will keep you on the road to good health.
Incorporate in your Snack
If you love binge eating, and your go-to snack is chips that are high in calories, sugar, and fat. You might want to switch up your snacks with some dried fruits and vegetables. Dried foods are delicious, nutritious, light, and simple to store and prepare.
Furthermore, dried fruits are a good source of energy. Apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, potatoes, and tomatoes are among the fruits and vegetables that can be dried. You can also make fruit leathers and rolls from dried fruits.
Not to mention, the amount of energy required is lower than that needed to freeze or can, and the amount of storage space required is lower than that needed for canning jars and freezer containers.
Plan your Meal
Meal planning ensures that you eat various foods and encourage you to consume more fruits and vegetables, lowering the risk of chronic lifestyle diseases. By sticking to a balanced meal schedule, you can make sure you’re consuming the right things in the right amounts.
Also, you can plan to have a vegetable day like you can only cook a vegetable meal for that day.
Furthermore, meal planning allows you to be more effective in determining the amounts of meals you and your family can eat, resulting in less food waste. It is a smart way to cut down on food waste and save money at the grocery store while also protecting the environment.
Takeaway
Look for variety when it comes to fruits and vegetables to get the best out of them. Also, try consuming a rainbow of colors in the form of fruits and vegetables. If you do that, then your body receives the variety of nutrients it needs for a healthy body and mind.