nutrition facts

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear that number
it may seem like a lot
but it is actually much easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing
the shelves of the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition
vegetables and fruits are some of the least expensive
most nutrient rich
foods in the supermarket. With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from
it is very easy to make these nutritious
delicious foods part of your daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is
it is actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. For instance
the recommended daily amount actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are available
and how low the prices usually are
it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly becomes boring
so why not pick a variety of fruits and vegetables
in every color of the rainbow and in every conceivable shape
size and texture
to give yourself a varied diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables
it is important to choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than purely artistic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables have different types of nutrients
and choosing a variety of colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need each and every day.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Everyone likes to try out new recipes
and these new recipes may just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before. For instance
everyone has eaten oranges
but have you tried kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just take a vitamin supplement. Actually
nothing could be further from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain far more than the micronutrients identified by science and synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients
such as vitamin C
vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good health
so too are the hundreds of other elements that are contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These elements are not available in any pill
they must be ingested through a healthy
balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.

In addition
fruits and vegetables are much less costly than vitamin pills. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive
especially when purchased in season and grown locally. In the long run
getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat is much less expensive
and much better for you
than popping those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It may seem like a lot
but you can meet this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and vegetables as snacks
as garnishes
as side dishes and as meals.