Healthy living means so much more than going to the doctor for a visit. It means embracing a healthy lifestyle: eating healthy, exercising, taking care of the environment, and your happiness. And perhaps the most important contributor to our health is how we eat. We all know that we should eat more fruits and veggies, but why don’t we?
Common barriers like boredom, hassle, and expense keep us from consuming the amount of fruits and veggies that we really should. September is National Fruits and Veggies Month and let’s get started with knowing exactly how many fruits and vegetables we should be eating. Use this easy calculator to find out the recommended daily servings for your age, sex, and level of physical activity!
Now that you know your recommended daily servings… time to start eating!
Here are some tips to fight fruit and veggie boredom, while also saving money!
- Buy fruits and veggies in season at your farmers’ market or local grocery store. (Buying in season produce not only shakes up the variety, but is also more affordable than buying out-of-season.)
- Grow your own vegetables and fruits. (Seeds are a small investment and you’ll feel so much pride in your harvest that you’ll be sure to eat it all!)
- Be creative. Use fruits for dessert or veggies for breakfast. Mix it up a bit and surprise yourself. (Here are some recipes to get your creative juices flowing.)
- Get resourceful with your leftovers! Instead of throwing that last tomato away, make salsa! Use the last bits of your fruits to make a smoothie. Challenge yourself to use all the produce you buy and you might even discover a new snack.
Need a simple, no math or measuring proof way to make sure you’re getting a good amount of veggies and fruits? Eat a Rainbow. Try and eat a fruit or vegetable for each color of the rainbow every day.
Examples:
Red: Strawberries, Tomatoes
Orange: Sweet Potatoes
Yellow: Corn, Pineapple
Green: Spinach, Broccoli
Blue: Blueberries
Purple: Plums, Eggplant
White: Onions
Make a commitment this September to eat more fruits and vegetables and let us know how you’re doing. People’s Center Health Services is dedicated to helping you improve your health and that means eating healthy too. Contact us today about scheduling an appointment with our registered dietitian, Kathryn Hang. We are proud to be partnered with the Seward Co-op and even offer dietitian visits AT the Co-op–you’ll not only learn how to seek better health, but you’ll actually be given hands-on shopping skills at a local, organic grocery.
Call 612-332-4973 to schedule your Nutrition Visit now. Or visit our website and find out more.
