So you've been trying to eat right, working to fit
in your "5 a day" servings
of fruit and vegetables. Well, the government has some news for you: Forget five a day.
More is better.
Vegetables and fruits are excellent sources of
vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are essential for health. In addition,
fruits and vegetables contain a class of nutrients called “phytonutrients” that are important
for fighting cancer. Nearly four thousand phytonutrients have been
discovered. To get the full spectrum of these cancer “phyters,” you need to eat
a wide variety of fruits and vegetables from every color of the rainbow.
“Eat plenty
of fruits and vegetables.” “Americans
just aren’t getting enough.” Chances are you’ve heard these phrases a time
or two in the past. But what exactly does plenty mean? Five bowls of fruit? Six
salads? Nine apples? Two sweet potatoes? How much is enough? The right amount
for you depends on several factors, including age, gender, and physical
activity. These characteristics determine how many fruits and vegetables you
should be eating every day. To get started, check our guidelines below to find
the right amount that you need to enjoy on a daily basis.
What does “plenty” mean? More than most Americans consume. If you don’t count potatoes—which
should be considered a starch rather
than a vegetable—the average American gets a total of just three servings
of fruits and vegetables a day. The latest
dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables
a day (2½ to 6½ cups per day), depending on one’s caloric intake. For a
person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this
translates into nine servings, or 4½
cups per day (2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables).
Recommended
Vegetable Intake
Moderately
active women and men through the age of 50 require 2 1/2 cups and 3 cups of
vegetables per day, respectively, while adults over the age of 50 should reduce
their daily intake by 1/2 cup. In general, 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables
counts as 1 cup toward your total daily intake. Although a cup of mashed
vegetables is generally more concentrated than a cup of sliced vegetables, United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines regard them as equivalent.
An
8-ounce glass of 100 percent vegetable juice also counts as 1 cup of
vegetables. While a 1-cup serving of cooked dark leafy greens counts as 1 cup
of vegetables toward your daily intake, 1 cup of raw dark leafy greens equates
to just 1/2 cup in daily intake terms.
Recommended
Fruit Intake
Moderately
active women through the age of 30 and moderately active men of all ages
require 2 cups of fruit per day, while women over the age of 30 should reduce
their daily intake to 1 1/2 cups, according to the USDA. A 1-cup serving of raw
or cooked fruit generally counts as 1 cup of fruit toward total daily intake.
An 8-ounce glass of 100 percent fruit juice also counts as 1 cup of fruit.
Smaller servings of dried fruit, however, count toward more of your daily
intake because dried fruit is significantly higher in calories and nutrients. A
1/4-cup serving of raisins, for example, counts as 1/2 cup of fruit in daily
intake terms, just as 1/2 cup of dried apricots counts as 1 cup of fruit.
How Do I Eat that Many Servings a Day?
A
2007 study found that phytonutrients can “communicate” directly with our genes,
altering genetic expression. They can suppress the response of cancer-causing
genes known as oncogenes while increasing the expression of tumor-suppressor genes. Vitamin
pills don’t offer these important nutrients, so you’ll want to substantially increase your intake
of fruits and vegetables. Remember to eat eight to twelve servings per day. A
serving is 2 cup of cooked vegetable; 1 cup of raw salad vegetables; 6 ounces
of vegetable juice; 1 medium apple, pear, or other fruit; 2 cup diced, cooked,
or canned fruit; or 1 cup of berries. Gradually increase your intake by one to
two servings each week until you reach your goal. Try these tips to fit more fruits
and vegetables into your day. Here
are some helpful tips:
1) Plan to eat two or three 2-cup servings of vegetables at
each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Snack on fresh fruits (or additional
vegetables), and you’ll surely meet your goal.
2) Plan your meals around vegetables. Plant-based foods should
fill 50 to 75 percent of your plate (with proteins and whole grains for the
remainder).
3) Be adventurous by expanding your horizons. Try a new fruit
or vegetable each week. Have you tried kohlrabi, beet greens, star fruit, kiwi,
celeriac, jicama, parsnip, fennel, bok choy, arugula, watercress, burdock root,
fava beans, taro root, or mustard greens? Your grocery may provide recipe cards.
It’s easy to find recipes online if you’re unsure of how to prepare your new
find.
