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TIPS For Families |
Written by: Kim Bearnes Any
of these questions sound familiar? Fruits and vegetables are key parts of
your daily diet. Everyone needs 5 to 9 daily servings of fruit and vegetables
for the nutrients they contain and for general health. Nutrition
and health may be reasons you eat certain fruits and vegetables, but there
are many others reasons why you choose the ones you do. Perhaps it is because
of taste, or physical characteristics such as crunchiness, juiciness, or bright
colors. Whatever
the reasons you select certain fruits and vegetables, the important thing
is that you eat theme and encourage children to do the same. With such a
large choice of fruits and vegetables to choose from, you can find a variety
to eat. Nutrition Tidbit Fruits and vegetables give you many of the
nutrients that you need: vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, water and healthful
phytochemicals. Some are sources of vitamin A. others are rich in vitamin
C. Folate and potassium. Almost all fruits and vegetables are naturally low
in fat and calories and none have cholesterol. All of these healthful characteristics
may protect you from getting chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke,
and some types of cancer. Fruits... At Breakfast,
top your cereal with bananas or peaches, strawberries,
add blueberries to pancakes, drink 100% orange juice. At Dinner, add crushed pineapple to coleslaw, include mandarin
oranges in a tossed salad, have a fruit salad for dessert. Vegetables… Spice it! Top
corn or black beans with salsa or a dash of hot sauce. Slice it! Add cooked chopped onions to cooked peas. Zap It! Microwave broccoli and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.
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