4) Serve vegetable juices with meals and snacks for an easy way
to boost your vegetable intake. Choose freshly made vegetable juice, preferably
organic and low-sodium.
5) Add 2 cup of finely shredded carrots to 1 cup of salsa. The
crunchy texture adds a great spark to the salsa. Or try grated zucchini or
summer squash.
6) For breakfast, eat one or two eggs that are high in omega-3
(poached, boiled, or scrambled) with 1 cup of steamed green beans, spinach,
arugula, kale, broccoli, zucchini, or other vegetables.
7) Make an egg scramble for breakfast. Dice or shred any
combination of onions, red or green peppers, and mushrooms. Sauté the
vegetables in olive oil until they are tender. Add eggs. Season with turmeric
(which results in a nice yellow color), garlic, thyme, oregano, nutritional
yeast, pepper, other spices, or some combination of these ingredients.
8) Make a breakfast burrito packed with pinto or black beans,
onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and tomatoes.
9) Try a fruit smoothie for breakfast. In a blender, purée 2
cup of green tea (or soy, rice, or almond milk; or organic low-fat yogurt or
kefir), 1 tablespoon of whey protein powder, 2 banana, 2 cup of fresh berries,
4 teaspoon of fresh lemon or orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal.
For variety, try mango-peach, tangerine-raspberry, pineapple-coconut,
blueberry-nectarine, or any combination you desire!
10) Incorporate more green, leafy vegetables into your diet.
Choose spinach, Swiss chard, collards, kale, mustard greens, arugula, young
dandelion leaves, or beet or turnip greens. Serve cooked greens with scrambled
eggs or tofu for breakfast. Add a bunch of chopped greens to soups, stews, or
salads. Try this Brazilian healthy food recipe: Salada
de Palmito- Hearts of Palm Salad. Mix chopped, cooked greens into hummus or
other dips. (Fresh greens have more nutrition, but you can keep frozen spinach
on hand for convenience.)
11) Serve vegetable curries (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans,
carrots, yams, and Brussels sprouts are great in curry).
12) Serve fresh (or frozen) berries with plain low-fat yogurt
for a snack or dessert.
13) Grate the peel and pith from a fresh organic lemon or
orange, and add the zest to oatmeal, muesli, cereal, whole-grain muffins,
waffles, salads, or tea.
14) Keep a bag of baby carrots, celery sticks, red pepper
slices, and snap peas on hand for snacking. Serve with hummus, salsa, or bean
dip.
15) Expand the variety of vegetables in your salads beyond
tomatoes and cucumber. Start with a variety of leafy greens. Banish iceberg
lettuce, which is nutritionally “bankrupt,” and choose romaine, red-leaf
lettuce, mesclun, raw spinach, beet greens, and other dark, leafy greens. Top
with ample chopped, diced, or grated vegetables. Add lots of different colors
of vegetables for visual appeal. Try these vegetables in your next salad:
avocados
artichokes
beets
broccoli
broccoli
sprouts
cabbage,
red or green
carrots
cauliflower
celery
chayote
chickpeas
chives
daikon
sprouts
eggplant,
grilled
fava
beans
fennel
garlic
cloves, roasted
green
beans
jicama
onion,
red or white
parsley
peas
peppers,
red or yellow
radishes
scallions
sugar
snap peas
sunflower
sprouts
watercress
yams,
grated raw
zucchini
16) For a treat, fresh fruit is nice for salads too. Try orange
slices, raspberries, apple chunks, kiwis, pomegranate pearls, red grapes,
mango, or grated orange or lemon zest.
17) When baking muffins, cookies, or other treats, add grated
carrots or zucchini to the recipe to boost fiber and carotenoid intake.
18) Use apple sauce or prune purée to replace half of the fat in
baked goods. You can use puréed prunes (or baby-food prunes) to replace all the
fat in chocolate brownies or baked goods. They add a chewy texture and a sweet
flavor. Place a cup of dried, chopped, pitted prunes in a blender and add 3
tablespoons of very hot water. Blend until the prunes are smooth.
19) For a quick favorite family meal, top an organic frozen
pizza with extra vegetables (onions, broccoli, red pepper, artichoke hearts,
spinach, dried tomatoes).
20) For a simple dinner, try roasted vegetables. Dice onion,
leek, fennel, rutabaga, turnip, yam or sweet potato, zucchini, burdock root,
red pepper, portobello mushrooms, peeled whole garlic cloves, and sprigs of
fresh rosemary (optional).
21) Toss with olive oil and roast uncovered in the
oven at 375°F for 1 hour. Make extra; they are delicious as leftovers.
22) Bake winter squash (acorn, butternut, or spaghetti squash).
Make extra and store for a quick meal later in the week.
23) Look for organic ready-made soups with simple ingredient
lists in 1-quart boxes. Serve with salad for a quick lunch or snack. Or heat it
in a cup and enjoy it as a warming beverage anytime.
24) Add extra chopped vegetables and fresh minced parsley to
ready-made tabbouleh.
25) Make kebabs for the grill with zucchini, yellow squash,
onions, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplant, or pineapple
wedges. (Grilling meats creates carcinogens called “HCAs” and is not
recommended, but grilled vegetables are safe.)
26) Combine 1 cup of cooked brown rice with 2 cups of diced
vegetables (onions, carrots, zucchini, red peppers, mushrooms, or others).
Season with garlic, thyme, and basil. Use this mixture to stuff bell peppers,
cabbage rolls, and portobello mushrooms or squash halves. Bake until fragrant
and tender.
27) Prepare a big pot of homemade soup or stew (double the
vegetables in the recipe) and a salad or vegetable casserole over the weekend.
Later in the week, when you don’t feel like cooking, a healthy meal is ready
and waiting for you.
28) If you eat organic meats, consider marinating them in fruit
juices (try pomegranate, raspberry, or cranberry) or concentrated fruit purées
(soak dried apricots or prunes in water to cover, and then purée in the
blender). Add rosemary, garlic, ginger, black pepper, thyme, oregano, or other
spices. Marinate overnight. Or try mixing 4 cup of mashed blueberries or prune
purée in each pound of ground bison (or organic, low-fat beef) for juicy
burgers.
29) When eating out, ask to have an extra serving or two of
vegetables (without sauce) instead of bread, potatoes, or rice.
And load up with lots of raw veggies at the salad bar, like dark-green lettuces
(avoid iceberg) and spinach.
30) Find yourself at a fast-food restaurant. Choose a salad and
a baked potato topped with salsa.
31) Add extra vegetables to soups, either homemade or canned.
32) Make a quick “pasta salad” by adding 2 cups of cooked
whole-grain rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, or other grain to 4 cups of
diced vegetables and 2 cup of chopped fresh parsley. Make it as colorful as
possible. Season with garlic, black pepper, and basil, and dress with olive oil
and vinegar or lemon juice.
33) For convenience, look to ready-to-eat (washed, peeled,
sliced, grated, or some combination), packaged vegetables at the market. Or set
aside some time on the weekend to wash and prepare vegetables for the upcoming
week. Having containers of chopped onions, grated carrots, sliced zucchini, and
other prepared vegetables on hand simplifies preparation of healthy meals.
34) Put extra vegetables in spaghetti sauce. Try shredded
carrots, onions, chopped spinach, roasted eggplant, mushrooms, or some
combination of these ingredients.
35) Make a stir-fry for dinner once a week. Cook a diverse
assortment of vegetables over medium heat in 1/3 cup of broth and 1 tablespoon
of olive oil (add a dash of sesame oil to jazz up the flavor).
36) Bake an apple, quince, or pear for dessert. Core the fruit,
stuff the center with a combination of uncooked rolled or steel-cut oats,
cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and 1 tablespoon of raisins or currants. Bake at
375°F for about 45 minutes (the aroma will tell you when it’s done).
What is a
Serving?
The new pyramid
recommends fruits and vegetables in cups
instead of servings because it is easier to figure out how much you need. Servings
are typically measured by the 1/2 cup and cup, and can be tallied up to obtain
a total for each day. The goal is to match the number of fruit and vegetable
servings actually consumed each day with the total cup number recommended from
the above guidelines. For most fruits and vegetables, one half cup represents a
serving (including fresh, frozen, and 100% juice). A few exceptions include
leafy greens, in which the serving is a full cup, and dried fruit, in which the
serving is 1/4 cup. Setting all detailed, specific servings aside, the bottom
line is to meet your daily cup totals for fruits and vegetables.
What Exactly Does a
Cup Look Like?
